Well picking up your trash last season didn’t help the Wings...so no thanks.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 06/30/09 at 12:51 PM ET

This suggests that we’ll sign twelve forwards and occasional call ups from WBS in goon relief duty (replacing Godard against softer teams). Sensible given the cap space available.

Posted by Moq from Denmark on 06/30/09 at 12:59 PM ET

Can’t understand this move by Shero.  The penguins are in real need of a faceoff specialist, and I can not see him wanting more that 700,000 a year.  The penguins are in need of forwards and have little cap room to make big moves in free agency.  It would appear from the outside that Ziggy at or below 700k a year would be just what they are looking for.  However; having said all that, Shero has been right on target with nearly every move he has made since joining the pens, so I am sure he knows what he is doing.  Adams was failry decent in faceoffs this past season as well.

Posted by Gretzky_to_Lemieux on 06/30/09 at 01:24 PM ET

BIG dropoff in face-offs from Zigomanis to Adams (62% to 38%).  Hate to lose him, but you can’t keep everybody. 

Jordan Staal better work on his face-offs this summer.  For $4 mill per, you really ought to win more than 35% of your shorthanded face-offs in the playoffs.

Posted by Breakaway on 06/30/09 at 01:26 PM ET

BIG dropoff in face-offs from Zigomanis to Adams (62% to 38%).

Wow I had no idea he was that bad.  I remember him taking some key faceoffs in the playoffs and winning a good amount of them.  But 38%, damn… that blows.

Posted by Gretzky_to_Lemieux on 06/30/09 at 01:29 PM ET

Actually, Adams did improve in the playoffs—to 46%.  Although shorthanded, he was only at 43%.

To be considered “good,” in my book, you gotta be 50% at least.  H’s classified as a winger not a center, so I guess that’s his excuse?

Posted by Breakaway on 06/30/09 at 01:53 PM ET

The NHL salary cap for next season is $56,800,000, for roughly 20 players.  The Pens cap number, with 17 players signed, is at $51,218,300.  That’s a difference of $5,581,700 for 3 players left to sign.  Assuming John Curry will be the back-up goaltender, and he takes up roughly $250,000, that should leave $5,250,000 for two players.  A defenseman and a right winger.  Scuderi sould be priority #1 and then Fedotenko.  I hope Scuderi gives them the chance to come close to his best offer after seeing what the market bears.  So far, the Pens have been able to get discounts in exchange for winning.  Let’s hope it continues for one or two more players.  Let’s Go Pens!

Posted by Pens Fan in DC on 06/30/09 at 02:30 PM ET

From NHL.com:

The minimum NHL player salary in 2005-06 and 2006-07 will be $450,000; $475,000 in 2007-08 and 2008-09; $500,000 in 2009-10 and 2010-11, and $525,000 in 2011-12 (to the extent the CBA is extended by the Union).

So, Pens fan in DC, Curry will have to take up at least $500k.

Posted by NHLJeff from Boston, MA on 06/30/09 at 02:57 PM ET

Getting worked up about a player like Zigomanis doesn’t make any sense. People need to understand that options should be kept open with the little cap space we have left. Signing someone primarily for his faceoff skills is a luxury we cannot afford. At least until the bigger and more important pieces are in place.

Posted by Moq from Denmark on 06/30/09 at 04:08 PM ET

Seeing as how Carolina is about to lose Chad LaRose to free agency, we’d love to see Ziggy back in Raleigh.

Posted by David Lee from Greensboro, NC on 06/30/09 at 10:24 PM ET

At 5.5 left against the cap and needing a backup goaltender (Curry at .5) that doesn’t leave much wiggle room for a 4th line center that is a specialist above all else.  He would need to take a 150k hair cut to even be considered an option and that would leave little room to sign a winger for #71!

What happens in the case of injury - who fills in and where do they get the cap room?

Is hockey not like football - can a player renegotiate a contract to free up salary cap?  Are Crosby and Malkin locked in at the cap #’s?

Thanks

Hain’t it grand to be the winner?????
A lengthy discussion over a 4th line center that wins face offs - last year it was where will Hossa play!

Posted by Taiwan Hockey from Near Da Burgh on 07/03/09 at 12:21 PM ET

To answer a question in the previous post, under the current CBA, a contract CANNOT be renegotiated during the life of the contract.
More CBA info

Posted by NHLJeff from Boston, MA on 07/03/09 at 12:27 PM ET