Thursday, June 28, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Other Free Agents Pittsburgh should look at
With free agency looming, and the Penguins having cap space with the movement of Michalek and Staal, along with the ability to move Martin, Pens fans are giddy with the prospects of Pittsburgh being able to get either Ryan Suter or Zach Parise. Some even think that getting both of them is possible! Personally, I think both are long shots financially and potentially cap strappers for Pittsburgh. Suter prefers the western conference, but is a better fit in terms of a real need for Pittsburgh, and Parise will likely command more than 7M dollars. I have already discussed my preference for the Penguins trading for Bobby Ryan if they can do it with Martin, Kennedy, and some combination of one of their A rated defensive prospects or picks. He makes them bigger, tougher, and more dangerous, while saving 2-3M per year in cap space over Parise. If not, there are some more reasonably priced wingers that will upgrade their situation on the wing. Defense however is their issue, and the Penguins needed to get bigger and tougher on the back end in my opinion, and may need a veteran if they move Martin to help make the transition to their young core of defensemen. There is another big time name in Alexander Semin who is available as part of the big three names, but I dont think he fits the direction that Pittsburgh is taking. I prefer some lesser known names for Pittsburgh.
From three big-time names, to a bit more obscure offering. Florida’s Jason Garrison is going to get some serious money in the next week. I like Garrison due to his size at 6'2" and 218 pounds, and his tough game. Undrafted out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, he signed with Florida after a 14-point campaign in his last year at school. He spent a year and a half in the AHL before Florida called him up full time in 2010-11. In 2012, along with the rest of Florida’s re-tooling, Garrison took off. He can set the table with a nice pass (which he did frequently to Brian Campbell on the power play) or clear it with a booming shot (which he did frequently from Brian Campbell). He pounded home 16 goals and 33 points this season (only Weber and Erik Karlsson had more goals) while being a plus-6.
The kicker is…he’s a defensive defenseman. He’s a rather physical, shot-blocking defensive defenseman that routinely played against the best competition Florida had to face nightly. Garrison paired with Mike Weaver on the Panthers top PK unit and then paired with Campbell on the top power play unit much of the season. He scored 16 goals last year, and 9 on said power play! The defense-first d-man might have a hard time approaching 20 goals again, but with his shot, anything is possible. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect Garrison to command at least $4 million per year on the open market given how narrow the marketplace is right now for quality defensemen. If you add his experience playing with elite players in his pairing (Campbell) and his shot blocking (124), hitting (127), TOI which was 23:41, Garrison looks like the guy I would go after. He would look very good as a replacement for Paul Martin, and can be had most likely for around what we pay for Martin or a little less. He is also still young at 27. I love the idea of a "thumper" on the back end, particularly one who can join the rush and score too. My personal choice for the Penguins.
Another name of interest to me for Pittsburgh is Carolina UFA Bryan Allen who is a 6'5" 226 pound defenseman who is a solid 31 year old veteran. His game is not flashy, but he made 2.9 M last year, and would add a tough steady veteran presence to the Pittsburgh blue line. He was one of the leaders for the Hurricanes last season. He only added one goal and 13 assists, but played a tough stay at home game with physicality. In the tough Atlantic Division, Allen would look in Vegas Gold and Black!
Hal Gill is another player who adds a veteran presence and size to a back end that may go younger with the Bortuzzo,Strait, Despres, and Morrow kids pushing for time on the big team. Gill, at 6'7" and 241 pounds adds size, grit and a steady influence to stay at home for Pittsburgh. He may look very good on a third pairing, and should come in at around the 2M mark again. His downside is skating, and age at 37, but he looked good as a shot blocking physical player for Nashville, and he was a big part of the 2009 Stanley Cup run.
Mark Eaton is also a UFA and has ties to Shero at Nashville and also played a solid role in the Stanley Cup run of 2009. Easton will add no real offense, but he is a steady player with good size at 6'2" and 212 pounds at the age of 35. He will likely be at 2M or so again this year as well. If Pittsburgh is looking for a reliable veteran presence without killing the cap, Eaton is not a bad way to go. I am a big fan of the Penguins adding Jason Garrison or Bryan Allen should they feel that Suter is not in play or not in play for the right money.
As far as wingers go, I highly prefer Bobby Ryan due to size, production, skill and cost. If he is not available by trade, and Parise will not take a discount to compete for the Cup with Crosby, the Penguins have some other decent options for a lot less money. Remember, offense was not an issue, grit and defense were. The first intriguing option is Shane Doan, the 6'1" 223 pounder from Phoenix who might be interested in taking a shot at the Cup. Phoenix went deep this year, but there are a lot of questions surrounding the team's future. Doan made 4.55 M last year, and might be willing to take a shot at a Cup run for a 4M or so deal. He adds leadership, grit, and 20-25 goals to a strong lineup.
Ray Whitney is another winger who has been tied to Pittsburgh for a long time. Another Coyote, who is now 40 years old had 24 goals and 77 points last season, and may have another year like that in him. He played for 3M last season, and a Cup run at his age might look attractive. I think he signs with Phoenix again though.
