Eaton

I’ve previously noted that the Penguins are not a deep team. If and when injuries to key players occur, this team, as currently comprised, simply does not have the depth to cope with such injuries.

Since Chris Pronger was on the trade market this summer (yes, yes, I understand all the very legitimate, logical, and good reasons why my Pens didn’t trade for him), I wasn’t necessarily jumping up and down in joy when the Pens got defenseman Eaton this summer. Okay, he was reputed to be a veteran, legitimate NHL defenseman (but Sergei Gonchar had come with more of a pedigree last season and didn’t play up to that pedigree for much of the 2005-06 season). In any case, watching (okay, hearing and reading about) Pittsburgh losing games this week, it occurred to me that Eaton has made an impact on the defense.

Frankly, Eaton can help to stabilize the defense. It is way better to pair one of the Pens’ young defensemen with a veteran, steady player like Eaton. And when Eaton is missing—as he was after he was injured in the game against San Jose—the entire Pens team suffers. The Pens might have been closer than they were (closer than close) to sneaking away 2 points from a couple of games this week if Eaton had played.

In any case, here’s hoping Eaton gets better soon. And here’s hoping that the young Penguins defensemen don’t just learn from mistakes—but learn enough from mistakes not to repeat the same mistakes.