The Confluence
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It’s the calm before the Free Agency storm for Penguins
by Tony on 06/30/09 at 09:26 AM ET
Comments (13)
Well, maybe it’ll just be some scattered showers for the Pens.
Or, knowing Ray Shero, maybe not.
As I mentioned on Twitter, now that the Pens have re-signed Craig Adams and Bill Guerin, leaving them with ~$5.5M of cap space, something just tells me that it’s not going to be as simple as attempting to sign Ruslan Fedotenko and Rob Scuderi, then pack up and call it a summer.
I think we should expect the unexpected in the coming days from Shero and the Penguins.
$5.5 million may not even be enough to sign both Fedotenko and Scuderi. Scuderi himself may get a “Jeff Finger offer” that he may not pass up. Fedotenko may have to take a pay cut (like Guerin did) in order to squeeze himself and Scuderi in the payroll.
Barring a trade or two. And that’s what we as fans should be ready to hear. For one, as I said, I don’t believe that the $5.5M is going to be enough to sign both players. I also don’t believe that Shero is perfectly content with the roster he currently has. And thirdly (sic ?), he may very well have to pull the trigger on a deal in order to free up space to sign Scuderi.
Like I said, I believe there’s going to much more than simply two transactions for the Pens tomorrow or in the coming days.
Other Pens notes:
- The Penguins made qualifying offers to soon-to-be backup goaltender John Curry, defenseman Ben Lovejoy and forward Tim Wallace. Goalie David Brown was not offered a contract, making him an Unrestricted Free Agent.
- Faceoff Factor’s Jesse Marshall conducted a great interview with rising prospect Eric Tangradi.
- Tyler Kennedy’s bringing the Stanley Cup to Sault Ste. Marie, ONTARIO (thanks for correcting my geography, Garth).
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Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Comments
They’re going to sigh Hossa for one year for the same price Detroit offered him!
Clearly!
The Stanley Cup is returning to Michigan !!! ‘Cause Tyler Kennedy’s bringing it there.
That’s actually Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, not Michigan.
Posted by Garth on 06/30/09 at 10:01 AM ET
Sumbitch… My bust, thanks Garth…
Posted by Tony F from Virginia Beach, VA on 06/30/09 at 10:03 AM ET
thanks Garth
‘S cool, I only know because I’m from there and I hate that a Sault boy is bringing the cup back and he has to be a Penguin, not a Wing 
Posted by Garth on 06/30/09 at 10:14 AM ET
With the impending loss of Scuderi to a team with high hopes that he can reproduce the same results that he did for the Penguins last season (and most likely at a ridiculous price), any thoughts on Shero going after Francois Beauchemin?
There was talk on HNIC’s Hot Stove towards the end of the season about the Penguins losing Scuderi, but replacing him with another big Western Conference defenceman. As Al Strachan - a man who I hate, and whose opinion is valued in gold only by himself - stated, they have a reliable scout on Beauchemin named Chris Kunitz, and he would be the big-body presence than can replace Hall Gill while upgrading the mobility over Gill.
Thoughts?
Posted by Teebz from Canada on 06/30/09 at 10:36 AM ET
The Stanley Cup is returning to Michigan !!! ‘Cause Tyler Kennedy’s bringing it there
LOL, struggled in Geography class??
Thought he had a ‘gotcha’ moment on Wings fans…LOL!
Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste Marie on 06/30/09 at 10:46 AM ET
Thoughts?
Posted by Teebz
Beauchemin will probably be too expensive due to demand, and he’s not what I would call a big body.
The likes of Andrew Alberts, Kurtis Foster, Ossi Vaananen, Steve Montador, Greg Zanon, etc., seem a bit more realistic.
Posted by Moq from Denmark on 06/30/09 at 11:48 AM ET
The Stanley Cup is returning to Michigan !!! ‘Cause Tyler Kennedy’s bringing it there
LOL, struggled in Geography class??
Thought he had a ‘gotcha’ moment on Wings fans…LOL!
Yup, gotta fall on my sword, Winger….
And I actually liked geography, oh well…
Posted by Tony F from Virginia Beach, VA on 06/30/09 at 12:05 PM ET
@Teebz. yeah I’d heard whispers about Beauchemin, but I agree with Moq, I don’t think he’ll be any cheaper than Scuderi….
Maybe Zanon could be a possibility, based on Shero’s work in Nashville, although he won’t be “cheap”, either…
Posted by Tony F from Virginia Beach, VA on 06/30/09 at 12:07 PM ET
Just so it’s clear that Tony wasn’t totally off-base, although TK is from the one in Ontario, there is also a Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sault_Ste._Marie,_MI
Posted by NHLJeff from Pens fan in Chicago, IL on 06/30/09 at 02:43 PM ET
I know Jeff, I lobbed a softball for them…
Posted by Tony F from Virginia Beach, VA on 06/30/09 at 02:44 PM ET
Just so it’s clear that Tony wasn’t totally off-base, although TK is from the one in Ontario, there is also a Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sault_Ste._Marie,_MI
Yup, it’s true. I can confirm the Wiki article is true, seeing as I’m sitting in Sault, Michigan, as I type.
Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste Marie on 06/30/09 at 02:57 PM ET
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I tend to agree with your reasoning. Fedotenko and Scuderi would still be theoretically possible if they were to accept salaries similar to the one given to Guerin. Even then, it would be a tight fit under the cap without maneuverability. I can’t see both players being that generous, nor Shero operating under those conditions. I don’t think either player is a “must sign”. It appears easier to find a cheap experienced defenceman with a Scuderi-like skillset rather than a $2M winger with something left to offer, but I could be wrong about that.
The most obvious cap saving measure would be replacing Dupuis with a cheaper fourth liner encompassing special teams skill, or perhaps just a pick with replacement coming from within. I don’t think that would happen before signing a better top-6 winger alternative, whether it’s Fedotenko or someone else. Another option would be replacing Eaton to save a few hundred thousand dollars, but his improved play has warrented the salary paid, and I don’t think he’ll be moved. That leaves the likes of Kunitz and Staal if Shero wanted to save salary or restructure the core. Neither appears likely to be moved right now.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Fedotenko, Scuderi and Dupuis replaced with new faces, and I’m not certain that Curry will get the backup job without a fight. A few new additions would be nice, it’s generates dynamics.
Posted by Moq from Denmark on 06/30/09 at 09:55 AM ET