Penguins Blog

With Evgeni Malkin out for the next couple of weeks and a couple other holes in the lineup, the Pens recalled 2 of Wlikes Barre's best players in the form of Chris Conner and Mark Letestu.

Conner has been the Baby Pens most productive forward this season with 8 points (2G, 6A) in 9 games. Letestu is averaging more than a point per game with 5 points (2g, 3a) in 4 games. This is a pretty major blow to the Baby Pens who are already without Eric Tangradi (shoulder) Nick Johnson (knee) and Kevin Veilleux (hip). It seems Luca Caputi and Dustin Jeffrey are the main guns left down on the farm, as injuries ripple through the entire organization.

As for here in Pittsburgh, Tyler Kennedy looks as if he'll remain out of the lineup so we'll definitely see at least 1 of the 2 callups tonight. We saw quite a bit of movement between the Burgh and WBS last season though they were all round trip tickets as nobody (not a single one) ever seemed to play up to an NHL level. In fact here's a list of last year's callups and their production, and you tell me if anyone deserved to stay in town:

• Chris Minard 20 Games: 1G, 2A, Even
• Tim Wallace 16 Games: 0G, 2A, +2
• Bill Thomas 16 Games: 2G, 1A, -4
• Dustin Jeffrey 14 Games: 1G, 2A, +4
• Jeff Taffe 8 Games: 0G, 2A, -4
• Janne Pesonen 7 Games: 0G, 0A, -3
• Luca Caputi 5 Games: 1G, 2A, -1
• Ryan Stone 2 Games: 0G, 0A, -1
• Conner James 1 Game: 0G, 0A Even

Added up that's about a full season for 1 player (86 games), totaling 5 goals, 11 assists for 16 points (about .2 points per game) and a minus-7 rating. Here's exhibit A why the Penguins needed to go out and trade for Bill Guerin, Chris Kunitz and Craig Adams. Now, you could argue that Ray Shero may have pulled the trigger on those moves anyway, but I can assure you he would have much rather had 1 or 2 of those players listed above able to produce at the NHL level rather than NONE of them. It's cheaper and more productive to build from within, but since Tyler Kennedy's emergence as an everyday player 2 years ago, there hasn't been one forward to emerge from within the Penguins organization to help them at the major league level.

That can all change beginning tonight with Chris Conner or Mark Letestu. Will it? I have some serious doubts. I'm still banking on Caputi or Tangradi filling that bill, but even they're still major question marks. But each game is a new chance for someone to prove themselves beginning in Columbus tonight.