PA Parenteau of the Islanders is an intriguing option too. Parenteau has had 18 goals/67 points and 20 goals/53 points in his past two seasons. He played for a bad Islanders team and only cost 1.25M per year. He would be an upgrade to the top line, and at 6'0" and 195 pounds he has decent size. He will be due a raise, but would still fill a solid top six role at a reasonable price. Allan Walsh his agent has a good relationship with Pittsburgh and he is a solid playmaker, used to playing with quality players like Moulson and Tavares.
Jiri Hudler of the Wings is an intriguing player for Pittsburgh too. Last year, the 5'10" and 190 lb center had 25 goals and 25 assists for the Wings and played to a plus 10. He is a competitive, combative forward who has obviously played in many big time situations as a member of the Wings. At 28 years old, and coming off a 3M per year deal with Detroit, Hudler could be worth a look dependent upon how things unfold.
I have no idea what Pittsburgh will do, and they also have interest in players who are bigger and tougher on the bottom 6 such as Travis Moen who is 6'2" and 215 pounds. I favor the Penguins adding depth, size and toughness to the team, and like the idea of clearing more cap space by moving Martin, and adding Garrison or Allen as the key defensive acquisition, and either Ryan, or one of above wingers as the key addition to the top six. I think the Penguins can then add a gritty bottom six forward with size, attitude and a defensive mind set to help Pittsburgh make the deep run to the Cup again. Remember, with the 1980 Olympic team Herb Brooks proved that winners are not always the biggest collection of the best stars, but often the group that meshes as a team, where roles are defined and followed. It it is time to let some of the young blue liners come up, but adding some size with Garrison would look great. Adding Doan or Whitney and Parenteau up front, and a big grinder for the third or fourth line at the expenses of Martin would add to the top goaltending tandem and star power to make a better team than overpaying for more stars will.
Some other interesting free agents include the following for Pittsburgh. Filip Kuba of Ottawa is an interesting Plan B or C kind of guy. He is 6'4" and 226 pounds and at 35 years old would be a decent option as a transition player for a year or two for Pittsburgh. Daniel Winnik at 6'2" an d 210 pounds is an interesting option for a size upgrade on the fourth line of Pittsburgh
From three big-time names, to a bit more obscure offering. Florida’s Jason Garrison is going to get some serious money in the next week. I like Garrison due to his size at 6'2" and 218 pounds, and his tough game. Undrafted out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, he signed with Florida after a 14-point campaign in his last year at school. He spent a year and a half in the AHL before Florida called him up full time in 2010-11. In 2012, along with the rest of Florida’s re-tooling, Garrison took off. He can set the table with a nice pass (which he did frequently to Brian Campbell on the power play) or clear it with a booming shot (which he did frequently from Brian Campbell). He pounded home 16 goals and 33 points this season (only Weber and Erik Karlsson had more goals) while being a plus-6.
The kicker is…he’s a defensive defenseman. He’s a rather physical, shot-blocking defensive defenseman that routinely played against the best competition Florida had to face nightly. Garrison paired with Mike Weaver on the Panthers top PK unit and then paired with Campbell on the top power play unit much of the season. He scored 16 goals last year, and 9 on said power play! The defense-first d-man might have a hard time approaching 20 goals again, but with his shot, anything is possible. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect Garrison to command at least $4 million per year on the open market given how narrow the marketplace is right now for quality defensemen. If you add his experience playing with elite players in his pairing (Campbell) and his shot blocking (124), hitting (127), TOI which was 23:41, Garrison looks like the guy I would go after. He would look very good as a replacement for Paul Martin, and can be had most likely for around what we pay for Martin or a little less. He is also still young at 27. I love the idea of a "thumper" on the back end, particularly one who can join the rush and score too. My personal choice for the Penguins.
Another name of interest to me for Pittsburgh is Carolina UFA Bryan Allen who is a 6'5" 226 pound defenseman who is a solid 31 year old veteran. His game is not flashy, but he made 2.9 M last year, and would add a tough steady veteran presence to the Pittsburgh blue line. He was one of the leaders for the Hurricanes last season. He only added one goal and 13 assists, but played a tough stay at home game with physicality. In the tough Atlantic Division, Allen would look in Vegas Gold and Black!
Hal Gill is another player who adds a veteran presence and size to a back end that may go younger with the Bortuzzo,Strait, Despres, and Morrow kids pushing for time on the big team. Gill, at 6'7" and 241 pounds adds size, grit and a steady influence to stay at home for Pittsburgh. He may look very good on a third pairing, and should come in at around the 2M mark again. His downside is skating, and age at 37, but he looked good as a shot blocking physical player for Nashville, and he was a big part of the 2009 Stanley Cup run.
Mark Eaton is also a UFA and has ties to Shero at Nashville and also played a solid role in the Stanley Cup run of 2009. Easton will add no real offense, but he is a steady player with good size at 6'2" and 212 pounds at the age of 35. He will likely be at 2M or so again this year as well. If Pittsburgh is looking for a reliable veteran presence without killing the cap, Eaton is not a bad way to go. I am a big fan of the Penguins adding Jason Garrison or Bryan Allen should they feel that Suter is not in play or not in play for the right money.
