Kukla's Korner Hockey
Next entry: Your Eastern Conference ASG Reserves
Previous entry: Talking Boyle & Backstrom
Penguins Extend Staal
by Paul on 01/08/09 at 11:49 AM ET
Comments (11)
The Pittsburgh Penguins have agreed to terms with center Jordan Staal on a new four-year contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero.
The new contract goes into effect at the start of the 2009-10 season and will run through 2012-13. Staal, 20, will play the remainder of this season under the terms of his entry-level contract. He has played 204 games with the Penguins over three NHL seasons, scoring 52 goals and 39 assists for 91 points, along with 98 penalty minutes
added 12:11pm, TSN reporting 4 years, $16M.
added 12:21pm, via Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
The team’s salary cap hit will be $4 million per season, with Staal earning $3.5 million each of the first two seasons and $4.5 million each of the ensuing two seasons.
“He’s agood yong player,” general manger Ray Shero said. “We’ve always wanted to re-sign him. His best years are ahead of him.”
added 12:51pm, Empty Netters chimes in,
...this clearly doesn’t bode well for those who would like to get a world-class first-line scoring winger for Sidney Crosby, including potentially Crosby himself. Given the uncertainty of how much the NHL’s salary cap could rise or even fall in subsequent seasons, locking up a talent like Staal to a long-term deal obviously sucks up a significant portion of whatever cap room Shero has to work with.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jordan+Staal,
Comments
Nah, if they signed him they aren’t planning to trade him.
Staal’s with us now, lets just hope he gets his stuff together, hopefully within a year or 2 he’ll learn to hit the broad sign of a barn.
Posted by Kevin from Pittsburgh on 01/08/09 at 12:11 PM ET
Similar deal the Wings signed Filppula to. In both cases, maybe a bit expensive the first coupe years, but it’ll be a bargain at the end.
I don’t get to watch many Pens games, but isnt Staal playing mostly 3rd line this year?
Posted by Nate A from Dark side of the moon on 01/08/09 at 12:20 PM ET
UMM they better be trading him !!!!!!!!!!!
3 of their top 4 wingers are UFA’s after the season, Satan, Fedotenko & Sykora
If not Tampa Bay part 2
Posted by Evilpens on 01/08/09 at 12:23 PM ET
Yeah nate, thats what he did last season too. He’s been the 3rd line “shutdown” center.
Posted by Kevin from Pittsburgh on 01/08/09 at 12:25 PM ET
UMMMMMMMMM no kev he isn’t a shutdown center since Head Moron MT doesn’t match lines
Know hockey & Pens before you Pontificate OK Chief???
Posted by Evilpens on 01/08/09 at 12:39 PM ET
UMMMMM
Thats KINDA why I had “"""""" around the word.
Posted by Kevin from Pittsburgh on 01/08/09 at 12:47 PM ET
Uh-oh, Pens fans are turning on each other.
Shero needs to improve his coaching staff ASAP. A quality coaching staff would rather have strength down the middle than on the wing. A good coach should be able to take any surplus talent they have in the middle and shift it to the wing with success.
Detroit plays Johan Franzen, Jiri Hudler, and Dan Cleary all on the wing more often than not. They are all natural centers (Franzen and Cleary are still very good on faceoffs). Until this season Zetterberg played more wing than center, even though he’s a natural center. And in Filppula’s short career, he’s played a good chunk of games at wing, often times along side Pavel Datsyuk when Zetterberg has been hurt or the lines needed a shakeup.
Before that the Wings even had Jason Williams, another natural center, playing the wing.
Moral of the story? Shero did the right thing. Keep Staal. All the teams that are good in this league have tons of depth in the center position. Detroit has capable centerman in Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Filppula, Draper, Franzen, Hudler, and Cleary. San Jose has them in Thornton, Goc, Marleau, and Pavelski. Boston has them with Savard, Bergeron, Yelle, and Krejci. Philly has Briere, Carter, Richards, and Metropolit. These teams shift their talent at center to wing when necessary. It’s easier and more effective than trying to find a pure scoring winger. With a winger like Iginla, for instance, yes, you get great offense and good efforts, but he’s not going to be able to step in and win critical face-offs. Or shift of his normal unit to play center for another. In short, with lots of good centers, you can move them to the wing and don’t lose anything. With good wingers, you definitely lose something trying to move them to center.
Posted by Nathan from Jonny Ericsson's ice cream truck on 01/08/09 at 01:19 PM ET
A good coach should be able to take any surplus talent they have in the middle and shift it to the wing with success.
I agree, anyone know where the Pens can find some surplus of talent?
Staal isn’t really “talented” He probably has more missed shots than minutes played.
Posted by Kevin from Pittsburgh on 01/08/09 at 01:30 PM ET
With a winger like Iginla, for instance, yes, you get great offense and good efforts, but he’s not going to be able to step in and win critical face-offs.
Actually, Iginla does exactly that, quite often.
Posted by Karina on 01/08/09 at 02:07 PM ET
Staal isn’t even worth 1 mil…
I would love nothing more than to see him traded
Posted by JJ from PA on 01/08/09 at 05:57 PM ET
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Cam Ward Cut By Skate Of Rick Nash Tonight
Jason Williams Has A Broken Right Leg
The Battle In The NHLPA Continues
Lundqvist Out With Minor Injury
About KK Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at
Kukla’s Korner is always a free service for readers, but it costs some money to maintain. If you’re ever in a position to donate a few dollars to help out, we’d be very appreciative.
Hockey Links
Thus making him more tradeable with him locked up
Posted by Evilpens on 01/08/09 at 12:00 PM ET