From 2010 to 2016, the Pittsburgh Penguins lacked a team identity. That changed when Sullivan took the helm. The team was built on skill and speed throughout the lineup. It showed success. The team won back-to-back Stanley Cups with guys like Bryan Rust, Jake Guentzel, Tom Kuhnackl, and Conor Sheary.
Let's forward to the 2017-2018 season. Picture this, Sidney Crosby is in front of the net in the first round of the playoffs against the wild card New York Rangers. Then, a scene all too familiar occurs, Marc Staal cross checks Crosby viciously in the back of the head. But wait! Here comes Reaves off the bench to rescue our captain and violently assault Staal. Oh. Oh wait. You mean a player's presence on a team isn't going to stop Crosby or any other star from getting pummeled? You mean that has been proven the case time and time again? You mean maybe the problem is the league's inability to police and protect their stars? You mean Reaves got a 10-game suspension for leaving the bench? Oh. "Vengeance for Sid"? What a fucking stupid comment. Yes, the Penguins star player is out of the game with a concussion. Don't worry! Here comes our tough guy Reaves to get a 5 minute boarding major! Hooray! Dumb. Clueless.
I'm pretty sure Max Lapierre was on the Penguins when Staal took liberties on Crosby that series. I'm sure Staal was shaking in his skates looking at Lapierre on the bench as he was breaking Crosby's neck.
Does anyone remember the undisciplined slop fest against the Flyers in the 2012-13 playoffs? Remember how much retaliation helped the Penguins just win back-to-back Stanley Cups? Oh. It didn't. I'm actually shocked at the universal praise for this trade on this board, but then I remembered. Welp. Yinzers.
Do ya'll remember Steve Downie? The walking penalty machine? You yinzers have an aneurysm when Geno gets a penalty two games in a row. Imagine Steve Downie's tendency to get penalties in about
half the ice time of Geno but with less offensive ability. That's Reaves. If you take into account only Reaves' minors last season (easily he most disciplined), he'd rank 4th on the Penguins last season...in half the ice time.
Remember the possession killing offensive ineptitude of the later years of Craig Adams and Chris Kunitz? Remember how, with the expulsion of Kunitz, the Penguins would be getting rid of all the dead weight?Don't worry, they have Ryan Reaves now. Remember the push for advanced statistics by the Penguins brass? Hell, they just promoted war-on-ice creator Sam Ventura to a more prominent role.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DDGA6zjXsAEacRw.jpg:largehttps://pbs.twimg.com/media/DDDRdJaXkAEaKrD.jpg:largeOh.
Well at least Kunitz could still kill penalties. Same for Adams. Surely Reaves is a great penalty ki....he isnt? Oh.
I don't mind the addition of a guy to the lineup to protect the stars. I can see a need for it in the regular season against the Flyers or Capitals. Tom Sestito can fill that role. Oh, and hey, he wouldn't cost a first round pick and a ok prospect. These players become useless in the playoffs, especially for a speed team like Pittsburgh that wants to roll 4 scoring lines. I sure am going to love when the team becomes a shit show for a playoff game next year.
You know what's not really important for a team like the Penguins? The regular season. You know what is important? The playoffs. You know who has scored one point in 36 career playoff games? Reaves. Oh.
"But he's 4th line. He's not all about points!" Doesn't kill penalties. Doesn't have good possession numbers. Apparently protects star players?
4th line scoring isn't important? Oh, you mean it is for the Penguins? It's their identity? Tom Kuhnackl 7 points in 36 playoff games the last two years. Cullen 15 points in 49 playoff games the last two years. "Cullen took some penalty killing minutes and was able to go up and down the lineup! Unfair!" A diverse, versatile player as a 4th liner who isn't glued to 1 position?!?! Crazy, right?
All at the price of a first rounder. Get em while they're hot! What a shit overpayment. This would have made sense if it was Reaves for a fifth. Hell, I'd even do Sundqvist and a fifth for Reaves and been able to stomach it.
So, what can Reaves do well? He can play defense and suppress shots. He can cycle the puck a bit with the right players. He can skate. He can hit. So, if you love 8 minutes of that every night, while ignoring the fact that he's been a negative player his whole career despite that, good for you! If you love it at the price it came at, even better! I surely love the leeching of draft picks for no reason and the signing of veteran bottom 6 forwards that do nothing to help the team win. Cause that worked so well under Bylsma/Shero.
I'm sure most of ya'll were scrambling to Google "Ryan Reaves" or "I miss Fleury's smile" after this trade was announced, or in the case of Jeemie "original thought", and you're clearly experts now, but this guy is Tanner Glass 2.0. He's a step back from what made this team special. I witnessed the fall of a potential dynasty after the back-to-back cup appearances against Detroit. Yes, this is a small deal in theory, but it could prove quite large in nature. I'm going to reserve ultimate judgement and see what Rutherford does. I hope to god he has a plan. It's a change in philosophy from everything that made Pittsburgh successful these two seasons. It blows dick like retard steel.