Pesonen Cut, Assigned To AHL
Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins
Oct 3, 03:16 PM | Hype this story!
As indicated earlier today by Jonathan Bombulie, the Pittsburgh Penguins have cut Janne Pesonen to trim their roster to 24 players.
Per the team’s press release:
“Forward Janne Pesonen has been assigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL). He will remain in Stockholm with Pittsburgh through the weekend before reporting to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Pesonen scored two points (one goal, one assist) in three preseason contests for the Penguins.”
The move comes as a bit of a shock, as Pesonen had a decent showing in the preseason, but with no scoring line roster spots open, Pesonen would have been relegated to fourth line duties.
With his demotion to the AHL, he will have an opportunity to be the go-to forward on the top line, logging 20-plus minutes per game.
Don’t be surprised if the speedy Fin finds his way to the NHL before the season ends.
The Penguins’ final roster can be found here.
Comments
Steve
Oct 3, 03:36 PM
IMHO, this is the right move. As I’ve said in a few other comments here, there’s no sense in him playing limited minutes or being a healthy scratch when he could be playing a lot in all situations in the AHL. Time will tell if he makes it back and has an impact, but the chances of our current group of forwards remaining healthy for the entire year are so slim, so Pesonen could prove to be a nice ace up the Penguins collective sleeve…
stagerat
Oct 3, 03:48 PM
With his two way contract, and needing more NAH ice time, this move makes sense. Put him were he can get some decent ice time and then when he’s needed pull him up. No need to clear waivers.
THEONEANDONLYSURGE
Oct 3, 03:55 PM
Ok, I get the thoughts but what exactly will the Pens get from Thomas. I’m just surprised but this makes you think both Sykora and Talbot will be healthy for Saturdays game. Otherwise you would probably see Thomas sent down instead.
Matt Bodenschatz
Oct 3, 04:19 PM
Steve, you’re spot on. He’ll be better off earning quality minutes on a scoring line and top power play unit in the AHL than playing 10 minutes a night on the fourth line and second power play unit in the NHL.
Stagerat, you also bring up a good point: he didn’t have to clear waivers.
Surge, actually, I think Sykora’s and Talbot’s health have nothing to do with this. In fact, PittsburghPenguins.com says Sykora is unlikely to play tomorrow. Thomas is what he is: a third, fourth line type player. He doesn’t project to be a big scorer or someone whose development will be stunted by seeing limited icetime or by being a healthy scratch. Pesonen’s future is much brighter.
This move has everything to do with advancing Pesonen and next to nothing to do with Thomas. In fact, when the Penguins return from Sweden, we very well may see Thomas or Bissonnette put on waivers. Ray Shero has a history of carrying 22 players to start the season, and there’s little reason to believe his mentality will change this year. I think he simply wants to have a few extras in Sweden in case of injury.
Ben Schmidt
Oct 3, 05:16 PM
I’m actually a bit surprised. Sykora had already been announced as not playing tomorrow, so it seemed to me that they had an elegant temporary solution to the problem:
Put Sykora on IR, retroactive to this past Thursday, and not send anyone down until they return from Sweden. Then they could send Curry, Pesonen, and whomever else down, and have Sykora back off of IR in time for the home opener next weekend.
I guess they could recall him still, if they decide they need him, since he’s staying with them in Sweden.
I do wonder who will take the second line RW slot while Sykora’s out. I saw someone suggest Kennedy, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dupuis get a shot at it. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow!
THEONEANDONLYSURGE
Oct 3, 05:29 PM
Ben, I was kinda thinking along those lines but I couldn’t remember the IR timeline. So I too would think this would be a great opportunity to put Pesonen in the line up and give him some time playing a second line wing position against an NHL club. My guess as to why they don’t do that is, what happens if he performs really well and they still don’t have a spot for him when Sykora’s back. But then why is he even here if he can perform well and not get a spot?
Matt Bodenschatz
Oct 3, 05:42 PM
I’m not all that surprised by Pesonen’s demotion, even with Sykora’s injury. Sykora likely will miss a game or two and, as typically is the case when there is a short-term injury, the Penguins will fill-in the void from within their active roster. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see Thomas on the second line for the short term so that the other lines aren’t disrupted.
