Pittsburgh Penguins: Tyler Biggs an Underrated Part of the Kessel Trade
By Mike Necciai
When the Pittsburgh Penguins pulled the trigger on acquiring Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs the focus remained mainly on Kessel himself. And while many are still chatting about the need to address the fourth line, no one is mentioning Tyler Biggs in those conversations.
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When Tyler Biggs was drafted 22nd overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2011 there were high hopes for the young power forward. At 6’2 and approximately 220-pounds he clearly has the size to be an effective player at the NHL level. The issue though, is that he was never able to really put it together in Toronto. He never showed the offensive ability that many scouts saw in him prior to entering the league.
In his first and only season in the OHL Biggs recorded 53 points (26g, 27a) in 60 games. Since then, he has spent his time in the AHL with a small stint in the ECHL last season, and hasn’t been anywhere near as effective. Over the last two seasons with the Toronto Marlies he recorded only 14 points in 104 games-played, which is why the Leafs’ organization has given up on him.
Tyler Biggs Scouting Report via HockeysFuture.com
“Biggs is a monster on skates and moves well for a player of his size. A dominant player at times in junior hockey by playing down low in the offensive zone and on the cycle, he is still learning to play the game at the professional level. He is defensively sound and can be used as a penalty killing forward. He can be an intimidating figure but questions have surrounded his consistency. His lack of skating mobility is also a challenge at the higher levels.”
Other reports on Tyler Biggs have stated that he’s willing to run through walls for teammates, and has great hands for a player of his size. So, can he fill a fourth line void for the Pittsburgh Penguins?
If there’s something the Pens are really good at, it’s acquiring former first round picks that didn’t pan out with their previous team and finding a productive role for them. Let’s remember that they did so with Matt Niskanen and Ian Cole over the last few years, and Pascal Dupuis is also a great example of how a player can recognize a production boost when put in the right situation.
Another player to essentially reinvent himself with the Pittsburgh Penguins is Blake Comeau, who recently signed a contract worth $2.4 million annually with the Colorado Avalanche.
Tyler Biggs being acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins is a similar type of project. While he clearly isn’t going to have the same impact as the players mentioned above, he could find his rhythm and turn out to be a solid fourth line winger on a team that’s in dire need of someone to earn that job. If Oskar Sundqvist and Beau Bennett end up on that line, having someone capable of solid board work and willing to cause havoc in front of the net could really balance things out.
The following video depicts his willingness to play in the dirty areas. And, those that are concerned with this team’s toughness will surely appreciate his ability to battle.
Is Tyler Biggs the next major impact player to join the Pittsburgh Penguins? Absolutely not. But, if he can find his game here and compliment skilled forwards in the bottom-six, that isn’t a bad pickup as a throw-in. The last throw-in that the Pens received in a blockbuster trade was the aforementioned Dupuis, who obviously found a whole new level in Pittsburgh.
Unfortunately, Biggs is recovering from an achilles injury and will not participate in Pittsburgh Penguins prospect development camp, which also means a missed opportunity to train with Gary Roberts. It will likely slow his progress with the Pens and could land him in the AHL to start the season. Unless of course he has a strong training camp this fall. Also, consider that Biggs isn’t exactly a stranger to offseason training regimen’s.
He exhibits impressive strength and surprisingly quick feet throughout that video. The trick is translating those athletic abilities to the NHL. I wouldn’t necessarily consider him a first round bust just yet, that’s for sure. And, while my expectations are tempered, I don’t think it’s far-fetched to see Biggs as an effective bottom-six winger in the near future.
Next: Three Low-Cost UFA's That Could Improve the Bottom-Six