As the days go by and very solid names remain available in the free agent market, I cannot help but anticipate one more late summer/early fall move by Ray Shero. My favorite free agents remaining include the following:
Lee Stempniak-had a great stretch run for Phoenix and wound with 28 goals....he would look great in a Pens uniform. There are two problems, the first of which is that he will likely command much more than the Pens can afford to pay, and the second is the fact that he only performed at that level offensively for one season, so who knows if he is really that good......
Raffi Torres-good size and was one of the more sought after UFA's at the deadline, but like Ponikarovsky, Torres did NOTHING for Buffalo........he also will probably wind up with a bigger offer than the Pens could afford.......
Paul Kariya-rather smallish, and definitely in the twilight of his career, but very gifted offensively. Could Kariya be lured to the Pens as a solid chance to take one more run at hockeys holy grail? I think that might be possible, and I like the idea of it for the Pens...........
Bill Guerin-I LOVE this guy.......just not sure he fits for the Pens.....IF he could chip in 20 goals one more year and play on the top line, I like him at 1M per season. If that is a question due to declining speed and stamina, then we need to stay away, as Guerins game does not translate well to a 3rd/4th line winger.........
Defensemen
Willie Mitchell-by far the best of the remaining defensemen, but he will command more than the Pens can think about spending......
Marc Andre Bergeron-this guy is old, but he still seems to be quite effective on the power play, and plays a smart veteran game. Given the Pens' concern about the PP without Gonchar, and the group of young guys on the cusp of the NHL, MAB may give thems some insurance on the power play should the abilities of Martin and Letang fall short on the power play........
Aaron Ward-at 37, he is getting old, but he is a very solid stay at home defenseman who owns Stanley cup rings from both Carolina and Detroit.....if bolstering our defense is one of our key objectives, Ward fits right in if we need to buy one more year before Despres steps up into the bigs.............
For my money, these are the most intriguing remaining UFA's as it relates to the Penguins, their needs, and cap situation. A lot of what they do may hinge on how sure they are that Big Dog Tangradi could make the move, as well as if there is anybody other than Lovejoy on the blue line in Wilkes Barre that the Pens are comfortable with. I cannot wait for the puck to drop!!
Lee Stempniak-had a great stretch run for Phoenix and wound with 28 goals....he would look great in a Pens uniform. There are two problems, the first of which is that he will likely command much more than the Pens can afford to pay, and the second is the fact that he only performed at that level offensively for one season, so who knows if he is really that good......
Raffi Torres-good size and was one of the more sought after UFA's at the deadline, but like Ponikarovsky, Torres did NOTHING for Buffalo........he also will probably wind up with a bigger offer than the Pens could afford.......
Paul Kariya-rather smallish, and definitely in the twilight of his career, but very gifted offensively. Could Kariya be lured to the Pens as a solid chance to take one more run at hockeys holy grail? I think that might be possible, and I like the idea of it for the Pens...........
Bill Guerin-I LOVE this guy.......just not sure he fits for the Pens.....IF he could chip in 20 goals one more year and play on the top line, I like him at 1M per season. If that is a question due to declining speed and stamina, then we need to stay away, as Guerins game does not translate well to a 3rd/4th line winger.........
Defensemen
Willie Mitchell-by far the best of the remaining defensemen, but he will command more than the Pens can think about spending......
Marc Andre Bergeron-this guy is old, but he still seems to be quite effective on the power play, and plays a smart veteran game. Given the Pens' concern about the PP without Gonchar, and the group of young guys on the cusp of the NHL, MAB may give thems some insurance on the power play should the abilities of Martin and Letang fall short on the power play........
Aaron Ward-at 37, he is getting old, but he is a very solid stay at home defenseman who owns Stanley cup rings from both Carolina and Detroit.....if bolstering our defense is one of our key objectives, Ward fits right in if we need to buy one more year before Despres steps up into the bigs.............
For my money, these are the most intriguing remaining UFA's as it relates to the Penguins, their needs, and cap situation. A lot of what they do may hinge on how sure they are that Big Dog Tangradi could make the move, as well as if there is anybody other than Lovejoy on the blue line in Wilkes Barre that the Pens are comfortable with. I cannot wait for the puck to drop!!
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