Wanted: Left Wing(s) For Crosby or Malkin

Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins

Jun 18, 10:43 AM | Hype this story!

Yesterday’s news that Ryan Malone will test the free agent market appears to be a solid indication that his tenure as a Pittsburgh Penguin has come to an end.

So, if that is the case, general manager Ray Shero will have the task of finding at least one winger to fill in his top lines.

With that being said, let’s lay down a few simple stipulations before getting into the possible candidates.

  • Let’s first assume Marian Hossa will return, as the Penguins clearly have made him their priority, and losing him just doesn’t seem to be an option at this point.
  • Also, assuming the offer made to Malone was in the $3.5 million range, we can also assume Shero has roughly $3.5 million to spend on a free agent left winger.
  • Finally, let’s assume at least one of the top-two left wing positions will be filled internally, leaving a maximum of one top-two left wing position to be filled.

Now, let’s look at some of the options…

Talbot and Staal to Fill Them…Both?

Two years ago, Jordan Staal made his way into the history books with an unbelievable run, scoring 29 goals, many of which came shorthanded. He also was the mainstay on Evgeni Malkin‘s left wing for nearly half of the season.

With rumors circulating that Staal is unhappy as a third liner, and with an obvious opening at a position he used to call home, this could be an excellent opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

I can think of a worse second line than a Staal, Malkin and Petr Sykora trio.

And why not give Max Talbot a shot at playing the wing with Sidney Crosby and Hossa? Pascal Dupuis proved that a superstar isn’t needed to help out this duo, but his hands also proved that he probably shouldn’t remain on the line.

Talbot has the speed to keep up, the tenacity to battle in the corners and in front of the net (though no one will mistake him for a power forward), and the hands to convert some of the opportunities he is presented with.

It’s been said that a Stanley Cup caliber team shouldn’t have Talbot on the top line, but I have two answers to this. First, just a year ago, people were saying the same thing about Malone, and Dupuis didn’t exactly hurt their Cup chances on the top line. Second, with potentially six or seven high-paid players on the roster, the Penguins must become accustomed to using second-tier talent as top line players.

50/50 Sounds Nifty

So maybe Talbot isn’t the best choice as a top-line winger, but Staal stays on the second line. That leaves one hole to fill externally.

Have no fear, free agency will be here…shortly. And, with free agency, there generally are a few middle-tier players available who might not cost too much. Don’t believe me, look no further than 2007 when the Penguins landed Sykora for a bargain $5 million over two years.

With the speed and instincts of Crosby and Hossa, the ideal player for their line would also have a nice amount of speed, as well as soft hands to accept passes and bury the puck.

Markus Naslund, _Vaclav Prospal, and Brian Rolston sure would be nice acquisitions, though all three would be looking for salaries in the $4 million range. If Shero can dig up another $1 million, one of these veterans certainly would add a new dimension to the top line.

Taking it down a notch, players such as Michael Ryder, Miroslav Satan, Ladislav Nagy, David Vyborny, Kristian Huselius, Radim Vrbata, and Niklas Hagman would be possibilites in the $3 million or less range.

Then there are the aging, yet still productive second-tier players who won’t command much in salary or years. This list includes: Martin Straka, Martin Gelinas, Andrew Brunette, and Cory Stillman.

Two Is The New One

Or maybe management is fine with keeping Staal as the third line center, thus creating two left wing holes to fill on the top two lines.

If this is the case, Rolston and Naslund from the lists above can be ruled out, and a few names can be added to the mix, primarily to fill the big body role vacated by Malone.

Brendan Shanahan, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Josef Vasicek fit into this mold. There also is a good chance Boston will buy out _Glen Murray_’s contract, making him a free agent, and he too fits the bigger forward mold.

