Shero's Rose In Full Bloom
Mike Adams | Pittsburgh Penguins
Jun 24, 11:50 AM | Hype this story!
Let’s look at the moves he made in the past year. Start with free agency. He signed Petr Sykora and Daryl Sydor. The Sykora signing was tremendous, as he showed great chemistry with Evgeni Malkin. On the other hand, the Sydor one didn’t pan out. He never seemed to find his niche in Pittsburgh, and was a healthy scratch through most of the playoffs.
Shero also brought back The Hockey God and Mark Recchi. He didn’t get much return for either. Recchi washed out as a linemate for Crosby, did time in the press box, and was eventually waived. Roberts had an injury- and illness-plagued year. He had respiratory problems early, then a broken leg and high ankle sprain, followed by more illness.
Shero signed Dany Sabourin to back up Marc-Andre Fleury. This turned out to be a bad decision. Sabourin had some good starts early when Fleury was struggling, but was unable to handle being top dawg when Fleury went down.
But Shero also inked Ty Conklin, and what a brilliant move that turned out to be! Conklin saved the season with his astounding netminding. Shero had signed Conklin to provide veteran depth in Wilkes Barre, but it ended up being the best move he made all last offseason.
He brought Adam Hall to camp on a tryout basis, and he made the team, and was a big contributor in the Stanley Cup Final.
He signed Mike Weaver, then released him before the season. Weaver went on to play in Vancouver.
Often overlooked are the “minor” moves he made last offseason. He brought in guys like Chris Minard, Nathan Smith, and Jeff Taffe. All were brought up at one time or another due to all the injuries, and they helped the Pens stay afloat. He also acquired Tim Brent, though that one didn’t pan out.
He saved his best moves for the trade deadline. Because of the lack of a high-quality team in the East, Shero saw a chance for the Pens to go deep into the playoffs, and he jumped at it. He picked up Hal Gill from Toronto, and Gill really solidified the penalty killing. In fact, their PK ranked third in playoff penalty-killing, a huge upgrade over their sorry performance through most of the regular season.
Then, he took the huge risk of trading fan favorite Colby Armstrong, shootout specialist Erik Christensen, last year’s top pick (Angelo Esposito) and a first-rounder this year for free-agents-to-be Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis. The move finally gave Sidney Crosby the winger he needed, and fueled the Pens’ run to the Final. While they didn’t win the Cup, the move paid dividends in getting them as far as they did, and that experience will be invaluable in the future. While it appears that Hossa was only a short-term rental, his acquisition will be well worth it in the long run, as there is little doubt the Pens would not have gone as far as they did had he not been acquired. Dupuis also helped solidify the penalty killing.
So, when you take all this into account, I think Ray Shero’s rose is in full bloom as he heads into a tumultuous couple of weeks that might well determine the future course of the franchise. he most definitely gets an A from me for his two years of work so far.
Comments
Dabich
Jun 24, 01:52 PM
In Shero we trust.
Great write-up, Mike!
Pens1967
Jun 24, 03:05 PM
I’d disagree a bit about Sabourin. He did win 10 games for the Pens this year. Conklin got a start, got hot and HCMT did as is his custom and stayed with the hot goalie. I don’t think that was necessarily a loss of confidence on Sabourin’s – just that Conklin was on a roll.
DS
Jun 24, 03:49 PM
http://www.faceoff-factor.com/pittsburgh-penguins/487/how-bad-do-the-penguins-need-goaltender-help
It’s great to be able to look back at stuff like this and think “Boy, what a difference a season makes.”
Sabu’s starts were interspersed with Conks’s, though. Sabu even admitted at some point that starting on a consistent basis was just vastly different from what he was used to.
This being said, I CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHY WE’RE KEEPING HIM.
If Vancouver took him on the way down to WBS (which is actually what I think happened with Weaver, not being released) — and they were so concerned with it happening again this year, why wouldn’t somebody take him now that he’s arguably had the season of his career? Who cares what the return is? (The real return is that is clears the roster for Conks.)
If you want to contend the way we did this year you HAVE to take into account that your starter may not be able to start, and if our starter is Sabu, that’s gonna really throw a wrench in the works. Ray, you brought Sabu back, for crying out loud. How about just not letting the even better backup leave?
