User Rating: / 3
PoorBest 

Tuesday, 05 July 2011 12:01

Written by Seth Rorabaugh

With Mike Rupp gone and things looking doubtful for a return by Eric Godard, the Penguins are without two of their biggest bodies and toughest players.

Rupp and Godard were big components of the 2010-11 team in regards the 71 fights it had last season, second-most in the NHL.

With each gone, do the Penguins need to find a replacement enforcer-type?

Sure, Deryk Engelland is still around and he has shown an ability to throw down with the toughest guys in the NHL, but he's a defenseman. Losing one of your blue liners for upwards of five minutes at a time is hardly ideal.

Additionally, grinders likes Craig Adams and Arron Asham are more than willing to drop the gloves, but their middleweights. They're not going to duke it out with the Jody Shelleys of the NHL.

Here is a quick and easy list of seven candidates on the free agent market who could replace Rupp and/or Godard.

Eric Boulton, Thrashers
6-foot-1, 225 pounds
69 games played, 87 penalty minutes

Boulton could fit in well with the Penguins as a fourth-liner. In addition to being able to handle himself against anyone, Boulton is a decent skater who can forecheck and play some defense. He doesn't offer much in terms of puck skills and he's prone to some spells of undiscpline. And at 34, he's on the back nine of his career.

The "Jacques-Hammer" is a physical presence who offers a lot of the forecheck and will intimidate opponents in the corners. Other than a willingness to drop the gloves, he doesn't offer much else.

Janssen is hardly a skyscraper, but he will fight anyone. And chances are, he'll put on a good show as his fights tend to be marathons as well as entertaining. He's an energetic forechecker who would fit into what Dan Bylsma likes to do in terms of physical play, but he doesn't offer much skill.

David Koci, Avalanche
6-foot-6, 238 pounds
35 games played, 80 penalty minutes

This former Penguins prospect is nothing but a goon. He's just here to fight and that's it. Don't expect more than five minutes a game from him.

MacIntyre is pretty much out of central casting for an enforcer type. That's all he is. There's absolutely no skill to his game. He's just a big man who can fight. If you expect him to play more than five minutes a game, you'll be in trouble.

Stortini is another guy who likes to hit and he offers an agitating presence to his game as well. He does have a little bit of skill with the puck but is prone to bad penalties. And not that the results of fights are all that important, but Stortini loses more often than not.

Brad Winchester, Ducks
6-foot-5, 230 pounds
76 games played, 113 penalty minutes

Like Rupp, Winchester is a very large body who can actually play. Unlike Rupp, he doesn't really used his size to his full advantage. He does have some skill as he recorded 16 points last season.

Comments (11)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by D Sanchez, July 05, 2011 - 01:15 PM

Please God, no more watching Craig Adams drop the gloves and get pummeled like a pinata.

Asham can acquit himself well for middleweight matches, and we can always call up that monster defensman we just signed for known goon games like the Islanders and Flyers. Rupp was a very nice combination of talent and toughness, but 3 years at $1.5 million per is too much for a 4th liner.

Losing Engelland for 5 minutes every once in a while isn't too taxing on the other D-men. Besides, having Niskanen or Lovejoy on the ice is like playing a man down anyways.

• 
• -3
• 
• 

...
written by eman41, July 05, 2011 - 01:26 PM

The only name that looks remotely appealing on that list is Winchester and maybe Janssen.

The Red Wings don't need an enforcer. Neither do the Pens.

• 
• +7
• 
• 

...
written by Blitzburgh Brian, July 05, 2011 - 01:47 PM

If we need an enforcer, and I don't think we do, I want Cam Janssen before anyone else. He's just a b****s.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by TJ, July 05, 2011 - 02:46 PM

Boulton is the best fit as far as a guy who can play 10 minutes and is still considered a "top tier" hw in the NHL. He can handle guys like Shelley and Gilles and will even poke in a few goals here and there. Of everyone listed I'd most like to see him in a Pens uniform.

Failing that I'd just go all-in on the intimidation factor and get MacIntyre. One of the most feared HW's in the NHL today, and a goon in the mold of the late Derek Boogaard. He's too big, too strong, and too technically solid for most fighters to handle. The one notable exception being a guy that I'd rather they just bring back (although I'm sure he's looking for more ice time) in Eric Godard.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Disgruntled Goat, July 05, 2011 - 02:55 PM

There is a difference between being tough to play against and being good fighters. The Pens are plenty tough enough to play against. Every shift taken by an enforcer is a shift taken from a guy like Tangradi or Jeffrey. If they can find a guy who can both play and fight and will do it for around minimum wage, so be it.

• 
• +3
• 
• 

...
written by espo33, July 05, 2011 - 04:24 PM

Why do we need an enforcer? So they can fight other enforcers? Aside from what the NYI did last year, enforcers fight enforcers only. I do losing Rupp blows, but we don't need to hire a goon because we don't have a fighter. The 4th line needs to have some tough guys on the lines. Our first 3 lines have some tough players like Kunitz, Cooke and Neal.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by TJ, July 05, 2011 - 05:03 PM

espo33,

The fact you just referred to Kunitz, Cooke, and Neal as "tough players" shows that you don't really know what you're talking about. I don't mean that as an insult, but if you've watched hockey for any length of time then you understand the value of an enforcer. They might only fight other enforcers most of the time, but the mere presence of a guy like a Godard or MacIntyre is felt by every player on the ice. Ask any NHL'er if they think enforcers make a difference and you'll get a resounding "YES" because they make their impact psychologically, which you can't see on TV.

• 
• -5
• 
• 

...
written by Disgruntled Goat, July 05, 2011 - 05:29 PM

I'm pretty sure that "you don't really know what you're talking about" is always meant as an insult.

• 
• +3
• 
• 

...
written by Student, July 05, 2011 - 05:47 PM

Evgeny Artyukhin played in the KHL after becoming an NHL free agent last year. Could he be obtained? Is he worth reaching for?

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Disgruntled Goat, July 06, 2011 - 10:42 AM

Evgeny Artyukhin....Is he worth reaching for?

I'm guessing that Matt Niskanen doesn't think so.
http://articles.ocregister.com...-artyukhin

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by philmatt24, July 06, 2011 - 12:19 PM

Losing Rupp is huge, but I absolutely do not want to re-sign Godard or pick up another waste of a roster spot like him. If the Pens can find someone who, like Rupp, can play ~10 minutes per game without being a liability, and can put 15-20 points up over the season, great. But I'd much rather be like the Wings and try to promote playing the game than be like the Islanders and goon it up.

• 
• +1
• 
•