As far as wingers go, I highly prefer Bobby Ryan due to size, production, skill and cost. If he is not available by trade, and Parise will not take a discount to compete for the Cup with Crosby, the Penguins have some other decent options for a lot less money. Remember, offense was not an issue, grit and defense were. The first intriguing option is Shane Doan, the 6'1" 223 pounder from Phoenix who might be interested in taking a shot at the Cup. Phoenix went deep this year, but there are a lot of questions surrounding the team's future. Doan made 4.55 M last year, and might be willing to take a shot at a Cup run for a 4M or so deal. He adds leadership, grit, and 20-25 goals to a strong lineup.
Ray Whitney is another winger who has been tied to Pittsburgh for a long time. Another Coyote, who is now 40 years old had 24 goals and 77 points last season, and may have another year like that in him. He played for 3M last season, and a Cup run at his age might look attractive. I think he signs with Phoenix again though.
PA Parenteau of the Islanders is an intriguing option too. Parenteau has had 18 goals/67 points and 20 goals/53 points in his past two seasons. He played for a bad Islanders team and only cost 1.25M per year. He would be an upgrade to the top line, and at 6'0" and 195 pounds he has decent size. He will be due a raise, but would still fill a solid top six role at a reasonable price. Allan Walsh his agent has a good relationship with Pittsburgh and he is a solid playmaker, used to playing with quality players like Moulson and Tavares.
Jiri Hudler of the Wings is an intriguing player for Pittsburgh too. Last year, the 5'10" and 190 lb center had 25 goals and 25 assists for the Wings and played to a plus 10. He is a competitive, combative forward who has obviously played in many big time situations as a member of the Wings. At 28 years old, and coming off a 3M per year deal with Detroit, Hudler could be worth a look dependent upon how things unfold.
I have no idea what Pittsburgh will do, and they also have interest in players who are bigger and tougher on the bottom 6 such as Travis Moen who is 6'2" and 215 pounds. I favor the Penguins adding depth, size and toughness to the team, and like the idea of clearing more cap space by moving Martin, and adding Garrison or Allen as the key defensive acquisition, and either Ryan, or one of above wingers as the key addition to the top six. I think the Penguins can then add a gritty bottom six forward with size, attitude and a defensive mind set to help Pittsburgh make the deep run to the Cup again. Remember, with the 1980 Olympic team Herb Brooks proved that winners are not always the biggest collection of the best stars, but often the group that meshes as a team, where roles are defined and followed. It it is time to let some of the young blue liners come up, but adding some size with Garrison would look great. Adding Doan or Whitney and Parenteau up front, and a big grinder for the third or fourth line at the expenses of Martin would add to the top goaltending tandem and star power to make a better team than overpaying for more stars will.
Some other interesting free agents include the following for Pittsburgh. Filip Kuba of Ottawa is an interesting Plan B or C kind of guy. He is 6'4" and 226 pounds and at 35 years old would be a decent option as a transition player for a year or two for Pittsburgh. Daniel Winnik at 6'2" an d 210 pounds is an interesting option for a size upgrade on the fourth line of Pittsburgh
Jordan Staal Trade
I am a huge fan of Jordan Staal's. He was one of my favorite players on the Penguins, a rare combination of size and skill, who was just beginning to get comfortable with the offensive capabilities he possessed. I had really never imagined a scenario in which the Penguins did not have Staal on the PK, or available to replace Malkin or Crosby if injured. June 22nd, 2012 changed all of that when Ray Shero was forced to trade Staal when the young cetner iceman turned down a 60 million dollar contract extension over 10 years. He was headed to the last year of his 4M per year deal, and Shero had two choices. Hope that Staal's obvious need to get out from under the shadow cast by Malkin and Crosby would not be a distraction, and hope that the three center model would win him another Stanley Cup before Staal, a valuable asset walked away for nothing via free agency. Lack of a Cup that only one of 30 teams will win would make that a big gamble, and one that Shero decided not to take when he pulled the trigger on a deal that sent Staal to Carolina to unite with his brother Eric in return for Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin and the 8th overall pick in the draft which became Derrick Pouliot. A lot of my friends texted me and asked if Staal was worth more than that, and did the Penguins make a mistake with this deal. My emphatic answer despite my feelings about Staal, was NO, the Penguins did not make a mistake. I will give you a summary of why they did not, and then I will tell you more about each player the Pens got back for back up. First off, we all know about Staal. Second overall pick in the 2006 draft, youngest player to score on a penalty shot, youngest to record a hat trick, most short handed goals by a rookie (7), momentum turning goal in 2009 SCF, and 25 goals and 50 point in just 62 games last season. As I said, Staal is a horse who would be the second line center in just about any other situation, with definite first line skills on some teams.