He’s Ty Freakin’ Conklin, Ray. He deserves to stay. He hasn’t played in 3 months. Nobody is going to give him a million plus. Just give him $750, 800K one-way one-year, move Sabu, and do the smart thing – please.
DS
Jun 24, 03:55 PM
(oh, and Tim Brent may not have worked out up here, but he was VERY effective for the Baby Pens, so it was a worthwhile move.)
...I guess the HCMT critique is next? (grin)
Alex
Jun 24, 04:03 PM
In Shero I Must Trust.
Eric
Jun 24, 09:12 PM
DS, you make some valid points. But I think the reason that Sabourin is being kept around is that it’s one less issue that Shero has to worry about this off-season in acquiring a back-up goaltender. Granted, Sabourin isn’t the best back-up, but I don’t think he’s horrible. You have him locked in to another year at a very reasonable contract, something that would be hard to find on the open market unless you caught lightning in a bottle again with a “Ty Conklin type” result.
I haven’t heard any reports on the issue, but I would think that Conklin would be looking for a starting role. Or at least the opportunity to win one. In Pittsburgh, I doubt that opportunity.
Ty seemed to enjoy his stay, but most players did. Who wouldn’t when you’re playing on a team that makes it to the Cup Finals? I think Conklin will move on, and I think that it will be somewhere (maybe not even in the NHL) where he could earn a #1 gig.
DS
Jun 24, 10:13 PM
“Conklin is slated for unrestricted free agency July 1 and given his bounceback year there might be a team or two interested in his services. But he likes the team he’s with right now.
“My goal is to make an impression here and play well here and make this organization want me,” said Conklin. “I enjoy playing here. This is as fun of a locker-room you can be in. It’s a talented locker-room. It’s a joy going to work every day. But all that stuff will get sorted out at the end of the year.” “
That was a month ago. Who knows what you can believe a player saying, but there aren’t really any starting jobs available. (He’s not leaving the NHL. He took $100,000 to play in the AHL this year just so he could get back to the NHL.) And why do I have this crazy feeling he just might like to stay where people appreciate him instead of (being in a sixth place in two years) going back to Canada to be a backup? But of course, he can’t if there’s no room.
Having Fleury play 65 games next year is not a smart plan for the playoffs. Give him time here. Part of his effectiveness this year was being an actual challenge to Fleury — who he happens to work really well with.
He can have the time. He just needs the space, Ray.
Pens1967
Jun 25, 06:19 AM
No doubt, Conklin had a career defining year with the Pens, but as Eric correctly points out the Pens have Sabourin signed for next year as the back-up goalie. They aren’t going to tie up cap space with Conklin especially when they have other needs on which to spend that money.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jun 25, 07:54 AM
Yeah, I find it difficult to believe Conklin stays, if only because of Sabourin’s status. With that being said, it is possible Shero re-signs Conklin and uses Sabourin as the veteran AHL goalie. Sabourin’s contract, I believe, would not count toward the cap at that point, so the Pens would only have two goalies under the cap.
And, for the record, DS, I think you might be right with regards to Conklin’s interest in staying in Pittsburgh. He has little, if any, chance of starting in the NHL unless someone gets hurt, so he might as well stay in a city where he is well-liked and with a team with a legitimate chance.
DS
Jun 25, 09:32 AM
I just don’t understand why Sabourin’s contract is supposed to be this huge obstacle.
He had a cheap contract in 06/07 too. Vancouver picked him up then without him having done or doing 1/4 of what he did here (yes, again, Sabu was our third goalie to a have a career season this year). Nobody missed him then. They wouldn’t send him to WBS this year because they were afraid of a waiver claim.
How hard could it possibly be to move him now, even if it’s not to the AHL?
And the cap space argument – we’re talking about a couple of extra hundred thousand, not a couple of extra million. I’m pretty sure they can find it for one year, and that he’s worth it. If I can make all the arguments not to pay Ty Conklin anymore than Jocelyn Thibault got in Buffalo this year ($750K), I don’t doubt any GM could.
