Apr 20, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman
Ian Cole(28) checks New York Rangers left wing
Tanner Glass(15) during the first period in game three of the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Ian Cole – Pittsburgh Penguins Defenseman
Cole is beginning to look like Matt Niskanen 2.0 in Pittsburgh. Yet another player that was drafted in the first round but seemed to be a lost cause with their former organization.
The Pens and Blues both found themselves in a similar situation. They each had a defenseman that was struggling to crack the lineup simply due to being a bad fit for the system that they employed. Robert Bortuzzo went from being the heir-apparent to the Pens bottom pairing to a nightly scratch. When he was in the lineup, he looked lost.
Jim Rutherford found a team that needed Bortuzzo’s physicality and saw something in Cole that made him pull the trigger. That deal, at least to this point, has worked out tremendously for Pittsburgh. Cole is now slated to play top-four minutes in 2015-16 while carrying a cap hit of only $2.1 million on his new deal. Mike Johnston was quoted in saying that he couldn’t believe how good of a player Ian Cole is. If he continues that growth in Pittsburgh he’ll provide a much-needed boost to a young and unproven blue line.
Next: Blake Comeau