So, what did we get back in return for this dynamic player? As noted above, Brandon Sutter was the centerpiece of the deal that Shero had to have in order to make this happen. What about this Sutter guy? Well folks, Brandon Sutter is not chopped liver. Sutter has played three full NHL seasons, and in those seasons he has put up 21, 14, and 17 goals. Not Staal's numbers, but not bad at all for a third line center on an average to poor team. Last year Staal had 50 points in 62 games and Sutter had 32 points in 82 games. Staal is a superior offensive player at this point in his career. But think about this when you consider Sutter as his replacement as the third line center for Pittsburgh. First, he is enough of a leader that he wore the A as assistant captain for the Hurricanes at the ripe old age of 21. He was also the 11th overall pick in the draft the year he came out. He is a big player also at 6'3" tall and 185 pounds. Sutter was a better defensive player than Staal, with the Canes giving up less than 2 goals per 60 minutes of Sutter ice team at even strength, while Pittsburgh gave up 2.83 goals in the same time frame. Another complicated formula that rated 221 forwards over the past three years on goals against every 20 minutes, and several other factors rated Sutter the 7th best forward of 221 with 2000+ minutes of even strength ice time over the past three years. SEVENTH of 221. Staal was ranked 91st in the same poll. Also, Sutter led the Hurricanes in blocked shots last season with 85, while Adams led Pittsburgh with 45, and Staal had 23 blocked shots. Sutter had three times the blocked shots than Staal. Geno led the Penguins in takeaways at 53, while Sutter had nine more than Geno with 61 takeaways. Sutter was the man the Hurricanes relied on to take big defensive zone draws, with him winning 654 faceoffs or 50.5%, while Staal won about the same at 51%.
As I chewed on the above information, and weighed the postion Shero was in, I marvel at the fact that we got Brandon Sutter as the centerpiece of a deal coming back. Hey, Staal is the better player, and surely he is better offensively, but Sutter may be the better FIT. Staal was miscast as a third line center, and would have to play out of position at wing to be in the top six, while Sutter is the perfect complement to Malkin and Crosby. Sutter also ranked higher in general defense, blocked shots and takeaways than Staal. Sutter also has not seen the ceiling to his development at the ripe old age of 22 either. And there are a few more things to consider also. Sutter will save Pittsburgh about 2M in cap space this year as opposed to Staal and 4-5M next season based on Staal's anticipated contract. That money along with the other two assets that came back in this trade will go towards Pittsburgh filling other gaps on the team. Sutter is then only an RFA v UFA, so Pittsburgh will remain in control of keeping Sutter for the long term. Head to head Carolina got the better player, but Pittsburgh got a better fit at a lower cap hit, AND two other valuable assets in Brian Dumoulin and Derrick Pouliot. Here is a little bit about those two players.
Brian Dumoulin is a 6'4" and 210 pound two way defenseman drafted in the 2nd round of last year's draft, 51st overall. He won the 2009-2010 NCAA championship at Boston College and last year won Best Defenseman in Hockey East, East First Team All-Star, Frozen Four Tournament Team, NCAA First Team All-American. He was a plus 90 during his Boston College career. NHL scouts have said, "he's a huge asset to their organization," "he is one of the best college defensement in the country," he is a complete 2 way defenseman with great poise with the puck, strong skating ability, and he's really progressed rapidly due to great coaching." Finally, some scouts compare the type of game he plays to that of Gary Suter, and many think he will be NHL ready after one season in Wilkes Barre Scranton, in other words for the 2013-14 season. Dumoulin is a big time player, who has played in big time competition and won. He is also a very big player.
Derrick Pouliot is a 5'11" and 185 pound offensive defenseman who played for the Portland Winterhawks this past season, and was the 8th pick of this year's draft. NHL Central Scouting had him ranked as the 12th best North American skater, as did Red Line Report. The Hockey News had him as the 13th best prospect in this draft. Pouliot who played on Portland with Penguins prospect Scott Harrington, was a big part of the offensive point production on the blue line for Portland who went to the Finals. NHL scouts say that "he is an effective puck handler who can carry the puck up the ice." Further they say that "he is an 18 year old who has a crisp pass and a deceptively powerful shot from the point." He is also known as a great skater who draws the opponent to him, and is projected to be a top four defenseman with lots of power play potential in this league. His game is compared to Brian Campbell of the NHL.
In short, if you factor in the fact that Staal's decision to turn down 60M made it obvious Pittsburgh was going to lose him one way or ther other, with the quality of player Sutter is, the extra cap space, and the value of Domoulin and Pouliot as part of a young defensive corps in a couple of years, or as key pieces in additional trades, Shero made lemonade out of the lemons dealt to him this past June. Hey, I already noted that I was and remain a big fan of Staal and his game. I also generally subscribe to the adage that the team who gets the best player in the trade wins the trade. The more I chew on this trade, the better I feel about it. Staal IS better than Sutter overall as a player, BUT Sutter may be better defensively (which the Pens needed most), and he saves a lot of cap space that can be put toward replacing that missing offense or adding more defense. In addition, Sutter played with Nodl and Dwyer last season, so the combination of third pairings he will see and the upgrade in wingers assuming it is Kennedy and Cooke, you can feel good about Sutter's chances to break 20 goals. If that is the third line next year, you will pay the ENTIRE LINE what Staal TURNED DOWN to be a Penguins. Also, you have to factor in the meaning of Pouliot and Dumoulin to this team. The Penguins now have SEVEN former first or second round picks in their stockpile of young defensemen! I think their presence opens up options for Shero to move some of that DEEP stockpile of young defensemen to bring back another key asset for Pittsburgh i.e. Goligoski for Neal/Niskanen and Whitney for Kunitz/Tangradi. I will miss Jordan Staal, but I think Sutter and the other people who join the Pens due to cap space and asset trading will make me feel a lot better before all of the dust settles!