This “saving money on the backup goalie” argument only goes so far before we’re right back in November saying “help, help, we need somebody who can do this well.”
Sheesh, when even CP and EJ kept Kenny Wregget here for four or five years….It might actually be more important to keep Conks than Adam Hall or Dupuis (both of whom will probably make more), believe it or not.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jun 25, 10:13 AM
DS, there’s a reason they are handling Sabourin the way they are.
First off, last season was a big question mark in goal. Fleury started shaky, then got hurt. Conklin started hot, then cooled significantly. The reason for not placing Sabourin on waivers likely had more to do with precaution than actual worries. If Sabourin was claimed in late season and Fleury got hurt, the Penguins would have been in a bind. And, the late season nature could mean a rival team could snatch Sabourin just to screw with the Penguins’ depth.
This summer, the goalie market is flooded, meaning there just aren’t many available job openings for goalies, both as backups and starters. So, assuming Sabourin would be off the books so easily because it happened two years ago is not as valid as it might seem on the surface.
As for the cap space issue, every penny counts. $500,000 is money that could be used to push someone like Orpik or another free agent into signing. It doesn’t seem like much, but if a player asks for $3.5 million and Shero has just $3 million to offer, that $500,000 is very important. And, since the Penguins are expected to spend to the cap, every penny is crucial.
Additionally, every roster spot counts. If the Penguins carry three goalies, they lose one roster spot that could be used for someone who might actually play on occasion. Note that, after the trade deadline, teams have no roster limit, so keeping three goalies wasn’t an issue this past season. But for the majority of the season, that doesn’t apply — which is why few, if any, teams carry three goalies.
The only option I see is to send Sabourin to the AHL before the season the way the Penguins sent Conklin tot he AHL before last season. His contract won’t count toward the salary cap, and the goalie depth will remain (assuming he isn’t claimed off waivers). Unless that is the plan, don’t expect Conklin to return.
And, for the record, I agree with you in that there is an importance in keeping a reliable and affordable backup goalie like Conklin. I hope he stays, but not at the expense of carrying three goalies and paying three goalies under the cap.
Pens1967
Jun 25, 10:42 AM
Matt, doesn’t Sabourin have a one-way contract? If so, that’s another reason they’ll keep him on their NHL roster. Further, you don’t want to send Sabourin down at the expense of developing Curry and Brown.
Conklin had an amazing streak, but there’s nothing to indicate that would continue. In fact, after Fleury came back and Conklin got a couple of starts, he wasn’t the same goalie. It makes me wonder if Conklin can actually be an occassional start goalie or if he needs to play every day to be effective. Sabourin can play that role and is acclimated to it.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jun 25, 11:05 AM
Yes, he does, though he can be sent down and, if he clears waivers, wouldn’t count toward the cap. They’d still have to pay him, but not under the cap — I don’t believe.
But you bring up a solid point about both Sabourin and Conklin. I suppose only time and actually experiencing the situations will or would tell the full story.
But, again, I don’t think Conklin stays. I would like him to, but I don’t think he will.
DS
Jun 25, 12:34 PM
I know the goalie market is flooded; I know exactly why they didn’t try to move Sabu this spring, and I know about the roster limits.
For the record, I think it’d be more of a difference of ~$250,000, not $500,000, and while that may be a fraction in some FA’s contract? In the utterly unimaginable scenario that Fleury doesn’t have a strong start to the season? None of those vaunted free agent signings will be able to play goal. And we all saw what Sabourin’s competition does for MAF.
But I know you’re aware of what Conklin brings to Fleury and to the team, Matt, and I’m glad you agree that he should stay.
Do you really think they might send Sabu down and just let Brown go to Wheeling, if it doesn’t count toward the cap? The Big Pens do take priority over the Baby ones.
It’s just…a third of last season was spent stressing about our precarious goaltending and the need to solidify it. The perfect solution fell into the team’s lap by sheer dumb luck or the hockey gods — and now they’re just prepared to go straight back to a questionable situation, keeping the “bad decision” and letting the “brilliant move” leave for somewhere where he probably won’t be half as effective. It’s incredibly frustrating, and disappointing.
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