Charting The Players

Tier Player Age Pos Cap Hit G A Pts
Tier 1 Markus Naslund 34 LW $6.000 mil 25 30 55
Brian Rolston 35 RW $2.432 mil 31 28 59
Vaclav Prospal 33 LW $1.900 mil 33 38 71
Tier 2 Michael Ryder 28 RW $2.950 mil 14 17 31
Miroslav Satan 33 RW $4.255 mil 16 25 41
Ladislav Nagy 29 LW $3.750 mil 9 17 26
David Vyborny 33 RW $2.200 mil 7 19 26
Kristian Huselius 29 LW $1.400 mil 25 41 66
Radim Vrbata 27 RW $1.225 mil 27 29 56
Niklas Hagman 28 LW $0.675 mil 27 14 41
Ruslan Fedotenko 29 LW $2.900 mil 16 17 33
Josef Vasicek 27 C $0.750 mil 16 19 35
Tier 3 Martin Straka 35 LW $3.300 mil 14 27 41
Andrew Brunette 34 LW $1.600 mil 19 40 59
Martin Gelinas 38 LW $2.850 mil 9 11 20
Cory Stillman 34 LW $1.750 mil 24 41 65
Brendan Shanahan 39 LW $5.300 mil 23 23 46
Glen Murray 35 RW $5.00 mil 17 13 30

Who Do I Like

With all of the listing out of the way, I would like to detail the players I would like to see at the top of the list.

Obviously, Naslund, Rolston, and Prospal are my top choices, as they clearly are the best players available with the most consistency from year to year. The problem, however, is that the Penguins just don’t have the money to sign top-end free agents, so the top-tier can be ruled out.

That leaves two tiers of players left. First, I’ll eliminate the following players:

  • Nagy: injury prone, inconsistent, unwilling to play a physical game
  • Vyborny: coming off several poor seasons, seems to want to stay in Columbus
  • Vasicek: unproductive as a top liner most of his career
  • Gelinas: too old, on a severe decline
  • Shanahan: fourth line minutes in the playoffs proves his true worth nowadays

Now I’ll list the players I would “settle” for, but wouldn’t target initially (listed from best to worst):

  • Ryder: bad year last year, but he can score goals
  • Satan: little punk, but is experienced and talented; reminds me of Sykora
  • Straka: slowing down statistically, but speed and instincts remain
  • Murray: on a severe decline, but brings plenty of power

And, finally, my list of players I would target on July 1, when free agency begins (listed from best to worst):

  • Brunette: age means smaller salary and fewer years, but stats show he’ll produce
  • Stillman: his two Stanley Cups in recent years prove his value
  • Huselius: plays the perimeter, but knows how to produce points
  • Vrbata: very talented and would be even more productive with talented linemates
  • Fedotenko: no one scores for the Islanders; with a cheap salary, Ruslan could be a great value
  • Hagman: solid player, but not sure he’s truly a top-liner

In Conclusion…

That’s a long read, I realize, but I hope you made it to this point.

What’s important to realize is that superstars clearly are not needed to fill the potential left wing holes.

Malkin turned Michel Ouellet into a productive player, and clearly turned around Sykora’s career, which seemed to be on a decline when he signed with the Penguins last summer.

Crosby obviously can do the same, as he hasn’t had a legitimate winger until Hossa’s arrival this spring.

Of the younger players, several may show an interest in signing cheap, short-term contracts with hopes of boosting their stats for a longer, more lucrative contract in a few years.

The older players may see coming to Pittsburgh as an opportunity to play for a Stanley Cup contender, which may entice them to take slightly less than market value – or their age might have their market value already low.

It’s clear Shero will have his hands full this summer, not only trying to sign his restricted free agents, but also trying to provide his superstars with adequate wingers.

Needless to say, the next month or so should be very interesting and potentially exciting on the business side of the Penguins.

Comments

  1. Dabich

    Jun 18, 11:01 AM

    In this scenario you paint, I’d like to see either/or or both Vrbata and Stillman.

    Just MHO.

    But of course, the best case scenario is re-signing Malone. I can dream, can’t I?

    Great write-up, Matt!

  2. TIM

    Jun 18, 11:41 AM

    Very thorough Matt! I like some of the names you throw out there especially Vrbata, Huselius, and Stillman. Prospal or Rolston obviously would be amazing players to grab, but I think they are out of our price range. If we could afford them for 5 mil or so wouldn’t we have just kept Malone? I expect Shero will make the right move. Can’t wait to see what happens!

