First thought upon seeing Zach Trotman approach a puck deep in the defensive zone, with two forwards in hot pursuit: Dude, just pop it up in the air somewhere.
Second thought: Hey, where'd he go?
This was Monday morning at PPG Paints Arena. It was practice. A drill. But it reminded of an equally fleeting thought I'd had a couple nights earlier, up in Bell Centre's press gondola in Montreal, following a striking similar sequence in which he scooped up a loose puck and rocketed away: Really, what's this guy's major malfunction?
Finally had a chance to put that question to the man himself Monday. In exactly those terms, I might add.
"Ha! Well ... " Trotman paused after the initial laugh. "That's tough to answer, to be honest."
At the same time, he knew why I was asking. He stands 6 feet 4, 217 pounds, he's stunningly swift on his skates for that size, he's got a rocket for a shot, and a correspondingly soft touch when passing. And yet, he's 28 years old and his next game, his fourth with the Penguins since being promoted from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton -- the Penguins and Panthers face off here Tuesday night -- will be only his 74th in the NHL out of an eight-year professional career, only his seventh in Pittsburgh out of two seasons in this organization.
Why? What's he missing?
"Obviously, consistency at the pro level is a huge thing," Trotman answered. "I mean, everyone has good games and bad games. I'm not going to say it all comes down to luck, but there's a lot of timing involved, being in the right place at the right time, one little decision here or there, one weekend that can make a big difference ..."
Mind you, he's not talking about hockey here. He's talking about being noticed while in the minors.
I appreciate that, as I told him. I've heard tons of tales from players in the minors who felt they'd done everything above and beyond but for that one night or one weekend when they knew a key official from the parent club was in the house. For all the video, analytics and all else, the fact remains that most hockey impressions are still made via eye test.
I didn't pry. But I kept pressing on this alleged malfunction. Given that there's been nothing all that noticeable to date, he had to have heard something along the way.
"My defensive play's come a long way since my first couple years," Trotman replied. "My ability to just close, to play in the defensive zone has improved vastly. I think if I had that ability four or five years ago, maybe I would have stuck around in the NHL. Because it's something you have to learn, to develop. You can't just watch it. You have to go do it."
He's done that. Three games now, averaging 14 minutes of ice time, he's a plus-3 and hasn't been on the ice for a single goal-against. Good for him.
I'm not sharing this to falsely inflate the tires of a journeyman, though it'd be a terrific story if he finally pushes through. Rather, I'm focused on the broader picture here for these Penguins, this in particular: Their defense might be deeper than anyone could have considered.
At this practice, Brian Dumoulin returned from a concussion in a no-contact sweater, his first participation since Wayne Simmonds' filthy head shot nine days earlier in Philadelphia. Before this practice, Kris Letang and Olli Maatta skated on their own, another encouraging sign. Maybe Chad Ruhwedel will be around soon, too. No timetable's been set for anyone regarding game action, but it can't be far off for the first three.
In the interim, Trotman's stepped up, as has his third-pairing partner Juuso Riikola, and they've had ample company.
Justin Schultz, a dozen games into his return from the severe ankle injury, has averaged a team-high 27:15 of ice time the past four games. He's also looking more confident with each one.
"I missed a lot of time, so it's nice to get back out there and kind of make up for it," he told me. "It's nice to be able to help the team."
Jack Johnson, his partner, has played his best hockey all season over the past week.
"I think for all of us that started in Philadelphia when those guys got hurt," Johnson told me, referring to Dumoulin and Letang. "The four D that were left, we really tried to hold the fort down, the forwards came back to help, and that took us all in the right direction from there."
Marcus Pettersson's also played his best hockey in the same four games, underscored by a team-best 57.04 Corsi For percentage and -- get this -- being on the ice for 17 high-danger chances for the Penguins, just four for the opponents.
"This is what we have to do," Pettersson told me. "We know the offensive firepower we have. We just have to take care of the rest."
Then there's his partner.
"That guy's pretty good, isn't he?" Pettersson would say, nodding toward Erik Gudbranson. "So big, so steady. People aren't getting around him. It's nice to have him here."
