A look at the 2008-09 Phantoms, Part 2

In the last post, I looked over the forwards on the roster. Here, I’ll examine the defense and netminders for the Purple and Black last season. First, Nate Guenin has signed with the cross-state rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins as a free agent this offseason (http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=433401&page=NewsPage&service=page). Guenin was a leader for the Phantoms this year, playing big minutes. He was usually matched up against the other team’s top forwards, and was solid for most of the season. He had no goals and 14 assists this season, while finishing  +14, with 95 PIMs to boot, reflective of his playing style. Realistically, he’s a bottom pairing guy at the NHL level, who can finish checks and play the shutdown game. His offensive game really is irrelevant, as he doesn’t factor into the rush much. It’s really no surprise to see him sign in Pittsburgh, as he is a Sewickley native, the town where Mario, Sid the Kid, and other Pittsburgh stars reside.

Lasse Kukkonen is also gone (http://hawk.ru/news/5130.html), after spending 2+ years with the Flyers. This season, Kukkonen registered 11 assists in 26 games with the Phantoms, and even scored twice in the playoffs. I feel he never got a shot with the big club, partly due to the fact that he really didn’t get off of the bottom pairing. His shot blocking is often heralded, but he showed he could carry the puck with the Phantoms, and that given some ice time, he can produce both offensively and defensively. He was great for the Phantoms, also willing to mix it up at times, and certainly made an impression on the younger guys. Good luck to him overseas.

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