Faceoff Factor

Comments

1. bag o' pucks

   Jun 18, 10:38 AM

   Hi Matt, here are some additional cap numbers, in millions:
   Tangradi – 0.875
   Veilleux – 0.875
   N. Johnson – 0.5925
   Haddad – 0.513333
   Jeffrey – 0.509444
   Letsetu – 0.500
   Boogaard – 0.493333
   Grant – 0.800
   D’Aversa – 0.525
   Engelland – 0.4925

2. Matt Bodenschatz

   Jun 18, 10:47 AM

   Excellent, Bag. Where did you find these?

3. bag o' pucks

   Jun 18, 10:52 AM

   Used to be NHLSCAP.com (NHL Salary Cap.com), great site. But now it’s part of, ugh, hockeybuzz.com. The saving grace is that Eklund, as far as I can tell, has nothing to do with this part of his page. As far as I know it’s still maintained by the same guy who did it as nhlscap.com. He’s usually very quick with new deals, but I haven’t seen any info for Zabotel, Bortuzzo, or Vitale, yet. And he doesn’t have Gogo’s extension up, yet, either. Maybe he’s out on post-season vacation, haha.

   http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/

4. Pens1967

   Jun 18, 11:21 AM

   Matt, NHLnumbers.com has up-to-date salary info for NHL and AHL players, too.

5. Matt Bodenschatz

   Jun 18, 12:05 PM

   @Bag, thanks. I have that site bookmarked and I could have sworn it didn’t have those numbers when I looked earlier this week. Regardless, I thank you for helping out — and please let me know if you find any of the others.

   @Pens, that was my primary source for the salaries I filled in. Both are great sites for reference.

6. sonofatruckload

   Jun 18, 12:42 PM

   tangradi really at 0.875? it’s not even certain (likely, though) he’ll play in the AHL next year, right?

7. Matt Bodenschatz

   Jun 18, 01:25 PM

   @Son, yeah, he’ll be in the AHL. he’s signed to a contract and is too old for Canadian Juniors.

8. Jon

   Jun 24, 11:47 AM

   Matt,

   Didn’t Goligoski just sign? Don’t think he’s a RFA anymore.

   This off season really doesn’t seem as stressful as last year’s, despite all the UFA. Everyone said the Pens couldn’t win a Cup without signing an “elite” winger last year, but things turned out fine. Hopefully if the team needs to fill any gaps from the outside, players will be willing to take a discount to play for a team that should be right back at the top of the Cup race next season.

9. Nathan

   Jun 24, 03:41 PM

   @ Jon

   There’s a note up there:
   NOTE 1: PLAYERS WHO RE-SIGN WITH THE PENGUINS WILL BE LISTED WITH AN “RFA” OR “UFA” TAG TO INDICATE THEIR PREVIOUS STATUS.
   NOTE 2: PLAYERS WHO SIGN A CONTRACT EXTENSION WILL BE TAGGED WITH “Ext”

10. Jon

    Jun 24, 04:39 PM

    Ha, yeah. I saw that after. I’m an idiot.

11. Rick

    Jun 28, 02:48 AM

    Matt,
    With Chad Johnson being traded, do you think the Penguins still have hopes for David Brown as a viable goaltender?

12. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 28, 10:59 AM

    @Rick, my guess is no. Brown likely will remain in the ECHL. I see the goaltending situation playing out like this: Shero will bring in a cheap veteran goalie looking to prove himself (ala Ty Conklin from two years ago). The veteran will compete with Curry and Theissen in camp to determine the organizational depth. Depending on the veteran, I see Curry being Fleury’s backup, the veteran and Theissen splitting time in WBS, and Brown starting in Wheeling. The only varying factor, in my opinion, could be the veteran winning the NHL backup position, with Curry and Theissen splitting time in the AHL.

13. Rick

    Jun 28, 12:07 PM

    In that case, wouldn’t Brown want to sign with another team? The guy is just going backwards with the Penguins. He was at WBS two seasons ago and served as Curry’s back-up, even though they had similar numbers. Last season, he spent just about the entire season at Wheeling, suffering an injury and becoming back-up to Curtis Darling. In my opinion, the Penguins organization kind of shafted the guy. He should have split time at WBS with Curry in ’07-‘08, not playing in just 19 games.

    On another subject, i I look forward to your assessment of the Penguins’ draft. I feel that Shero did a very poor job and the only player I see ever making the NHL is Simon Despres. Samuelsson was chosen way to high, as were all of the other picks. The organization needs depth at RW, and while Hanowski and Petersen are listed at that position, they shoot lefty. In fact, every player Shero picked shoots left-handed…and what does Viktor Ekbom have that Jake Muzzin doesn’t (who they did not sign from the 2007 draft)?

14. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 28, 10:02 PM

    @Rick, he may want to, but as a restricted free agent, he likely won’t have that opportunity. He has been an okay player, but hasn’t done anything to prove himself worthy of extended minutes in goal in the AHL. Originally, he was the starter in WBS, when both he and Curry entered as rookies. But, he quickly lost the starter’s job through poor play and was consequently sent to the ECHL to get more minutes. He didn’t grab the bull by the horns and, as you said, eventually lost the starting role to Darling. Now, the Penguins have Theissen, who projects to be better than Brown. He has had numerous opportunities to prove himself, yet he hasn’t. I wouldn’t say he has been given the shaft, but I think the Penguins long have realized what they had in him, which was why they signed Curry to compete with him, then Berkhoel to replace him, now Theissen to supplant him. Brown, I think, may very well have peaked, regardless of what organization he belongs to.

    As for the draft, you won’t get an article form of a recap from me. The draft is far from my area of expertise. Look for Jesse Marshall, Michael Farkas, and Alex Kirshner to weigh in soon. But, I can say this…drafting 17 and 18 year old kids is far from an exact science. Many who project to be great flop (see Alex Daigle, for example) and many who project to flop turn out to be great (see Henrik Zetterberg, Pavol Datsyuk, Nik Lidstrom, etc). Shero’s mentality, as he has said numerous times, is to take player he and his staff feel fit the mold of the team, and based on that mold, they will take the best player available. In other words, they aren’t drafting to fill in right wing holes because those holes very well may not exist in three or four years if/when these players mature into NHL-ready talents. Several years ago, many people hated the pick of Alex Goligoski, saying he was the biggest waste of a second round pick in team history. Now he is a shoe-in to make the team next year and has proven his offensive talents are not just adequate, but legitimate. Ultimately, no judgment on the draft will be even remotely accurate (or fair to the Penguins’ professional internal scouting staff, as opposed to our amateur external eyes) until years down the line when we see how these players develop.

15. Justin Maffei

    Jun 30, 02:50 PM

    http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/team.php?team=PIT has Bissonnette at 500,000.

16. bag o' pucks

    Jun 30, 03:24 PM

    Bissonnette is, in fact, under contract next year for $.500M.

    Curry was qualified, so his number (as of now) is $.550M. There is no motivation for Shero to reneg this number or to extend the deal passed one year. That’s a bargain basement price for a backup and, if Curry can’t hack the gig, it’s back to the minors and likely goodbye next summer.

    Lovejoy’s qualifying number (as of now) is $.9625M. There’s definitely motivation to reneg another contract with Lovejoy, as that number is too high. The leverage, and risk, is a one-way deal, likely two years, with a lower cap hit.

    As for Brownie, he fell out of favor with Bylsma on day one of last season when Curry was with Pittsburgh in Sweden. Brownie started game one of the season against powerhouse Hershey, gave up five goals in two periods of work, the Pens shipped him to Wheeling the next day and closed the book on him then and there.

17. T6D

    Jun 30, 10:26 PM

    There is a russian player on the Phoenix Coyotes by the name of Enver Lisin who is a 23 year old RFA right winger. He shoots left though so he could probably play left wing

    Since being drafted in 2004 in the second round he has played sparingly in three seasons but saw his first extensive time last year while appearing in 48 games. His stats are as follows: GM G A PTS
    2006-2007 Coyotes 17 1 1 2
    2007-2008 Coyotes 13 4 1 5
    2008-2009 Coyotes 48 13 8 21

    To me the increase from last year would suggest he may be ready to play in the NHL on a full time basis and could be an option as a third line winger. Plus, if he pans out, because he is young and russian, he might be able to develop some chemistry with Geno and eventually provide us with a young solution to the revolving door policy we have to employ now because none of our young guys are ready to take over as top six wingers.

    He also has good size at 6’2” 195 and could come at a reasonable price as his cap number was only 910,000 last year.

    This is the type of guy we should look at trading Dupuis for. Either way it eliminates His 1.4 million dollar salary and probably saves us some money because Lisin won’t sign for any more than he is making right now because his numbers aren’t overly impressive.

18. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 3, 12:16 PM

    @T6D, apologies for the late response. Lisin makes sense on a lot of fronts — he’s young, cheap, Russian, and talented. The problem may be Phoenix’s current financial situation, which isn’t pretty. They may have a hard time taking on a $1.4 million 3rd/4th liner.

