McKee’s biggest problem is staying healthy from blocking a million shots per game. If he can be durable, Scuderi has been replaced.

Posted by cs6687 on 07/09/09 at 08:59 PM ET

McKee for $800K is much cheaper then Scuderi would be. I think he’s a solid replacement for Scuderi (although just 1 year). As far as health 69,66,23 &75;games played the last 4 seasons, not that bad except for ‘06-’07.

Posted by Lindas1st on 07/09/09 at 09:19 PM ET

I think you Pens fans are selling Scuderi short if you believe McKee is an equal replacement. Scuderi was your best player in the ECF and Finals. Without him game 6, you might not have won the cup. There is a reason McKee is getting 800,000 and Scuderi signed a big deal. I think the McKee signing is solid move my Shero, but you still have 2 holes where Gill and Scuderi were last year.

Posted by Cainer4Wingsglory from Ottawa on 07/09/09 at 10:58 PM ET

Correction, Scuderi wasn’t your best in the ECF, I was thinking the Capitals series where he put the clamps on Ovie…

Posted by Cainer4Wingsglory from Ottawa on 07/09/09 at 11:00 PM ET

Couple meaningless quibbles.

Crosby was Pitt’s best player against Wash and Ovechkin did have 9 goals in the ECSFs, which isn’t exactly clamping down. Of course, the way he was playing he should have had 15, which is a credit to Scuderi.

And in the SCFs Talbot was Pittsburgh’s best player ;]

Posted by steve on 07/09/09 at 11:07 PM ET

I suppose who was the best is a matter of opinion. What is a fact is that you will miss Hal “the interference machine” Gill and Scuderi.

Posted by Cainer4Wingsglory from Ottawa on 07/10/09 at 12:11 AM ET

It’s a good signing for the money but don’t expect him to take the spot of Gill or Scuderi outside of the PK.  He was the #5 defender on the Blues;, he has no business playing top 4 minutes on a championship caliber team.

Posted by UMcastaway from Ann Arbor on 07/10/09 at 12:57 AM ET

Well, one point about Gill. I agree that he was a very important player for the Pens. However, at his age (and with his mobility issues) even one year of aging may reduce his on ice contribution significantly. If it were possible to re-sign the Gill of 08-09 (or 07-08), it would be a good move. Bringing back the Gill of 09-10 may be a case of a year too late. None of these moves happens in a vacuum.

Given the corner the Pens have painted themselves into (contracts to Eaton, Staal and probably Fleury are overpriced), there was little Shero could do to address the departure of these two.

As for Gill, ‘the interference machine’ (love that name!), the difference between him and many of the Detroit players is not the degree of interference as Detroit are masters of the moving pick, but the fact that his legs never look like they are moving. I’d be surprised to see if Gill can even get into position to interfere effectively in the coming seasons.

Posted by catz27 on 07/10/09 at 01:54 AM ET

The guy got bought out of an inflated contract, he’s a veteran who wants to win a cup, and he took half of what he could get in Nashville to sign with the best team in the league. If he can stay healthy, he will be a big asset in Pittsburgh. And by all accounts, he’s a hell of a leader, locker room type guy.

And if he cannot perform, it’s just a one year deal for only 800K. This is a winning arrangement for both sides, a great signing.

Posted by JAMESinMI on 07/10/09 at 02:47 AM ET

Gill has been replaced (plus 8000%).

Posted by drw on 07/10/09 at 06:48 AM ET

From everything I’ve heard and seen McKee seems like a good signing, especially for the role in Pittsburgh which would be third pairing defensive zone support for Goligoski, shot blocking and penalty killing. Regarding durability concerns, I don’t think it’ll be an issue with the likely signing of Lovejoy as number seven. He’ll probably get his fair share of games and eased into a more prominent role.

The actual salary was far better than I had hoped in advance, and will leave us with decent maneuverability under the cap for the minor additions that may remain. Perhaps just one certain addition in the shape of a backup goaltender. Shero may decide to sign camp competition for Curry, but he appears to be the backup favourite right now. Signing a slightly more experienced alternative/competitor/mentor wouldn’t be a bad decision IMO. Everything suggests that Talbot will be replaced internally. That means an available roster opening which will provide motivation for the youngsters in camp. Nothing bad about that.

The offseason have been great (on paper) so far.

Posted by Moq from Denmark on 07/10/09 at 06:52 AM ET

Well, one point about Gill. I agree that he was a very important player for the Pens. However, at his age (and with his mobility issues) even one year of aging may reduce his on ice contribution significantly.

