Penguins' Offseason: The Big Issues (Part 1 of 4) - Top 6 Wingers
Justin Maffei | Pittsburgh Penguins
Jun 22, 06:49 PM | Hype this story!
This is an idea of the kind of line-up the Penguins have for next year as of right now:
Kunitz – Crosby – ???
??? – Malkin – Talbot
Cooke – Staal – Kennedy
Dupuis – ??? – Godard
Gonchar – Orpik
Letang – Eaton
Goligoski – ???
Who are the wingers for Crosby and Malkin?
In need of two top six wingers, the Penguins seem to be attempting to bring back Ruslan Fedotenko and Bill Guerin. Petr Sykora and Miroslav Satan will not be returning after their disappointing seasons.
Chris Kunitz plays a fiery game, but he will need to chip in a lot more goals if he is going to be worth his price tag ($3.725M each of the next three years).
Pascal Dupuis is owed $1.4M each of the next two years. Dupuis saw limited action in the cup final, and it would not be a suprise if the Penguins tried to shop him for a draft pick.
Max Talbot is not perfect for a top six winger role, he plays better on an energy line, but he flashes good offensive ability and a good relationship with Evgeni Malkin.
In House Options
Janne Pesonen showed himself to be good offensively while at Wilkes-Barre, but was not given much of a chance with the Penguins. It is possible that he could push for one of the top jobs, but he would also need re-signed. A bonus is that he would be an inexpensive option.
Free Agent Options
Martin Havlat could be a possibility if he is willing to take a formidable paycut ($6M last season). TFP speculates that the Penguins may have interest.
Mikael Samuelsson showed some offensive abilities with the Red Wings and plays a good two-way game. He played for $1.2M last season, but could be in line for a raise. Samuelsson is an ex-Penguin from the 2002 season and has scored around 40 points the previous four seasons. Although this is not an excessively high number, he may find success with either Malkin or Crosby centering his line.
Nik Antropov is a player who I was hoping for at the trade deadline. He plays extremely well against the Pens. He had a total of 28 goals last season (split between Toronoto and the New York Rangers). He also ended up with just under 60 points. His salary last season was $2.15M.
Comments
Pens1967
Jun 22, 07:08 PM
Of the UFA group, I like Antropov the best. He’s still only about 28 or 29 so many good years left. He might do well with Malkin and Fedotenko, if Feds is re-signed. His salary would be comparable to what the Pens are reportedly offering Guerin.
I can’t see the Pens being interested in Samuelsson at all. Havlat is too expensive and already plays for a young, up and coming team.
albert
Jun 22, 07:08 PM
I liked seeing the Penguins mentioned in the TFP article as interested in Beauchemain.
If Scuds can’t be re-signed, he’d be a good replacement.
Justin Maffei
Jun 22, 07:11 PM
I like your thinking Albert. Check out part two to see the defense.
Justin Maffei
Jun 22, 07:44 PM
Tom, Some of those free agents may sign for under $2M. This is the cost they are looking at for both Guerin and Fed. Tangradi, CPZ, and Caputi are not ready yet. That may change by the time next year came around though. Jeffrey is not a top 6 forward. Pesonen is a maybe.
mike t
Jun 22, 08:45 PM
Pesonen is a potential top-6 forward but was never given the chance to play there. Therrien wouldnt take him off the bottom line for more than a shift. i hope they resign him and give him a chance to compete next year. didnt he almost make the team in preseason last year?
Justin Maffei
Jun 22, 08:53 PM
You bring up a good point Mike. I had forgotten he almost made the team out of camp. Matt’s article says it all. I would like to see Pesonen get the chance, and he might with Bylsma. It just seemed that Therrien had something against the younger guys.
bag o' pucks
Jun 22, 09:10 PM
The most attractive thing about Pesonen is the price tag. He wants a one-way deal, which could well be at less than his entry-level cap hit, which was $.85M. If he can be had for $.65M, or so, and chip in 15-20 goals alongside Malkin, that’s good value. If he stumbles, Talbot is a proven adequate fill in until either Pes finds his rhythm or another option is located.
Albert
Jun 22, 09:36 PM
We’ll see what Pesonen has this fall.
I was NOT impressed, and I fear that if the Penguins come out of camp w/ him slated to fill a Top 6 role it will end badly.
I won’t repeat my previous post on his specific attributes, but there is one that i left out…He is SOFF.