    You’re thinking along the right lines, though, as this may be the type of trade Shero tries to make in order to remove a bit of the bottom line clutter and add a bit of cap space.

19. Ben Schmidt

    Jul 6, 11:45 AM

    For those asking about Brown – he wasn’t given a qualifying offer, so he’s no longer in the Penguins organization.

    As for Lisin – one of the main knocks on Lisin is that he is awful at defense. He may be pretty good with the puck, but he’s practically a guaranteed goal against without it. I’d be a bit concerned about that.

20. T6D

    Jul 6, 10:06 PM

    The papers have reported that Talbot is supposed to have shoulder surgery. Might this reopen the door for Pessonen’s return?

21. bag o' pucks

    Jul 9, 06:30 PM

    Has anyone been able to find a cap number for Brad Thiessen?

22. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 9, 08:04 PM

    No idea, Pucks…if you find it, let me know!

23. Moq

    Jul 13, 02:10 PM

    CapGeek.com has Thiessen at $875,000 a year, the $237,500 of which is bonus.

24. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 13, 03:25 PM

    Thanks, Moq! I also added the cap hits for departed players Mormina, Taffe and Minard.

25. SprJudd

    Jul 13, 03:52 PM

    So is Nate Guenin going to be on the NHL roster as a 7th defenseman? I think it’d be stupid to have Lovejoy in Pittsburgh if all he’ll do is sit. He’d be better served playing every day in WBS in my opinion.

26. Moq

    Jul 13, 04:26 PM

    As Bombulie remarks in his blog, Lovejoy has played a total of 188 AHL games. His growth won’t be stunted by a sitting for a few games. Training with the NHL squad and playing a game here and there might be just as useful in his development. Who knows? I assume management has a plan.

    Guenin seems like the 8th defenceman with the primary job of stabilising the WB/S, which will have its fair share of rookies on defence (if they all play), and offence as well.

27. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 13, 04:52 PM

    @Sprjudd, in the past, Ray Shero has been pretty consistent with starting the season with a minimal roster, preferring to carry the best players in camp and allowing those who won’t play to get icetime in the AHL. By carrying a minimal roster, Shero will save money under the cap that would otherwise be used to pay players who aren’t even playing.

    As it stands right now, the only need is a backup goaltender, which I feel will be a battle between John Curry and a yet-to-be-signed veteran free agent. So, to answer your question, unless Lovejoy flatout wins a spot in the top six, he’ll be in the AHL along with Guenin, Lee and the others. If someone gets hurt, he’ll be the first call-up.

    @Moq, that very well may be the case. I suspect, though, that if they go that route, they’ll wait until later in the season when guys begin to get banged up. Early on, there really is no reason for seven defensemen when the payroll is so tight to the cap.

28. Moq

    Jul 13, 05:19 PM

    Yes, I also think we’ll see the minimal number of defencemen from the beginning of the season, unless there’s a nagging injury to someone in the presumed top-6.

29. bag o' pucks

    Jul 13, 11:43 PM

    Or a long road trip, west coast, down south. They’ll likely take seven with them then, as well. I prefer seven d-men on the roster at all times, anyway. Sometimes guys knowing there’s another player hungry to get in the lineup keeps them sharper. I think this group is high on character and that probably wouldn’t be the case. But, nonetheless, sometimes even championship clubs need periodic reminders that jobs aren’t necessarily secure.

30. mbizzle

    Jul 14, 12:23 AM

    Wow, Dale Tallon’s firing to be announced tomorrow…Bowman’s taking over everywhere. His son Stan Bowman will be the new GM. This is ridiculous to think about considering Tallon was the one who helped draft and completely rebuild this Hawk franchise. Kane, Toews, Barker, Versteeg, Schneider(sick goalie spect), Seabrook, Keith, Byfuglien….to name a few.

    I don’t understand the NHL sometimes and I def. don’t understand this firing. They re-signed all their key guys who were RFAs, was it the NHLPA dispute thing? But didn’t that get resolved? And I mean the Hossa signing only increases their chances of winning the West next year, I just don’t get it.

    And how about Lemaire to NJ…Lou Lamoriello needs to realize that this defensive minded style of play/trappy style doesn’t work in the NEW nhl. He was run out of town in Minny and replaced with former Pens coaches/managers. Either way, I don’t feel scared by the Devils anymore, not like it was 7-8 yrs ago. Elias is getting older, Holik is done (he used to be great),Pandolfo/Madden both dead and gone a la Justin Timberlake(some of the best shutdown centers in the past), Brodeur is getting older and injured a lot, and not as consistent as he once was, Roloston’s getting old etc. etc.

