Tangradi should be given every opportunity to play on Malkin's line

When Max Talbot had shoulder surgery in the wake of his epic performance that bolstered the Penguins to a Game 7 win in the Stanley Cup Finals, he left what was initially thought to be a short-term void in the Penguins' lineup. With Talbot playing on the right wing on Evgeni Malkin's line, the Penguins had a quick fix that worked quite well for the last two and a half rounds of the postseason. Now, with Talbot injured, there are several candidates with an opportunity to replace Talbot over the long-haul.

Talbot's a fine complimentary player, but in spite of his playoff effort, he is simply not a top six winger by any stretch of imagination. Talbot belongs as the Penguins' fourth line center, or conceivably, a third line winger. Whoever takes over for him will be given every opportunity to stick in that spot over the long-term.

There's been a lot of debate as to who should be plugged in for Talbot on opening night in October. Tyler Kennedy, Matt Cooke, Jordan Staal and Pascal Dupuis have been highly speculated as possibilities, but Eric Tangradi has been largely ignored by observers who don't think he'll be an NHL-ready player at that point in time, either because of a hand injury suffered in the OHL playoffs last season, or because he is simply too young and unseasoned.

I, however, fully endorse that Tangradi gets the job to lose it when training camp opens up in September. All indications point to Tangradi's hand rehab going smoothly, and as one can easily tell by listening to him speak, he oozes the self-confidence necessary for a young player to compete in the world's greatest league.

The 20 year old Tangradi is a big man (or should I say, kid) at 6 feet-3 inches and about 215 pounds. He is highly unlikely to be pushed around by NHL defensemen, who will admittedly be faster and stronger than anything he's ever seen before.

He has more natural skill than any of the other players who could vie for the spot on Malkin's line, and because of his age and talent level, Tangradi could be much more than a short-term replacement for Talbot. He could be Malkin's power forward winger for years to come, replacing the departed Ryan Malone, who worked so well on Malkin's wing in the 2007-2008 season.

While Tangradi is a natural left winger and the vacancy on Malkin's line is at right wing, I don't see any reason why Tangradi couldn't make a quick adjustment. Tangradi's greatest contributions will come down low and in front of the net anyway, where his handness and position are largely irrelevant. It's not as if Tangradi is a perimeter sniper who needs to be on the left side of the ice to take quality shots and generate offense.

If the experiment with Tangradi on Malkin's wing completely flopped, the Penguins would be left with options. Tangradi could use his blue-collar mentality and strength to move down to one of the lower two lines and contribute in a grinding role for some time, or, since he's on a two-way contract, he could be sent to the AHL for additional seasoning in a top six role.

This is a low-risk, high reward proposition.


Also posted on Faceoff-Factor.com with the author's permission.