  3. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 18, 12:13 PM

    Tim, I agree about Prospal and Rolston. I disagree with your statement saying: “If we could afford them for 5 mil or so wouldn’t we have just kept Malone?” I think the issue with Malone is not that the Pens can’t afford him, but rather that they don’t believe he is worth what he wants. Even so, I think there will be no more than $4 to $4.5 to sign one or two top-liners. The way I see it, here are the holes:

    ?-Crosby-Hossa
    ?-Malkin-Sykora
    Dupuis-Staal-Kennedy
    Ruutu-Staal-Hall
    ex: Taffe

    That would mean the Penguins need three forwards, assuming Laraque and Roberts are done. I can see two top-liners and a fourth liner; 1 top-liner, a third line center, and a fourth liner; or a third line center, and two fourth liners. There’s a big difference there, so let’s hope they nab at least one top-liner.

  4. Luce

    Jun 18, 12:21 PM

    Tim,

    We shouldnt keep Malone for that price because he has only had one good year and has not consistently shown that he is worth that price. Prospal and Rolston have consistently been worth that price. Thats would be the reasoning to let Malone go only to sign another guy for the same amount

    Great writeup Matt!

    I am excited to see the starting lineup for our Pittsburgh Penguins this coming year!

  5. bob sacamanto

    Jun 18, 12:21 PM

    i’d love to have raffi torres and if we could ever get him, i’d plug him on crosby’s line. that line needs a power guy to compliment him and hossa. they don’t have a physical presence on that line. that’s why the malone-malkin-sykora line was so good. they had everything on it. crosby’s line lacks that presence malone brought. once they fill that, that line will be unstoppable.

  6. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 18, 12:26 PM

    Luce, you hit the nail on the head.

    Bob, Torres is a favorite of mine and is rumored to be on the trading block. What it would take to get him is uncertain, but it would be worth looking into. He’d look great one one of the top two lines, that’s for sure. Maybe play Staal on the second and Torres on the first, then seek a third line center with excellent facoeff skills (Barnes, Peca, etc).

  7. Pens1967

    Jun 18, 12:33 PM

    There are reports that MN is planning to resign Rolston, so he may not be a viable option. After watching Prospol disappear in the playoffs, I don’t think I’d be really interested in him either.

    I think the Pens might be better off identifying their own players who can play top 2 LW and moving them with Sid and Gino. They could then move Kennedy or Hall or both back to their natural position of center and fill in the 3rd/4th line wings either from WBS or FAs.

  8. TIM

    Jun 18, 12:53 PM

    I stand corrected on the Malone thing. Clearly it’s about a value assessment on Bugsy. I like Torres a lot as well. Like Matt I am also not sure what it would take in a trade to get him, we don’t really have draft picks so I assume it would be a position player or future picks.

  9. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 18, 01:15 PM

    Pens, I think one outside winger needs to be brought in, even if he isn’t a “big name” guy. Fedotenko, Brunette, and Stillman fit this mold, and none should come with an expensive price tag. Really, nearly everyone I mentioned shouldn’t be difficult to obtain — but it’s about finding the right guys, and as you said, Prospal did a disappearing act in the playoffs. Then again, put players in the right situation and facts become myths (Hossa and his playoff reputation).

  10. Pens1967

    Jun 18, 01:55 PM

    I don’t know, the Pens could get by with Dupuis on Sid’s line for another year or so.

    The thing with the Pens, though, is they had so many guys get NHL time because of all the injuries, they have the luxury of having a good idea of who in their system could fit without having to spend for a UFA.

    I guess if they do want to sign someone, my choice would be Vrbata. Marty Straka would be my sentimental choice.

  11. bob sacamanto

    Jun 18, 02:11 PM

    i agree with the notion that we need our younger guys like stone for instance, to rise up to the challenge and try to grab possibly a 3rd line spt. he had agood year (39pts in 65 gp) and a very good playoffs (17pts in 22 gp). although you can’t force a guy who isn’t ready into a roll which he’s not prepared for.

    for torres, i’m not sure either as to what it would take to get him. they really don’t have any holes in their lineup. but i thought i heard rumors they wanted to dump his salary. so if that’s the case, i wouldn’t mind snatching him up. but yes the lack of draft picks doesn’t help either.

    also as a side not. i think if he works out, which i think he will, i think luca caputi is gonna be crosby’s left wing for the next 10-15 years. if he pans out, he has the size, the skill, the hands, good speed and the toughness to be the perfect compliment to crosby.