    [Edited for content]

31. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 14, 09:21 AM

    @MBizzle, please be reminded to keep messages clean and free from personal attacks. Thanks.

32. mbizzle

    Jul 14, 11:23 AM

    Lol, yah sorry about that…I thought about that right after I posted.

33. No, I'm Steve!

    Jul 21, 01:45 PM

    I’m reading that the Penguins signed G Brent Johnson to a one year contract…

34. Moq

    Jul 21, 02:41 PM

    Matt, your defencemen sum is off by $0.5M. I think you added Lovejoy, but not his cost.

35. Jason

    Jul 26, 07:42 PM

    I think the situation on the third line is interesting. On most other teams, the play of Kennedy and Staal would earn an audition for the second. yet, with the Penguins the third line is so good that it is considered untouchable. Does anyone think that Dupius would be better on the second line over Kennedy or Staal?

36. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 26, 11:13 PM

    @Moq, thanks…fixed!

    @Jason, I’m with you. In fact, you’ll note in my tentative roster at the bottom of the roster report, I actually have Dupuis on the second line.

37. Stilly

    Jul 27, 11:31 AM

    @Jason

    I don’t necessarily believe that the third liners are ‘untouchable’. I think that Kennedy can play his game on the second line and provides more scoring upside than Dupuis does. Dupuis’ game is probably best suited for the third line being as he’s a fast checking forward. Since there isn’t much offensive creativity on the third line, I wouldn’t be concerned about chemistry. Kennedy moving up a line seems to make the most sense.

38. Brock

    Jul 28, 05:10 PM

    Now that the Bolts have bought out Prospal, the following scenario seems somewhat appealing to me:

    Sign Prospal for 0.8 – 1M per year for two years. Including his buyout payments from TB, he’d be making 2.0-2.2M per year, just about what he’d be making if he hadn’t been bought out. That would provide a decent scoring winger (of the Sykora or Satan variety) at a discount.

    If you then need to free up cap space, trade someone (Dupuis?) for draft picks and/or prospects.

39. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 28, 05:25 PM

    @Brock, Prospal is a playoff underachiever. I’d rather go into camp with a spot open for competition and save the money for a trade deadline acquisition. Remember, $1 million in cap space now will translate to roughly $4 or $5 million in February. That’s enough to bring in a legitimate winger for a playoff run.

40. Brock

    Jul 29, 10:00 AM

    Wow, you’re right about his playoff performance. Kind of a dud.

    I still think Malkin’s line needs something. the Talbot-Malkin-Fedotenko line was pretty productive in the Final, but with Talbot out for a while, who do you slot in there? I don’t see Dupuis filling that role very effectively, but here’s to hoping I’m wrong.

41. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 29, 10:39 AM

    @Brock, I think the notion that all roster spots must be filled right now is a bit off-base. By leaving a glaring hole, it gives players an opportunity to step up. In the worst case scenario, Dupuis could fill in while Talbot rehabs. It’s not ideal, but Crosby got along with Dupuis and Satan as his wingers. Malkin should be able to do the same or better with Dupuis and Fedotenko.

    And what about Kennedy? He’s young, has improved in each of his pro seasons, and plays an up-tempo/aggressive game comparable to Talbot’s in many ways. I actually could see Kennedy as Malkin’s full-time right wing, with Talbot shifting to the third line upon returning, to be honest.

    Let’s also keep in mind that Luca Caputi and Eric Tangradi, and to a lesser extent, Casey Pierro-Zabotel could earn a spot with a strong training camp.

    Lastly, with a slew of free agents still on the market, it’s possible Shero might bring in a player or two on a tryout basis. Play well and earn a spot. Play poorly and get cut. Shero did this with Adam Hall a few years back and could very well use a veteran to create competition for the second line spot in camp.

42. ForgedMissionOrders

    Aug 4, 12:07 PM

    The Finish press is reporting Janne Pesonen has signed with AK Bars Kazan of the KHL on a one year deal. I for one hope he dominates there as he did in WBS and gets a shot with some NHL team next season.

    Theres a link at the top of the page to the original Finnish report at
    http://jannepesonen.blogspot.com/

43. Kevin

    Aug 5, 09:08 AM

    @Forgedmissionorders: I agree… he apparently got several offers for 2way contracts, including in Pittsburgh, but opted for a 2 year deal in the KHL. It’s a shame that the Pens are stuck with someone like Dupois instead of Pesonen. I would have much rather him been given a chance… oh well.

    www.post-gazette.com/pg/09217/988610-61.stm

44. Matt Bodenschatz

    Aug 5, 09:22 AM

    @Forged, I have gone ahead and updated the chart to show Pesonen no longer is a free agent.