So, what did we get back in return for this dynamic player? As noted above, Brandon Sutter was the centerpiece of the deal that Shero had to have in order to make this happen. What about this Sutter guy? Well folks, Brandon Sutter is not chopped liver. Sutter has played three full NHL seasons, and in those seasons he has put up 21, 14, and 17 goals. Not Staal's numbers, but not bad at all for a third line center on an average to poor team. Last year Staal had 50 points in 62 games and Sutter had 32 points in 82 games. Staal is a superior offensive player at this point in his career. But think about this when you consider Sutter as his replacement as the third line center for Pittsburgh. First, he is enough of a leader that he wore the A as assistant captain for the Hurricanes at the ripe old age of 21. He was also the 11th overall pick in the draft the year he came out. He is a big player also at 6'3" tall and 185 pounds. Sutter was a better defensive player than Staal, with the Canes giving up less than 2 goals per 60 minutes of Sutter ice team at even strength, while Pittsburgh gave up 2.83 goals in the same time frame. Another complicated formula that rated 221 forwards over the past three years on goals against every 20 minutes, and several other factors rated Sutter the 7th best forward of 221 with 2000+ minutes of even strength ice time over the past three years. SEVENTH of 221. Staal was ranked 91st in the same poll. Also, Sutter led the Hurricanes in blocked shots last season with 85, while Adams led Pittsburgh with 45, and Staal had 23 blocked shots. Sutter had three times the blocked shots than Staal. Geno led the Penguins in takeaways at 53, while Sutter had nine more than Geno with 61 takeaways. Sutter was the man the Hurricanes relied on to take big defensive zone draws, with him winning 654 faceoffs or 50.5%, while Staal won about the same at 51%.
Brian Dumoulin is a 6'4" and 210 pound two way defenseman drafted in the 2nd round of last year's draft, 51st overall. He won the 2009-2010 NCAA championship at Boston College and last year won Best Defenseman in Hockey East, East First Team All-Star, Frozen Four Tournament Team, NCAA First Team All-American. He was a plus 90 during his Boston College career. NHL scouts have said, "he's a huge asset to their organization," "he is one of the best college defensement in the country," he is a complete 2 way defenseman with great poise with the puck, strong skating ability, and he's really progressed rapidly due to great coaching." Finally, some scouts compare the type of game he plays to that of Gary Suter, and many think he will be NHL ready after one season in Wilkes Barre Scranton, in other words for the 2013-14 season. Dumoulin is a big time player, who has played in big time competition and won. He is also a very big player.
Derrick Pouliot is a 5'11" and 185 pound offensive defenseman who played for the Portland Winterhawks this past season, and was the 8th pick of this year's draft. NHL Central Scouting had him ranked as the 12th best North American skater, as did Red Line Report. The Hockey News had him as the 13th best prospect in this draft. Pouliot who played on Portland with Penguins prospect Scott Harrington, was a big part of the offensive point production on the blue line for Portland who went to the Finals. NHL scouts say that "he is an effective puck handler who can carry the puck up the ice." Further they say that "he is an 18 year old who has a crisp pass and a deceptively powerful shot from the point." He is also known as a great skater who draws the opponent to him, and is projected to be a top four defenseman with lots of power play potential in this league. His game is compared to Brian Campbell of the NHL.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Slow your roll on Parise/Suter?
I have been out of town since Thursday and officially on vacation as of yesterday, but like all Penguins fans, I have been on the edge of my seat dissecting all of the reasons why Zach Parise would want to be a Penguin, and why he MIGHT take less than full market value to do so. I have done much of the same relative to Gary Suter, and have even gone nuts thinking of having them BOTH land here. After way too much refection for a guy who is in the Outer Banks, I think I have modified my opinion and wish list. First, lets look at Parise. He is an unreal talent, one of my favorite non-Penguins in the NHL. He missed most of last season, but this season he scored 31 goals and 69 points, while putting up 38 goals/82 points and 45 goals/94 points two and three years ago. Dynamic offensive output, and he would give the Pens two top lines of Crosby, Parise, and Dupuis, along with Malkin, Neal, and Kunitz, pretty much a nightmare matchup issue for any opposing head coach! Add to that, Parise as UFA comes to Pittsburgh if they get him, without the Penguins giving up assets! Wow! And hey, he goes to a team where he can win the Cup, and he is a winger for friend and all world center Sidney Crosby! He plays for player friendly and offensive minded coach Dan Bylsma too! Sounds great, right? On the other hand, Parise is from Minnesota, and his home town team is 20M under the cap, and has their sights set squarely on Parise. What if they offer him 9-10M for a long term deal? The Red Wings are also about 20M under the cap, and have Parise in their sights, among other teams. The Penguins to me cannot afford to go more than 7M per year, and need to keep the term to 5 years or under in my opinion with Letang due for a raise, along with Malkin in two years. I truly get the excitement and temptation to go after the 5'11" 195 lb. scoring dynamo, but I worry about the likley cost of doing so, as well as the competition to do so.