I’m also not surprised with the retention of both Bissonnette and Godard. The number of fights in the NHL has increased by nearly 200 since the lockout, and is just over 100 shy of the pre-lockout years. Fighting once again is becoming a prominent part of the game, and with one or two healthy scratches per game, these enforcer-types are the best candidates to ride the pine since they make little money, yet have a legitimate role when inserted into the lineup. Players such as Pesonen, Jeffrey, Caputi, etc would be wasted as fourth liners and/or healthy scratches as their development would be stunted.
As for Mormina, Richmond, etc — as well as Michel Oullet of the Lightning — their value is quite clear: it’s non-existent. All thirty NHL teams showed they believe these players are AHL-caliber, as all of them cleared waivers. That’s not always a barometer of a players’ true talent (see Naslund, Marcus and Lang, Robert), but the exceptions are few and far between.
I’ll trust the evaluation of a top-notch coaching and management staff that oversaw the franchise’s best single season turnaround, as well as a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals despite playing a large chunk of the season without the league’s best player and the team’s starting goaltender. Shero and company have given me next to no reason to doubt their moves in their two years in charge, so why start now?
Eric Politowski
Oct 3, 07:17 PM
Bissonnette has a two-way contract. I don’t think he has to go through waivers if he is sent down.
TheOneandOnlySurge
Oct 3, 07:22 PM
Matt,
My point is just in regards to the two games overseas. Pesonens growth would not be slowed if he were held on the roster for those two games. If Sykora would be placed on IR, Pesonen could play in his place. He has more talent than Thomas so it would be less of a hit to be missing Sykora. After they return from the two game trip overseas, Pesonen could be sent down and Sykora reactivated. I’m not saying I think Pesonen should stay in the NHL to play 5 mins or less per game. I just think with Sykora out, he would be a better solution than any of the other available assets.
I’m not down grading Shero but the majority of this team exists because of Patrick. Therrein is also probably the single most reason the Pens performed so well with that talent down last season. Malkin had a great year but MT would still have to be the biggest factor to me.
spiker97
Oct 4, 12:00 AM
Pesonen will definitely be back. The playing time he will get at WBS will be good for him, and he also will get more time to learn the Pens system. It’s much better to send him down for now, as there is a whole season to work with. They should be able to “recall” him if needed for the weekend also.
I don’t expect Bissonette to stick around long either. There will probably be a few more minor roster adjustments after these two games. Thomas will go when Sykora is back.
Gregor
Oct 4, 03:02 AM
at Pesonen’s age, would he be considered a veteran in the AHL?
or is that number 27?
Matt Bodenschatz
Oct 4, 12:33 PM
Tom, it takes one team for a player not to clear waivers. It also takes one team to put a player on waivers — so just one team has to see value in a player. Obviously the Penguins see value in these players.
Eric, two-way contract has nothing to do with waivers. It deals with the amount of money made at the NHL level in comparison to the AHL level. Bissonnette has to clear waivers.
Surge, I’m wondering if the Penguins believe Sykora will be ready for tomorrow’s game? I also am unsure as to whether retreoactive waivers actually exist. In baseball, I know a player can be put on the DL retroactive to the date the injury occurred. In hockey, I’m not sure that is the case.
As for the team comment regarding Shero not really having to do too much, it’s hard to disagree. I mean, he was handed a core of insanely good players and had a coach in place who is known for working well with young players. It’s a team effort, and I am sure all management members are involved in all decisions. There has to be a reason Sykora wasn’t placed on IR in favor of Pesonen.
Spiker, regarding Pesonen, I think you’re right. He’ll be back before long — but only if there is an opening for him to log decent ice time. Bissonnette might surprise some people. He’s a former defenseman and he skates pretty well for a big guy. I kind of have a feeling he’s here for the season. Then again, Therrien and Shero have used a 22-player roster to start each of the previous two seasons, and that’s very likely to happen again this year when they return from Sweden. I think one of Thomas or Bissonnette goes down.
Gregor, I really am not sure of that. I would think the age is 27, but that is purely a guess.
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