    Pesonen seems like a class act, and like you, I hope he finds himself an NHL home in the near future.

    @Kevin, Dupuis and Pesonen are far from mutually exclusive. They are completely different players with completely different styles and completely different roles. Pesonen’s job is to create offense. Dupuis’ is to play defense. Teams comprised of all-offense players don’t get very far.

    I think the fact that Pesonen wasn’t able to find an NHL home speaks a bit to what the other teams think of him. We, as fans, like what he did in the AHL, but like Minard, Taffe, and others, his game just didn’t translate to the NHL.

45. Nate

    Aug 5, 10:04 AM

    I agree Matt, I, too, was very optimistic when the Golden Helmet was signed last season, but, like you said, his game just doesn’t fit with where the Pens are headed. I really like where RS is taking this team, they were pushed around far too long and now he is building what I feel will be one of the toughest teams to play against in the league. Right up there with Anaheim, Detroit, Boston and Philly.

46. Kevin

    Aug 5, 10:57 AM

    @Matt: I agree that their games are completely different. However, we’ve been looking for a scoring winger for a Crosby/Malkin for a while, and I don’t think Pesonen was really given a fair chance. While I agree that Dupois has more grit than Pesonen, it wasn’t like Sykora offered up any defence whatsoever and he was paired with Malkin all of last year. I’m just not too thrilled with a line of Fedotenko-Malkin-Dupois from a scoring perspective.

47. Dabich

    Aug 5, 11:08 AM

    Eh…I have to agree that DuPuis is a much better fit for this team than Pesonen. I’ve been griping about Pes not being given a fair chance as well, but I like what DuPuis brings in terms of flexibility (defense, playing different lines, even PK). I’d take DuPuis over Pesonen anytime.

48. bag o' pucks

    Aug 5, 12:20 PM

    Reportedly, Pesonen was offered a two-way deal by the Pens (and several other teams). Pes had plenty of time to consider several factors, including: the Pen’s roster; Talbot’s injury and the hole that creates on Malkin’s wing; Therrien is gone, and; Bylsma’s familiarity with Pes’ game.

    Given the above, Pesonen had a much better chance at earning a roster spot this season than last season. Talbot’s injury creates an opportunity for a player, preferrably one with some offensive ability. Tenk is versatile enough to play either wing. With a strong camp that will emphasize up-tempo play moreso than in past years, Pes could have earned the other wing position on Malkin’s line.

    If Pesonen doesn’t have enough faith in his own game that he could beat out Dupuis or a 20-yr old rookie without the security of a one-way deal, then he’s much better off in Europe.

49. Matt Bodenschatz

    Aug 5, 03:50 PM

    @Nate, correct. Pesonen provides zero grit, and the new additions to this team all have had some level of sandpaper to their game. Pesonen just doesn’t fit in.

    @Kevin, Dan Bylsma worked very closely with Pesonen and knows exactly what he’s capable of. When Pesonen was in the NHL, he got an opportunity on a bottom line and was invisible. If he is NHL-caliber, he should have been able to stand out one way or another, and he didn’t — and that had nothing to do with his linemates.

    Your comment regarding Sykora basically proves my point that Pesonen is not what the team needs. Sykora started with Malkin and ended as a healthy scratch (before breaking his foot in his last appearance). I liked Pesonen as much as the next guy, but he has been severely overhyped in Pittsburgh. And, to touch on Dupuis, it’s far from a foregone conclusion he will be a second line winger. In fact, I’d put my money on Kennedy earning the job, with Dupuis filling in on the third line. Heck, I’d bet that Caputi or Tangradi has a better chance, as well.

    @Dabich, I agree. Dupuis brings speed, grit, defense, energy, and experience. Pesonen brings playmaking ability and speed. Dupuis is significantly more diverse, which is exactly what the Pens need — and is exactly why he remains with this team when so many (myself included) thought he was trade bait.

    @Pucks, I’ve never heard anything of a reported contract offer, but it wouldn’t surprise me that he turned down a two-way deal to go to the KHL.

    I see you’ve been in a few conversations with an old friend over at JB’s blog, eh?

50. bag o' pucks

    Aug 5, 06:34 PM

    @Matt. The contract offer was mentioned in the PPG, maybe Empty Netters. And, yes, I have. He’s still an idiot. Shocker, I know. It’s the off-season. I’m bored. If me mum knew I passed the time by picking web fights with the mentally challenged she’d be rolling over in her grave, and she’s not even dead yet.

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