To me, I am intrigued by the need for Anaheim to move Bobby Ryan, and wonder if that is not the better long term move for Pittsburgh. First, Ryan is a big player at 6'2" and 210 lbs, and that would keep in line with the desire for Pittsburgh to be bigger and tougher up front. And folks, Ryan is no scoring slouch, scoring 31, 35, 34, and 31 goals respectively in the four years he has played a full season in Anaheim. Ryan has notched 30+ goals every full season in the NHL, so he truly is a sniper of the highest order. Better still is the fact that Ryan is signed for 3 more years at a reasonable, James Nealesque 5.1M per year. That would leave 2M per year over what I think the Parise cost would be, minimum. The question is what would it take to get him? As I look at the Ducks' roster, they are short on defensemen, having only five players signed at the NHL level on the blueline, and three of them only have a single season left to boot. The players are Francois Beauchemin, Toni Lydman, Luca Sbisa, Cam Fowler, and Nate Guenin. It would seem that they need some defensemen, and guess what? The Penguins are looking to move a defenseman who was one of the most sought after UFA defensemen two years ago in Paul Martin. They also seem willing to move impact defenseman Simon Despres who would seem to be NHL ready, playing solid minutes in Pittsburgh last season, and he should be a top four pairing player in the next year or two. He is signed to an entry level contract at 840K per year for the next two seasons, and then is only RFA. I would hate to lose Despres, but he may be the odd man out given the glut of depth on defense for Pittsburgh, and the use it or lose it status of Bortuzzo and Strait, along with the impact of Morrow, who almost made the big club last season. Add Harrington, Sneep, Samuelsson, and the three blue chip prospects added Friday, and the Pens can afford to move the assets required to get Ryan. This move at this point is basically break even for Pittsburgh (Martin/Despres for Ryan), leaving the remaining cap space available to address the blue line. If you need to add another asset to the mix, perhaps they look at the 2M in Tyler Kennedy to add to the mix, giving them 8M to play with to improve the team.
To me, I am intrigued by the need for Anaheim to move Bobby Ryan, and wonder if that is not the better long term move for Pittsburgh. First, Ryan is a big player at 6'2" and 210 lbs, and that would keep in line with the desire for Pittsburgh to be bigger and tougher up front. And folks, Ryan is no scoring slouch, scoring 31, 35, 34, and 31 goals respectively in the four years he has played a full season in Anaheim. Ryan has notched 30+ goals every full season in the NHL, so he truly is a sniper of the highest order. Better still is the fact that Ryan is signed for 3 more years at a reasonable, James Nealesque 5.1M per year. That would leave 2M per year over what I think the Parise cost would be, minimum. The question is what would it take to get him? As I look at the Ducks' roster, they are short on defensemen, having only five players signed at the NHL level on the blueline, and three of them only have a single season left to boot. The players are Francois Beauchemin, Toni Lydman, Luca Sbisa, Cam Fowler, and Nate Guenin. It would seem that they need some defensemen, and guess what? The Penguins are looking to move a defenseman who was one of the most sought after UFA defensemen two years ago in Paul Martin. They also seem willing to move impact defenseman Simon Despres who would seem to be NHL ready, playing solid minutes in Pittsburgh last season, and he should be a top four pairing player in the next year or two. He is signed to an entry level contract at 840K per year for the next two seasons, and then is only RFA. I would hate to lose Despres, but he may be the odd man out given the glut of depth on defense for Pittsburgh, and the use it or lose it status of Bortuzzo and Strait, along with the impact of Morrow, who almost made the big club last season. Add Harrington, Sneep, Samuelsson, and the three blue chip prospects added Friday, and the Pens can afford to move the assets required to get Ryan. This move at this point is basically break even for Pittsburgh (Martin/Despres for Ryan), leaving the remaining cap space available to address the blue line. If you need to add another asset to the mix, perhaps they look at the 2M in Tyler Kennedy to add to the mix, giving them 8M to play with to improve the team.
Now, onto Gary Suter. He surely is a super star defenseman, who has had 30 plus assists in each of his past four seasons in Nashville, and has been near the top of the charts in hits, blocked shots and plus minus ratings. He is a guy you would LOVE to have on your team also. Again, my concern is two fold. First, he will be the most sought after defenseman in free agency, he has openly stated his desire to stay in the Western Conference, and he is the top target of the Red Wings who are short two of their top four defensemen in Niklas Lidstrom and Brad Stuart. With 20M in cap space, I cannot imagine the Wings not landing Suter given all of the above. To me, for Pittsburgh to pry him away from the top Western Conference teams will take big money, and long term, which would seem unnecessary given the depth on defense for the Penguins. I know that the window for Pittsburgh is now, but there are reasonable defensemen available through free agency who may be able to fill the needs of the Penguins for far less. One notable UFA is Bryan Allen, who at 6'5" and 226 lbs is the big physical blue line presence the Penguins are lacking, and he adds blocked shots, takeaways, and strong zone coverage to the mix as well. Two ex-Penguins who won a Cup here are also available as well in big Hal Gill and steady Mark Eaton. Both players were in the mid 2 million range, and could be solid players for Pittsburgh along with Allen if they want to keep some veteran presence at a reasonable price to a blue line that could compete for the Cup. I am not claiming that these players are the same talent as Suter, but merely that the necessary improvments to the blue line could come without creating such stress on the rest of the financial needs of the team.