  12. Doc Nagel

    Jun 18, 02:11 PM

    What about the RFA market? There’s some promising and some intriguing players on that. What might Tuomo Ruutu fetch in salary (I realize he’s a natural center, but perhaps)? Or someone like Steve Bernier, who looked very promising in San Jose as a power forward.

  13. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 18, 02:29 PM

    Good points all around. I certainly won’t be worried if Shero makes no moves to add a top liner or two, but I think it’s something that needs to be looked into. Of the AHLers, I think Stone really is the only one ready for fulltime NHL duty, and even he would be best served playing fourth line minutes.

    I think Caputi is the long-term solution for Crosby’s left side, but short-term, he just isn’t ready.

    As for the RFA market, that’s difficult territory to get into. The Penguins already are lacking in this year’s draft, so the next few drafts will be very important. Signing an RFA to an offer sheet would serve to hurt them more than help them, I think. Now, if a team chooses not to sign one of its RFAs, it might be an idea to trade for his rights by sending something very small (like Tim Brent). But that seems unlikely.

  14. bob sacamanto

    Jun 18, 02:46 PM

    matt, i agree with caputi and stone. caputi needs time to get adjusted to the AHL level but i think his future looks very bright. i was impressed that he came into the AHL playoffs and finished with 8pts in 16 games or so. for a rookie, never playing in the AHL especially the playoffs, i think it was a great step for him.

    as for stone, i think it’s up to him. he has the tools. he just needs to get it all together. but if he doesn’t make it this year, he’ll probably be one of the first in line for call ups. and i wouldn’t want to rush him or caputi.

  15. Eric

    Jun 18, 06:15 PM

    Aside from a few personal preferences, I agree with just about everything you’ve typed here Matt.

    I do think that Staal and Talbot have earned the right to contend for a spot on the top two lines. Staal has top two line potential and did well alongside Malkin in year one. Talbot, mostly touted as a 3rd liner, has shown a knack for producing. I think if you look at Talbot’s numbers, and consider that he didn’t receive any time on the power play, played a lot of minutes on the penalty kill, played most of his even strength minutes on the bottom two lines, his numbers are quite good. I think it’s time to reward that with at least a shot. But, at the same time, I think it should be a shot that has a back up plan. Signing a fringe 2nd/3rd line type guy in free agency could allow some flexibility should something not work out. I think bumping both of those players up, increases the defensive awareness of both lines. Something that the Malkin line will be missing with out Malone.

    I also agree with some of the other comments regarding Pascal Dupuis. He didn’t produce at the top line, but he didn’t ruin that line either. I think his speed was a major asset to keeping up with both Crosby and Hossa. But, I don’t think Dupuis is the right fit. I don’t think his hands are to the level to where we should expect a first line player to be. He’s an acceptable back up plan, should he stay on. It would be interesting to see who they tag as a player to fit with Hossa and Crosby (assuming Hossa signs). I think they could go with Talbot, possibly target a more physical player or who knows. I’m not getting the impression that they’ll make any drastic changes or signings, outside of their own team, come July 1st. But I never thought the Rangers would’ve signed two of the highest sought after players last year in Drury and Gomez.

  16. Pen1967

    Jun 19, 07:05 AM

    Philadelphia traded Prospol’s rights back to TB for a 2008 7th rounder and conditional 2009 choice. TB wants to resign him to play with Lecavalier. We can probably cross Prospol off the list potential LWs.

  17. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 19, 07:50 AM

    Pens, Without a doubt. And this definitely clears up a lot about what Ryan Malone’s value would have been in a trade prior to free agency. Many, including myself, were assuming a late first rounder would do the trick, but obviously it would have been much lower.

    Eric, I think it’s very important to replace Malone’s size on the second line. That was a key ingredient to its success. I don’t care if it’s Staal or a player from outside the organization — it just needs to be done. I think Crosby and Hossa would work better with a quicker, more energy type player, so getting them a big winger shouldn’t be nearly as important.

  18. Pens1967

    Jun 19, 08:18 AM

    Matt, I think the fact that the Flyers are in very poor salary cap shape and really couldn’t afford to re-sign Prospol, even if they’d wanted to, probably helped contribute to the low round pick as well.

    Malone, if he was amenable to negotiating with another team prior to 7/1, would have likely fetched an early round draft choice. I don’t think any team would have ponied up a lot on just the chance he’d sign though.

