Pechurskiy to Join Pens for Training Camp
by MyDearestObsession on Sep 2, 2010 3:42 PM EDT
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After some serious visa issues kept him from attending the first week of the Tri-City Americans' camp, Alex is on his way to Pittsburgh to participate in the Pens' training camp. More after the jump...
The Tri-City Americans' website is reporting that Pechurskiy is among 7 of their players reporting to NHL training camps in the upcoming weeks. (Actual credit for the find goes to my friend "Dave Schultz" from the blog "I Mean We Got Guys" - I saw the update on her twitter and went to check it out for myself.) Anyway, I'm stoked - I really like this kid, I'd like to get him in our system as soon as possible. I know we signed a couple of other prospects, but I feel like Shero owes him SOMETHING for his performance in that game against the Canucks back in January. Here's hoping he impresses at camp! (Knock on wood.)
I will say that I feel kinda bad for him. At the end of the Americans' season, Magnitogorsk said that the loan was over and they wanted him back. Then they released him for play in North America (again) about a week, week and a half ago. Now, that'd be great, except for the fact that he turned 20 not too long ago and WHL rules state that a team can't have more than 3 overagers (20 year-olds) and 2 imports. Problem? Tri-City currently has 4 overagers and 3 imports on their roster, and Pechurskiy's one of them; trade him, and suddenly they're down to 3 overagers and 2 imports. Problem solved - not that that's the way it's going to go, but that seems to be the most logical decision IMHO. I just hate that he's getting bounced around; I realize that's a hazard of the sport, but I still feel bad.
Anyway, the general impression I've gotten from the few people I've talked to (and I mean few) here is that they like Pechurskiy and want to see him in the Pens' system (WBS or Wheeling, I'm not picky!). I'm curious to see what more of you guys think, so feel free to leave a comment, let me know. Thanks! =]
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Need a goaltender to DO SOMETHING...
The Pens’ could serious use a goalie that just appears out of nowhere for two reasons.
1. Fleury is the goaltender, end of discussion. HOWEVER, even “it” guys need to be pushed and Fleury needs to be pushed. Never hurts to have a little competition happening, even though it’s never really going to be a competition. Not expecting Pechursky to this year, but down the line.
2. If a goalie steps up and plays ridiculous hockey, crud it would be nice to have some serious trade bait for the playoff push. Yeah, I got ya, why trade a goalie when he’s hott?? Because Fleury is the goalie, that’s why.
Won’t happen this year, but it’s good to see him getting an extra look or two.
by Wags24 on Sep 2, 2010 4:10 PM EDT reply actions
Take a look at the posted link above...
It’s funny, any chance a team can get to put Crosby on their site, you know they’ll take it. You could have a pic of Pechursky making a heck of a save. Naa, instead let’s put him standing next to Crosby. Nice. Can’t blame them.
by Wags24 on Sep 2, 2010 4:12 PM EDT reply actions
haha you beat me to it. I was already to comment something like:
FrankD: Meh, whatevs.
JustinM: Meh, whatevs.
Hooks: Meh, whatevs.
AlexStitch: Boing
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by FrankD on Sep 2, 2010 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
And surely we kid because we care. But he knows that by now, I hope.
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Well, hey, to be fair, he had a good season in juniors last year, and we saw how athletic he is from his cameo with the big club. I’m interested to see what he can do—certainly more so than I am to see what Brad Thiessen is up to, for example.
Thiessen's just chillin' with Sid & Geno
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by PensAreYourDaddy on Sep 3, 2010 9:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Wasn’t there an age restriction in the AHL to make sure the junior player stay in the junior leagues? And does Pechurskiy pass that and play for WBS this season?
Are there such limits in the ECHL?
You have to see it for yourself...
I don’t think it matters for Pechurskiy, given that the Penguins owned his rights before he was ever in the CHL. Even so, this is his age 20 season, so it might not matter anyway. I think it was just teenagers who had that restriction.
You are correct on both counts. The rule doesn’t apply to non-Canadians unless they were drafted out of the CHL, and provided he turns 20 by December 31st, it doesn’t matter anyway.
Shero gets an A. Burkie gets a checkmark.
That said, the Penguins have Thiessen, Curry and Killeen under contract.
I doubt Pechurskiy is turning pro in North America to be no better than #5 on the depth chart, which given the NHL-level contracts that BT and JC have (they can’t be demoted to ECHL without their permission) there’s too many goalies and not enough goals.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
And don’t forget Modig, who the Pens signed to an entry-level contract in May.
I really don’t quite grasp how this situation is going to play out. I really think Curry’s all but done with this organization and it wouldn’t surprise me entirely if they gave him his release. But still, that’s a lot of goalies and Pechurskiy’s notably the one without the contract.
