Defense

Perhaps the transaction that most irked me today was seeing Oilers' captain Jason Smith get traded to Philadelphia. Given the improvements Philly made to their forwards, prior to that trade, they were still going to be returning most of the same defensemen that helped them earn the #2 overall draft pick this past season. And well, selfishly and pragmatically, I rather enjoyed watching the Trifecta, and in particular Sidney Crosby, tear apart the Flyer's d-men last season. 'Twas most enjoyable.

Anyhow, I wasn't just irritated by the fact that the filthy Flyers got Smith; I was irked that the Penguins didn't obtain a defenseman like Smith. Putting a defenseman like Smith on the back line of the Pens' defense, to make an understatement, would have been a very good thing, perhaps a good enough thing that would have helped the Pens jump from "young and promising" to "contender." Still, I think Kevin Lowe wanted a young offensive defenseman in return for Smith and Lupul, and it's not time yet to turn either Ryan Whitney or Kris Letang into bargaining chips. Sorry, until the Pens really know what they have in Letang and Whitney, until everything else is in place for being a bonafide contender, it's not the time to trade youth with outlandish upside just for the solid skills of a very good, but not great, veteran. (More on when that time will come a little later.)

Yet the bottom line remains the Penguins' defense needs to be improved. News that the Pens have supposedly resigned Rob Scuderi doesn't provide assurance to a fan who wants a veteran defenseman, preferably better than Scuderi, to partner with Letang. I'm fine with Scuderi as a seventh defenseman, but, well--

I understand why the Pens haven't yet spent outrageous sums on the defensemen on the open market. I'd only understand throwing money like that at players of the ilk of Lidstrom, Pronger, and Niedermayer--players, once again, who could put a team like Pittsburgh over the top. But those players are hardly readily available, and cheaper upgrades will have to come, but I'm not sure they come via free agency. I'm not sure they even necessarily come until much closer to the start of the season or until early in the season.

Curiously enough, for as maligned as the Pens' defense was last year, and for as much as their weak spots were thoroughly exploited by the eventual Eastern Conference champions, the Pens still managed to win regular season games with/despite that defense. Granted, it's not enough to win in the playoffs, and other teams will work to exploit what the Senators showed could be exploited....

Yet, to start the season, anyhow, I'd be thrilled if the Pens could find stay-at-home, reliable defenseman to pair with Whitney, Letang, and Gonchar. Those three can make outlet passes, during the regular season, anyhow, and well, improvements to a team do not just need to be made during the off season. Trades can also happen during the season, just as a reminder.

I don't like the defense as it now is. But until the Pens know what they have and what they're ready to part with, and until the time comes to trade what they have too much of for what they don't have enough of, and until they're aware of exactly what they're giving up to gain what they need, I guess I'd just beg Shero, pretty, pretty please to at least work to find a reliable veteran to play with Letang, and then, well, in-season improvements can be made from that starting point.