  19. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 19, 08:31 AM

    Good points, as usual.

  20. Tom

    Jun 19, 07:31 PM

    Matt, Looking at what is available for overpayment, I believe that Staal and Jeffrey are the answer. Jeffrey fits tne Malone type. Experience is nice, but a physical, net crasher is what is needed. BGL can also be very effective down low and infront of the net. How about Roberts? He may decide to return. Malone may find free agency less attractive than he hopes and decide to sign.

  21. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 19, 09:22 PM

    Tom, what’s with the desire to rush young players? Most non top-end players take a few years to develop and generally follow a pattern of CHL (Canadian Juniors), then a year or two in the AHL, then the NHL. Jeffrey was drafted in the 6th round at 171 overall, which suggests it might take him a little more time to climb the ranks — despite his strong showing in camp last year. However, it doesn’t preclude him from being NHL ready, especially at age 20.

    My problem with relying on him, in particular, is that he has never played a game of pro hockey. What happens if he just can’t handle it yet? Then the Penguins are stuck in a bad situation.

    If he has a great camp, he should be able to earn his way onto the team, no doubt, but he shouldn’t be handed a spot. In other words, the Penguins better have someone signed before then to fill a top-two line spot.

    There’s just too many things that can go wrong, which lead me to say no to Jeffrey as a shoe-in at this point.

  22. Michael

    Jun 20, 03:59 PM

    We already know that Talbot is very good as a third-line center who can chip-in some goals, and is a real threat short-handed to score.

    Staal__proved__himself to be very effective as a top-6 forward on Malkin’s left wing in 2006-2007, but Therrien pulled them apart for absolutely no valid reason. Pulling them apart was just a really retarded move .. and Therrien’s stubbornness in refusing to re-unite them has been incredible.

    Staal is not good at distributing the puck .. as in, uhh .. passing the puck.
    He’s not too good at maintaining puck-possession. He__is__good at getting into scoring position in front of the net to score on one-timers from Malkin, and he can score garbage goals in front of the net with his long reach. Staal is simply being__wasted__as a 3rd line center. You do NOT sign a 2nd overall pick and stick him on the 3rd line.

    This is a complete no-brainer, folks.
    Staal should be put back on Malkin’s left wing. If Therrien has Staal back at 3rd line center this season, then Therrien should be fired. To me, that would be the last straw. I’ve already seen enough of Therrien.

    I would try to sign Vrbata as a winger for Crosby. If we can’t get Vrbata, then
    we need to go with some other free-agent, because we don’t have anyone good enough, nor ready, in our current system for that spot alongside Sid and Hossa.

  23. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 21, 11:45 AM

    Michael, why was the move to put Staal at center stupid? How many goals did he score this year? How many last year? And, before you say, “But he had Malkin as a center,” look at the breakdown of his goals and you’ll see that at least half came on the penalty kill or while he was on the bottom two lines. In other words, he was doing it on his own.

    This past season, he just didn’t have the scoring touch — at all. Why handicap the second line by putting a player with stone hands there?

    And, to suggest that the move was all Therrien is as ridiculous as your claim that he should have been handed the second line left wing spot regardless of production. There is a whole management team that Therrien consults on the lineup for each game. That management team consists of coaches, scouts, and even Ray Shero.

    Oh yeah, then there’s this little bit of information: the Penguins went to the Stanley Cup. Obviously playing Staal on the third line didn’t hurt the team — in fact, it helped the team.

    But that can’t be mentioned, because it would go against your hatred for Therrien.

  24. Pens fan

    Jun 29, 03:29 PM

    Here’s an idea. Screw Hossa, he turned our offer for 7+ million down after he said he’d sign with a good team for less. Obviously he doesn’t want to be here. I say we ditch Hossa and go after Naslund and Bertuzzi(not mentioned in this write up because he was recently released.) We could probably sign both players for slightly less than the $7.3m offered to Hossa then flank Sid with them on the Top line. If we have enough left from the Savings of not signing Hossa then I say say go after Rolston too and plug him into the second line with Gino. Probably just a fantasy at this point but tell me these top two lines wouldn’t be sweet.
    Naslund – Crosby – Bertuzzi
    Sykora – Malkin – Rolston

Commenting is closed for this article.