In addition to the rumored discussions with Phoenix about Keith Yandle, signed for four years at 5.25M, Shero is talking to both Tampa and Nashville about possible trades involving Martin. Tampa has only four NHL defensemen signed, one of which is Marc Bergevin, who is old and tiny, so Martin may make sense here. An asset that they have that could be of interest to Pittsburgh is RW Teddy Purcell at 6'2" and 201 lbs. He is signed for 2.362M for another year and had 24 goals and 65 points last season. Intriguing to me, as Purcell is a solid upgrade to our top six, with a good price, and would not require the movment of Despres. It would also be a savings of about 2.6M in cap space should it happen. I am not a fan of taking on the Malone contract in return for Martin. My point is that with both Suter and Parise there is a large amount of money and term necessary to get either or both players, and there are trade options available to save the team money over the long run. I am not saying I would NOT like to see either or both players here, but I think they are longer shots, especially Suter, than we may think. I also think that there are other options like Ryan that merit consideration. We have an interesting week or two ahead of us!
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Penguins off season to date
Looking at the Penguins' offseason moves, it is pretty obvious that they were not too happy about the early exit from the playoffs this year. It has been pretty busy thus far, with the moves of Friday opening up 6M in cap space for Pittsburgh. First, off of Staal's lack of interest in signing a 60M, 10 year extension with Pittsburgh, Shero dealt him quickly to Carolina bringing in Brandon Sutter, the 8th overall pick in the draft with turned into Derrick Pouliot, and solid defensive prospect Brian Dumoulin. Later in the evening, Shero sent Michalek back to Phoenix in return for Harrison Ruopp, a big physical defensive prospect, borderline goaltending prospect Cheverie, and a third round pick i the draft that was converted into center prospect Oscar Sundqvist. These day one moves put the Penguins 6M under the cap, added to a ridiculously deep group of defensive prospects, opened up room for Niskanen, and some combination of Strait, Bortuzzo, and Despres, while making one of them very moveable in their efforts to go after a big name like a Bobby Ryan of Anaheim. They also have the cap space to be in on Zach Parise or Gary Suter on July 1st, two impact moves. If they can move Paul Martin, they may have the money to go after both. Let's not forget that Shero had already made an impact move in bringing in Tomas Vokoun to give Pittsburgh one of the best goaltending tandems in hockey. An interesting development for me is to think that one of my two favorite Pens prospects, Simon Despres might be in play for trade purposes. First, the Penguins went VERY heavy again in terms of getting solid, large puck moving defensemen in the draft and in draft day trades, second Ray Shero hinted that there are/were possible trades he could have made already, and finally Dan Bylsma made an interesting comment today. He was giddy in noting that Scott Harrington, Joe Morrow, Derrick Pouliott, and Olli Maatta could be the core of the best defense corps in the near future. Putting the Shero and Bylsma comments together, it sounds as if Despres is being asked about (he is a great young Dman), and could be part of a big deal(Bobby Ryan from defense starved Anaheim). Bylsma may have spoken off the cuff, but Despres has been slated as making the team, and having top four potential, so his ommission in the comment of the young core MAY have been an accidental hint. Or a telling sign that he is the desired bait to complete another big time tranasaction given the NHL ready nature of Bortuzzo and Strait, whom they either use on the big club or lose on waivers. Time will tell, but one thing is for sure, and that is that the Penguins have made big changes, and seem poised to add more top notch talent to this club.
SUMMARY:
IN via trade-Brandon Sutter C, Tomas Vokoun G, Brian Doumalin D, Harrison Ruopp D, Derrick Pouliott (8th pick), Oskar Sundqvist (81st pick), Marc Cheverie G
OUT-7th round pick, Jordan Staal C, Zybnek Michalek D
The new Penguins Draftees:
As discussed in yesterday's post the Penguins added lots of defensive depth in the trade with Brian Dumoulin, and then with the 8th pick Derrick Pouliot, and the 22nd pick they got Olli Maatta. Finally as part of the Michlek trade they brought in tough defenseman Ruopp from Phoenix. There is no need to reiterate their abilities in this post. Today the Penguins added the following players:
Second Round-Teddy Blueger 52nd overall, Center, 6-0 171 lbs from Shattuck St. Mary's. In 51 regulars season games he had 24G and 64A to lead the team with 88 points. He led to team to its second straight U-18 US Title. Scouts say that Blueger possesses very high offensive upside and sees the ice extremely well;
Third Round-Oskar Sundqvist-81st overall, Center, 6-3 172 lbs from Skellefta SWE-JR. He had 61 points (26G and 35A) in 43 games with 132 PIMs. Scouts say he plays a lot like Peter Forsberg, is big and rangy, skates hard with good hands and skills in tight;
Third Round-Matthew Murray-83rd overall, Goaltender, 6-4 160lbs from Sault Ste Marie (OHL). He was ranked 18th among North American goaltenders, and scouts say he is a project, but he possesses tremendous size and athleticism;
Fourth Round-Mattia Marcantuoni-92nd overall, Forward, 6-0 195 lbs from Kitchener (OHL). He had 9 G and 14 points in just 24 games before a concussion shortened his season. He is a possible boom or bust pick who was ranked in the top 20 at one point by some scouts prior to his concussion. He has speed to burn and a high intensity level with a motor that is always running;
Fourth Round-Sean Maguire-113th overall, Goaltender, 6-2, 180 lbs. He will attend Boston University next year, and made the BCHL 2nd team allstars last year. Scouts say he is not as big or athletic as Murray but has great upside and four years at BU to develop;
Fifth Round-Clark Seymour-143rd overall, Defense, 6-4 205 lbs from Peterborough (OHL). Seymour is a defensive minded defenseman. Scouts say that he is a very good skater who plays a hard physical game. They call him a "denter.";
Sixth Round-Anton Zlobin-173rd overall, Right Wing, 5-11 195 lbs from Shawnigan (QMJHL). Zlobin had 40 G and 76 points in 66 regular season games, he also had 5G and 4A during the 2012 Memorial Cup Run for Shawnigan, including the championship clinching OT goal. Scouts call him a short stocky player with good speed and skills in tight. He has top 6 potential.
