Season review: Solovyov worth 'taking that chance'
This is the fourth part of a 30-part series taking a look at the seasons of players who spent significant time on the Penguins' NHL roster this season, presented in numerical order.
ILYA SOLOVYOV Position: Defense Age: 25 NHL stats: Five assists, 14 games with Penguins, 1 goal, 2 assists, 16 games with Avalanche Contract status: Signed one-year extension, $850,000 cap hit
Ilya Solovyov and Connor Dewar were the first two players Kyle Dubas re-signed this offseason. Solovyov, Dubas said in his season-ending media availability, was an "easy" re-signing because "he brings a lot of what we don't have" otherwise.
"His size is great," Dubas explained. "He can shoot. But more than anything, it was we felt he could make and complete stops defensively, especially down low in the defensive zone. ... His reads, his stick detail, and then his ability to physically go in and end plays. We thought, it's certainly worthy of taking that chance."
After being acquired from Colorado midseason, the Penguins trusted Solovyov almost immediately in defensive situations. He got regular penalty-kill usage and defensive-zone starts on the third pairing, averaging the second-lowest share of offensive zone starts of any of their defensemen. He also recorded 16 hits and 14 blocked shots in his 14 regular-season games with the Penguins, and brought pretty decent underlying metrics for his role: Of the 11 defensemen to dress in at least 10 games for the Penguins this season, Solovyov had the fourth-lowest rate of shot attempts against, second-best rate of unblocked shot attempts against, and third-best rate of shots on goal against.
The Penguins spent much.of the season trying out different left-handed depth defensemen who could play second- or third-pairing minutes without being a liability. Solovyov generally gave them that.
Solovyov also showed a comfort level playing on his off side down the stretch, which gives the Penguins some flexibility going into next season. If Solovyov isn't one of their top six defensemen, he would be a perfectly serviceable seventh defenseman with his versatility.
Dubas said that Solovyov can stand to improve at "defending the rush and different elements like that," but he has confidence in Solovyov's ability to do that. Solovyov told him in his exit interview that he's staying here all summer to train instead of going back to his native Belarus.
THE ASYLUM
Season review: Solovyov worth 'taking that chance'
This is the fourth part of a 30-part series taking a look at the seasons of players who spent significant time on the Penguins' NHL roster this season, presented in numerical order.
ILYA SOLOVYOV
Position: Defense
Age: 25
NHL stats: Five assists, 14 games with Penguins, 1 goal, 2 assists, 16 games with Avalanche
Contract status: Signed one-year extension, $850,000 cap hit
Ilya Solovyov and Connor Dewar were the first two players Kyle Dubas re-signed this offseason. Solovyov, Dubas said in his season-ending media availability, was an "easy" re-signing because "he brings a lot of what we don't have" otherwise.
"His size is great," Dubas explained. "He can shoot. But more than anything, it was we felt he could make and complete stops defensively, especially down low in the defensive zone. ... His reads, his stick detail, and then his ability to physically go in and end plays. We thought, it's certainly worthy of taking that chance."
After being acquired from Colorado midseason, the Penguins trusted Solovyov almost immediately in defensive situations. He got regular penalty-kill usage and defensive-zone starts on the third pairing, averaging the second-lowest share of offensive zone starts of any of their defensemen. He also recorded 16 hits and 14 blocked shots in his 14 regular-season games with the Penguins, and brought pretty decent underlying metrics for his role: Of the 11 defensemen to dress in at least 10 games for the Penguins this season, Solovyov had the fourth-lowest rate of shot attempts against, second-best rate of unblocked shot attempts against, and third-best rate of shots on goal against.
The Penguins spent much.of the season trying out different left-handed depth defensemen who could play second- or third-pairing minutes without being a liability. Solovyov generally gave them that.
Solovyov also showed a comfort level playing on his off side down the stretch, which gives the Penguins some flexibility going into next season. If Solovyov isn't one of their top six defensemen, he would be a perfectly serviceable seventh defenseman with his versatility.
Dubas said that Solovyov can stand to improve at "defending the rush and different elements like that," but he has confidence in Solovyov's ability to do that. Solovyov told him in his exit interview that he's staying here all summer to train instead of going back to his native Belarus.
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