It’s hard to argue against the Pittsburgh Penguins having the most depth on the blue-line throughout an entire organization. In the next coming year those players that they drafted a few years ago will be ready to don a Penguins sweater. But there is one that is already at that level and has quite a few games under his belt, and that would be Simon Despres.
Despres was the Pens’ first-round pick, 30th overall, in the 2009 draft. He was a highly-touted player coming out in the draft, and the Penguins lucked out with him falling to him. He is now viewed as their best prospect by some, and has shown that he can be regular on defense for years to come.
Coming into this year he was in a battle for a steady spot in the top-six. Throughout a shortened camp he showed that he deserved to be in the lineup when the Pens took the ice against the Philadelphia Flyers. After a shaky start to the season, which is understandable with him being a rookie and all, he has really come into his own.
In 22 games played, after tonight’s game versus the Washington Capitals, Despres has scored two goals and four assists. But that’s not really where he stands out on this team. His puck moving ability is remarkable. Yes he makes some mistakes but that comes with the territory and you have to take the good with bad. Everyone turns the puck over once in a while, but the passes he makes to get out of the zone are high quality. When Despres is dressed for games the Penguins are an astounding 16-4 when he plays and 7-4 when he doesn’t. The fact of the matter is that he deserves to be an everyday force on the blue-line. They are a better team statistically with him on the ice.
I don’t see how you can’t play him over a guy like Deryk Engelland, who is a quality defender but he’s best at throwing fists with other teams’ goons. Engelland has made more mistakes than Despres from what I’ve seen. Engelland just doesn’t have the same ability as Despres, and I can see playing Engelland over Despres in a game against someone like Philly just because you expect there to be some altercations throughout that contest. Another person that Despres should be playing over is Mark Eaton. Eaton didn’t even have an NHL contract over the summer and wound up signing a minor league deal with the Penguins. Eaton has played a lot lately and a lot in the place of Despres in some of the Pens’ biggest games. How do you expect Despres to learn how to play in big games, if you are afraid to let him go out there and experience it? They can’t keep hiding him from playing against quality opponents forever.
Despres is highly skilled player for the Pens, and at 6’4”, 215 pounds, he could be a brick wall in a few years. He’s only 21 and is still growing, so with his size and speed there is potential for him to become one of the NHL’s best defensemen. The chance to grow as player night in and night out should be there for Despres, he deserves to be a mainstay for the Penguins and should rarely ever be a healthy scratch.
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