Modig’s coming to camp, but let’s see if he stays for the season. Goalies don’t leave Europe for the ECHL and unless the Pens make a trade to deal Curry or Thiessen away, there’s no room for him.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
You think they’d just put Modig on loan to his old team? He’s signed to a contract here, so it’s not just a matter of him walking away.
Yeah. It’s better to play in the SEL than the ECHL anyways. As touched on above, Curry’s probably out after this season no matter what, so one more year to develop back in Sweden isn’t the worst thing in the world.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
yeah, I think it’s quite sure Modig ends up playing one more season in Sweden…
which leaves Thiessen starting in the AHL with Curry backing him up and may be Killeen starting in Wheeling.
This leaves Pechurskiy without a starting job again… I don’t know how it’ll pan out… guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens after training camp…
You have to see it for yourself...
How nice of you all
A guy drives cross country with limited internet access he comes back to find people insulting him? For shame.
You know I’m kidding, and I know you all know I love this kid. I’m glad they’re giving him a look, which is what I’ve been saying ever since that Pens-Canucks game ended: I hope they at least give him a look or a shot.
Curry in my book is done. Get rid of him. If you have two chances to prove yourself with the big club and you choke both times, then that’s it. Like people said above, we have Thiessen, we have Modig, we should have Pechurskiy.
"Hockey is the only tribe I belong to." -Jack Falla
He’s had more than that and I don’t remember him choking more than once.
Besides, is around four NHL games really enough to judge someone?
So when's October you ask? Well, here's your answer.
John Curry
2008-2009: 3GP 2 W, 1 L, 2.44 GAA, .913 SV%
2009-2010: 1GP, 0W 1L, 12.55 GAA, .643 SV%
The guy has choked all of once. I’m not saying that he should be a Pens regular or anything, but in my mind, you can’t judge him based on 4 games let alone one bad one. Every goalie has “one of those” games.
So when's October you ask? Well, here's your answer.
They said during that Canucks game that this was a chance for him to redeem himself since his last attempt at starting for the Pens was pretty horrible too. Either way, he didn’t make a great first appearance/impression to the big club, and that’s what I was going on.
"Hockey is the only tribe I belong to." -Jack Falla
But he wasn’t bad in his first few starts for the Pens. I don’t think the Pens were expecting him to be lights out as the 3rd goaltender.
So when's October you ask? Well, here's your answer.
I agree that he wasn’t that bad during his first few starts for the Pens, but the Vancouver game was an opportunity for him to show that he could play at the NHL level and that the team could count on him. And he really, really failed at that. It’s one thing for an established NHL guy to have a bad game, but when you’re trying to make you way into the NHL you don’t get those kinds of chances. You have to make the most of the opportunities that you’re given and show that your game can take the pressure. Sadly, Curry’s performance in Vancouver (combined with his season last year, I think) demonstrated just the opposite.
Ummm. Mr. Burke? Could you maybe hire some forwards?
I don’t have anything against the guy, but with so many goalie prospects in the system, I have a hard time seeing him getting the chance again after already blowing it once.
If we didn’t have the depth at the position that we do, I don’t see why he wouldn’t get at least one more shot.
I’m not saying that this guy is an NHL goaltender or that he ever will be. What I am trying to say, however, is that you can’t judge a guy on 3 pretty good starts and 1 really bad one. It simply isn’t enough.
So when's October you ask? Well, here's your answer.
Last year 2.87 GAA and .891 SV% in 46 starts vs Thiessen 2.45 GAA and .914 SV% in 30 starts. Doesn’t look as though Curry was getting the job done. But you appear to be correct. He was still the #1 guy and got 3 of 4 starts in the playoffs.
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by PensAreYourDaddy on Sep 6, 2010 9:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Although, Curry may have gotten the playoff starts because Thiessen was backing up Fleury for the Pens. I don’t recall the exact timing of that situation.
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by PensAreYourDaddy on Sep 6, 2010 9:22 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s my recollection, too: Curry got some starts when Thiessen was called up for the playoffs, but Thiessen had effectively replaced Curry as #1 in WBS by that time.
Ummm. Mr. Burke? Could you maybe hire some forwards?
I think you’re right. The fact that it was Thiessen who got the call up says it all, I guess.
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by PensAreYourDaddy on Sep 6, 2010 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Backed up by the photographic evidence I posted above from game 2 vs Ottawa. If Curry had been #1, that’d be him in that shot, eh?
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by PensAreYourDaddy on Sep 6, 2010 9:47 PM EDT up reply actions
that’s what i was trying to say.
we're not trading jordan staal.
by katielynn906 on Sep 6, 2010 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions
However, you wrote it all in lower-case so we were forced to dismiss your opinion or ignore it altogether.
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by PensAreYourDaddy on Sep 6, 2010 11:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Good point.
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by PensAreYourDaddy on Sep 6, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
And a hell of a dancer.
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by PensAreYourDaddy on Sep 7, 2010 8:34 AM EDT up reply actions
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