First Call: Some confidence in Steelers’ Chuks Okorafor; an award for Sidney Crosby as his coach is snubbed
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Friday’s “First Call” has some faith in Steelers tackle Chuks Okorafor. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby gets a little love while his head coach does not. Plus, a confusing look at the future of NHL divisional play. And a milestone for a local hockey program.
Take a chance on Chuks
One of the biggest questions for the Steelers in 2021 is how tackles Zach Banner and Chuks Okorafor will perform.
Banner only got one start under his belt at right tackle in 2020 before tearing his ACL in the season opener. And Okorafor is making the move from right tackle to left tackle in 2021.
Yet CBSSports.com is tabbing Okorafor as a player “primed for a breakout” during a contract year.
“In his first two seasons combined, which spanned just 120 pass-blocking snaps, Okorafor allowed a pressure every 13.3 of those snaps. In a more expanded role last season, playing right tackle, Okorafor surrendered a pressure once every 26 snaps,” says CBS’ Chris Trapasso.
But, as Trapasso also pointed out, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger held onto the ball for a league-low 2.17 seconds before throwing it. So Okorafor didn’t have to block very long, very often. Under Matt Canada’s new system, that might change.
Also, we can’t discount that Okorafor was part of a run-blocking group that resulted in the league’s worst rush offense.
So we might want to pump the brakes on Okorafor cashing in the big bucks during NFL free agency in 2022.
In good company
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby got some acknowledgement from his fellow players. He and Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron tied for the award of “most complete player” as conducted by the league’s players’ union.
A total of 471 votes were counted. Crosby and Bergeron each received 112. Crosby was also voted “most superstitious” and the league’s sixth-best passer.
Sid should’ve finished higher on the passing list. And if anyone got a vote besides Crosby for “most superstitious,” I’d love to know how that is humanly possible.
Also of interest
Here’s something else noteworthy from that player poll.
The NHLPA voted by a 66% margin that it would like to see a continuation of the “miniseries” format of playing at least two games in a row between clubs in a given city.
That’s not surprising. It seemed to increase intensity, limit travel and potentially increase opportunities for rest if it was extrapolated over an 82-game schedule.
But the same players also said, by a 68% margin, that they’d prefer if the league went back to its old divisional alignment of the Metro, Pacific, Central and Atlantic divisions.
I get that based on the notion that there might be boredom with seeing the same opponents nonstop over in 82 games. But that vote is a bit of a disconnect on the travel topic, isn’t it?
Especially when it comes to going back and forth over the U.S.-Canadian border, which, even in non-pandemic times, could be an annoyance.
Then again, the travel incurred by the East Division teams between Boston, Pennsylvania, Washington, New York State and New Jersey is a lot easier than, say, the Western Canadian teams traversing between Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver and the Eastern clubs in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa.
That said, I’m not sure if having a best-of-both-worlds situation is possible unless the East and West don’t play each other at all until the Stanley Cup Final.
Gimme a Jack and … a joke!
Coach Mike Sullivan and his Penguins did little to win over opinions in the postseason. They were bounced in the first round for a third straight season.
However, I’d argue Sullivan deserves praise for winning the East Division regular-season crown, given the depth of the division and the number of injuries his team sustained in 2021.
Yet not only was Sullivan snubbed as one of the top three finalists for the Jack Adams award as NHL coach of the year, but he also finished only fifth.
The Jack Adams voting.
Barry Trotz got as many votes as Jeremy Colliton. pic.twitter.com/uiqYoevYrE
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 17, 2021
For as much of a joke as that may be, how about New York Islanders coach Barry Trotz only getting one vote. That’s highly questionable, too.
Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour won the honor after his Hurricanes claimed the Central Division crown with 36 victories.
One fewer than Sullivan’s Penguins.
Calling on Cougars
With the future of Robert Morris’ hockey programs in doubt, Chatham’s Division III teams are taking on an increased focus under former RMU Colonials assistant Mike Gershon.
The Cougars have placed their first four-year performer into professional hockey. Forward Cory King just signed a pro contract with the HC Giants in Finland.
Big News Congratulations to Cory King for signing his 1st professional hockey contract with HC Giants in Finland. @ChathamCougar #rollcougs pic.twitter.com/w93nXTxYLW
— Chatham_MIH (@Chatham_MIH) June 17, 2021
Fellow senior Michael Thamert is expected to sign a deal with KS Katowice Naprzod Janow of Poland’s second division Friday.
The Cougars have a former goalie, Morgan Hudson, playing on a pro deal in Denmark. But he was only with the program for one season.