While the Penguins lost Staal and Michalek this offseason, they have added Vokoun, a potential starter to back up Fleury, and Sutter, a very solid third line center. In addition, through the trades and draft, the Penguins added 5 more defensive prospects, 3 wingers, 2 centers and 2 goaltenders, while opening up 6M more in cap space to use for impact plays. They possess almost scary depth at defense with Orpik, Letang, Niskanen(likely), Martin, Engelland, Lovejoy all on the big club, with Bortuzzo and Strait NHL ready, along with Despres and Morrow who almost made the team last year. Behind them, they have Sneep and Samuelsson in the system. In the past two days they added high end prospects Domoulin, Pouliot, and Maata to the mix, and defensive grinders like Ruopp and Seymour. Some of this depth will be used to fill the other holes in the coming weeks. Look for Shero, who claims he had/has offers on the table to activley seek impact moves in the next two to four weeks.
SUMMARY:
IN via trade-Brandon Sutter C, Tomas Vokoun G, Brian Doumalin D, Harrison Ruopp D, Derrick Pouliott (8th pick), Oskar Sundqvist (81st pick), Marc Cheverie G
OUT-7th round pick, Jordan Staal C, Zybnek Michalek D
The new Penguins Draftees:
As discussed in yesterday's post the Penguins added lots of defensive depth in the trade with Brian Dumoulin, and then with the 8th pick Derrick Pouliot, and the 22nd pick they got Olli Maatta. Finally as part of the Michlek trade they brought in tough defenseman Ruopp from Phoenix. There is no need to reiterate their abilities in this post. Today the Penguins added the following players:
Second Round-Teddy Blueger 52nd overall, Center, 6-0 171 lbs from Shattuck St. Mary's. In 51 regulars season games he had 24G and 64A to lead the team with 88 points. He led to team to its second straight U-18 US Title. Scouts say that Blueger possesses very high offensive upside and sees the ice extremely well;
Third Round-Oskar Sundqvist-81st overall, Center, 6-3 172 lbs from Skellefta SWE-JR. He had 61 points (26G and 35A) in 43 games with 132 PIMs. Scouts say he plays a lot like Peter Forsberg, is big and rangy, skates hard with good hands and skills in tight;
Third Round-Matthew Murray-83rd overall, Goaltender, 6-4 160lbs from Sault Ste Marie (OHL). He was ranked 18th among North American goaltenders, and scouts say he is a project, but he possesses tremendous size and athleticism;
Fourth Round-Mattia Marcantuoni-92nd overall, Forward, 6-0 195 lbs from Kitchener (OHL). He had 9 G and 14 points in just 24 games before a concussion shortened his season. He is a possible boom or bust pick who was ranked in the top 20 at one point by some scouts prior to his concussion. He has speed to burn and a high intensity level with a motor that is always running;
Fourth Round-Sean Maguire-113th overall, Goaltender, 6-2, 180 lbs. He will attend Boston University next year, and made the BCHL 2nd team allstars last year. Scouts say he is not as big or athletic as Murray but has great upside and four years at BU to develop;
Fifth Round-Clark Seymour-143rd overall, Defense, 6-4 205 lbs from Peterborough (OHL). Seymour is a defensive minded defenseman. Scouts say that he is a very good skater who plays a hard physical game. They call him a "denter.";
Sixth Round-Anton Zlobin-173rd overall, Right Wing, 5-11 195 lbs from Shawnigan (QMJHL). Zlobin had 40 G and 76 points in 66 regular season games, he also had 5G and 4A during the 2012 Memorial Cup Run for Shawnigan, including the championship clinching OT goal. Scouts call him a short stocky player with good speed and skills in tight. He has top 6 potential.
While the Penguins lost Staal and Michalek this offseason, they have added Vokoun, a potential starter to back up Fleury, and Sutter, a very solid third line center. In addition, through the trades and draft, the Penguins added 5 more defensive prospects, 3 wingers, 2 centers and 2 goaltenders, while opening up 6M more in cap space to use for impact plays. They possess almost scary depth at defense with Orpik, Letang, Niskanen(likely), Martin, Engelland, Lovejoy all on the big club, with Bortuzzo and Strait NHL ready, along with Despres and Morrow who almost made the team last year. Behind them, they have Sneep and Samuelsson in the system. In the past two days they added high end prospects Domoulin, Pouliot, and Maata to the mix, and defensive grinders like Ruopp and Seymour. Some of this depth will be used to fill the other holes in the coming weeks. Look for Shero, who claims he had/has offers on the table to activley seek impact moves in the next two to four weeks.
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