Ahem...issues?  C’mon, now that he’s left the franchise, I think it’s time for PIT fans to come clean about what a lumbering landmass this guy really is.  Just you wait until the first time one of your boys tries to skate around him.  Gill is 6’7 who can’t skate and can’t even fight (check out the Youtube video of Chara absolutely tooling him).  Gill is a dying breed, your team will be better without him.

Getting McKee at $800k is a bargain, Guerin should’ve signed a contract close to that given his age, but it would be hard to say ‘No’ after the performance he’s given during his short tenure thus far.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/10/09 at 06:54 AM ET

, I think it’s time for PIT fans to come clean about what a lumbering landmass this guy really is.  Just you wait until the first time one of your boys tries to skate around him.  Gill is 6’7 who can’t skate and can’t even fight (check out the Youtube video of Chara absolutely tooling him).  Gill is a dying breed, your team will be better without him.

I will acknowledge that Gill is granted a different rulebook than most players and we remember what it was like when he would bear hug Jagr for 25 minutes per night and never get called.

Posted by steve on 07/10/09 at 11:16 AM ET

Yeah, Drew, as a Penguin fan, I agree with you.  The guy’s a terrible skater, and I’d always hold my breath the most when he was on the ice.  I had more confidence in Kris Letang, who’s got less than two full years of exp.  Plus, the playoff game against the Caps where Gill skated through the crease behind Fleury is a moment I’d like to forget forever.

It’s just hard to throw him under the bus because he was a contributor and a great vet presence on a winning team.  That, and the guy’s reach and ability to obstruct at the end of the clutch-and-grab era used to work Jaromir Jagr into apoplexy when Gill was a Bruin and Jagr was a Penguin, so there’s grudging admiration there.

Posted by Russell Lucas on 07/10/09 at 11:42 AM ET

I agree with Russell. Watching Gill go back to touch-up an icing, I always had the feeling that the opposing forechecher was going to fly right by him. he lokked like he was stuck in cement. But a solid penelty killer. Another thing, he was/is liked by all of his teammates,aparently he’s quite the comic.

Posted by Lindas1st on 07/10/09 at 02:42 PM ET

Oh, yeah.  Gill’s hilarious.  On the Jumbotron at home games they kill commercial break downtime by broadcasting player interviews and one of the questions is whether the player calls it “soda” or “pop.” Gill deadpanned, “I call it beer.”

Posted by Russell Lucas on 07/10/09 at 02:52 PM ET

It’s just refreshing to be debating whether a 6th or 7th defenseman will do his job well enough to stay at the level of STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!  Just a note, McKee will not be replacing Scuderi, Letang will be.  I’m guessing the pairings will be:  Gonchar-Orpik, Letang-Eaton, Goligoski-McKee/Lovejoy.  There is no way McKee’s going to be asked to what Scuderi did. 
Players which Detroit lost to free agency:  Hossa, Hudler, Samuelsson, Kopecky, & Conklin.  Players which Pittsburgh lost to free agency:  Scuderi, Gill, Sykora, Satan, Garon.  Which team was hurt more?  Detroit also has 6 players, who are closer to 40 than 30, that will play significant minutes next season.  Add in a season with the Olympic break, meaning a compact schedule, it will be interesting to see how the senior citizens do.
Shero has $2.3M of cap space left to work with, and only a back-up goalie to sign.  They also have the option of trading Godard and increasing the cap space to $3.1M (goalie yet to be signed).  That means Shero will have plenty of room left to make a nice aquisition during the season, depending on the needs of the roster.  It’s how the roster looks in early April, not early October that matters.  Shero is also showing his brilliance in not signing older players to anything more than a 2-year deal.  Let’s Go Pens!

Posted by Pens Fan in DC on 07/10/09 at 03:28 PM ET

It’s a good signing for the money but don’t expect him to take the spot of Gill or Scuderi outside of the PK.  He was the #5 defender on the Blues;, he has no business playing top 4 minutes on a championship caliber team.

Posted by UMcastaway from Ann Arbor on 07/10/09 at 01:57 AM ET

McKee was part of the Blues #1 PK unit, which was a pretty darn good PK unit in the league last season, and he averaged over 3 minutes in PK minutes per game.

Posted by Serpentinestyle from PA on 07/11/09 at 12:54 PM ET

Nice article on Pens’ blueline from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09193/983391-61.stm

Excellent coulmn from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_633303.html

Let’s Go Pens!

Posted by Pens Fan in DC on 07/12/09 at 01:09 AM ET