Yeah, it's crazy early, but the new guy hasn't exactly been the human wreckage forecasted by some cynics in Vancouver. Through his first two games since the trade, he's a plus-2 with four shots, an assist and a 53.57 CF%. He's been on the ice for one goal-against and three high-danger chances.
Maybe there was merit to all that stuff Gudbranson described for me after his first practice with the Penguins last week about the difference in puck support between this system and that of the stretched-out Canucks.
"This has felt good," Gudbranson told me Monday. "I've been fortunate to get a bunch of minutes right off the hop. It's not like I had a chance to tip-toe. The coaches have prepared me well, and you can feel it out there. When it's going well, like it was a lot of the time in Buffalo and Montreal, we're moving all over the ice as a five-man unit. It was hard for either team to take the puck away from us. We always had layers. We always had guys supporting the puck. It's been great."
Add all that up, and it could mean a whole lot more come playoffs.
Zach Trotman in practice. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS• By the way, I asked Matt Murray the Trotman question, too: "I have no idea. I've wondered for a long time what that guy's doing in the AHL. When I was at Wilkes, he was in Providence, and he'd just kill us. Now, he's that much better. I'm glad he's here."
• Gudbranson on the same: "That guy is not a minor-league defenseman."
• Never had a chance in Montreal to ask Gudbranson about this sequence Saturday in which the Canadiens nearly had a big break when he was taken down to the ice, but were thwarted by this stirring Sidney Crosby backcheck:
"That guy threw me down with a free hand," Gudbranson recalled, referring to Artturi Lehkonen. "But Sid ... man, that guy, he's so dependable."
Right. Didn't just shoulder Paul Byron off the puck, but coolly and cleanly broke out up the left side.
Pettersson, seated at the stall next to Gudbranson, chimed in with a grin: "All I had to do was stand there."
True. He's the one up there in the middle.
• There isn't a player anywhere who would take anyone over Crosby to claim a single game. Not even if Connor McDavid himself were picking the roster.
• Dumoulin could have taken a lot of different routes when I asked about Simmonds' hit, but it was no surprise he took this one:
That's respectable. It's easy sometimes to complain just to complain, but he elected to support the NHL's stance that the head wasn't the principal point of contact, citing instead the cold temps and unforgiving glass that "felt like concrete."
Still, I'll stubbornly stand by my stance from that night: The NHL needs to make the offending player responsible for the safety of the other player's head. Just like the high-stick rules.
• Murray's going to start against Florida. Bank on it.
• Phil Kessel's going to score against Florida. Bank on that, too.
• Kessel at least had a sense of humor Monday about his goal-scoring slump, now tied for his career-worst at 15 games. After he'd been asked about Evgeni Malkin recently emerging from his own slump, Kessel was asked if he could relate: "Oh, me? I don't know. Feels like I'm not going to score again this year, so ..." And after a laugh, he continued. "It happens, I guess. This year's been ... an interesting run the past month, I'll say. I've had some chances. They just won't go in, right?"
Keep shooting. That shot's way too deadly to suddenly fall flat.
• Lots and lots of practice emphasis on the power play in funneling plays through the middle. That won't lead to goals for Kessel, but it'll reinvigorate his vitality. He's the Penguins' best at finding that seam for someone else.
• Rip Jim Rutherford from here to eternity for Derick Brassard, but don't dare omit from any serious study that he's just picked up Jared McCann for basically nothing. McCann's 22. We haven't seen close to his best.
What in hell were the Panthers thinking?
• No reason to not have McCann on the top line now. Any good business builds from its strengths. It's refreshing to see Mike Sullivan prioritize the top rather than hoping for HBK II.
• Spotted Bryan Rust walking about without any big limp. Thought I'd share.
• So the Blue Jackets buy up everyone in sight at the trade deadline, determined to finally win a playoff round for the first time in franchise existence ... then lose, 4-0, to the last-place Oilers on Saturday, then cough up four goals to Blake Wheeler alone in losing to the Jets, 5-2, yesterday:
Hats off to @BiggieFunke who netted an @Enterprise hat trick (and then some!) in last night's game! ? pic.twitter.com/uZLfja7KTy
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) March 4, 2019
If John Tortorella can't make the playoffs with that roster, he should be fired twice.
• Back-to-back with those guys Thursday and Saturday, once here and once there?
Yes, please.