Penguins' Solovyov Deserves More Ice Time Than Girard

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The Pittsburgh Penguins recently acquired defensemen Ilya Solovyov and Sam Girard, but Solovyov has been the better performer despite receiving less ice time. Solovyov has strong possession metrics, physical play, and defensive contributions, yet has been a healthy scratch for half the games since joining the team. Meanwhile, Girard has struggled with turnovers and lower possession numbers, but has received more playing time. The article argues that Solovyov deserves more opportunities to showcase his skills.

Why it matters

The Penguins are looking to bolster their defensive corps, and Solovyov's strong underlying numbers suggest he could be a valuable asset if given more consistent playing time. His performance highlights the importance of evaluating players beyond just traditional counting stats, and ensuring the team's best players are getting the most ice time.

The details

In the nine games Solovyov has played, he has four assists, a plus-2 rating, seven hits, seven blocked shots, and the top possession metrics of any Penguins defenseman, registering 53.88% of all shot attempts when on the ice at five-on-five. Despite this, he has been a healthy scratch for half the games since being acquired. In contrast, Girard has averaged five more minutes of ice time per game, but has zero points, a minus-2 rating, and more giveaways than the coaching staff can track.

• Solovyov was acquired by the Penguins in a recent trade.
• Solovyov has played in 9 games for the Penguins since the trade.
• Girard has played in 7 games for the Penguins since being acquired.

What’s next

The Penguins coaching staff will need to evaluate whether to give Solovyov more consistent playing time in order to maximize the team's defensive capabilities.