Justin Maffei
Jun 22, 10:22 PM
That is my fear as well Albert. To give Pesonen the job would be scary. If he fails, we don’t really have a back-up plan. However, if you sign a veteran and Pesonen steps up . . . that is a good problem to have.
Colin44
Jun 22, 11:15 PM
If there is one thing the penguins need in a top 6 winger is the ability to screen the goalie. If guerin returns then that problem is solved, but if turns out to be too expensive then the penguins have a large void at a certain skill. Many current pens are “net-crashers” but they tend to go hard to the net after somebody has fired a shot or try to knock in rebounds from the side of the cage, so they will most likely have to look outside the organization for this net presence. Antropov certainly has the size to screen the goalie, but I don’t know if he does or if the penguins will be able to afford him.
Steve
Jun 22, 11:22 PM
Nik Antropov is an interesting possibility. Craig Patrick tried to get him for a long time but Toronto kept his price too high. Antropov reminds me alot of Petr Nedved in that he has been cast as a center but would really produce more as a winger like Nedved did when the Pens got him. Watching the Red Wings and Capitals, it is obvious that European and Russian players have a special chemistry when they are put together and a line of Malkin, Fedotenko and Antropov or Alexei Kovalev would be frightening.
Albert
Jun 23, 12:37 AM
Antropov is (also) too “soff”
Justin Maffei
Jun 23, 12:39 AM
I’ll give you that Antropov is “soff”, but his size and net instincts make him a nice commodity. Remember, we used to say the same about Staal until he had some tutelage from Leclaire. I’m not saying that Antropov will learn, but he could. He would be a mild project. He could either be a decent winger for Malkin or Crosby, or an excellent winger for them.
mbizzle
Jun 23, 01:10 AM
Antropov would be interesting.
Big guy and can skate.
What do you see their chances of getting someone like Tanguay/Kovy/Cole/Kotalik?
I like Tanguay, he can skate and hit. Earlier in his career he proved that he could produce alongside good players: Drury and Sakic in Colorado. But once he got to Calgary you got Iginla and Langkow. Iginla is good but there’s no real snipers there. And now in MTL you have him and Kovy as legit players. Put Tanguay on a line with Sid or Geno and it’d be fun to watch.
Eric Cole will be too pricey I think but he plays the game hard. And again he’s not really a sniper, which is what the real concern should be. Plus, how would he get along with his best friend Brooks Orpik? lol
Marty Havlat would be a dream come true. He’s having dinner with his agent in Prague now according to Allan Walsh’s twitter. Maybe Allan will tell him some good things about the Pens.
Kotalik is another guy who has put up around 20-25 goals in his career. But he hasn’t played with anyone like Geno or Sid. Ales Hemsky, Derek Roy, Pominville? pleaseeeeeeee…..he’s a sniper and might do well here.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jun 23, 10:57 AM
Another great discussion!
As I mentioned within the defensive breakdown, I believe grit is a necessity up front. Guerin and Fedotenko, while not the most physical of forwards, provide some needed toughness. If one or both go, I’d like to see replacements with similar temperaments.
In my opinion, you can rule out the Havlats, Tanguays, Kovalevs, etc, as they will just cost too much. Remember, the Penguins have something like $6 million to round out their roster, and some of these players mentioned could cost as much as $5 million.
I think, if Fedotenko and/or Guerin depart, Shero should be looking at players such as Mike Knuble or Todd Bertuzzi to replace some of the grit lost.
But, then there also are less physical, but highly skilled (and possibly underachieving) players to consider as well. These players include Ales Kotalik, Richard Zednik, Steve Sullivan, Jason Williams, Brian Gionta, or even Max Afinogenov.
Of course, someone these players (Afinogenov) are much higher risks than others, but if the price is right, they may be worth the gamble.
Bob
Jun 23, 11:17 AM
Mike Knuble is a very interesting proposition. He has always seemed to be a Penguin killer, and is excellent around the net and on the PP.
Although he plays for the wrong team in PA, it would be nice to see him in a Pens uniform.
Colin44
Jun 24, 06:58 PM
That sounds nice for the future (1 or 2 seasons down the road) but can any of them currently screen the goalie? Because if they can’t then they are no good as a screener without someone there to teach them (as leclair taught Malone). Just because someone has the size to be a screener doesn’t mean they automatically are so guerin could fill a valuable role as a mentor
mbizzle
Jun 28, 05:18 AM
Word is Pens are going to target Mike Knuble on July 1st or a guy like Eric Cole (Orpik’s best friend). Knuble might come cheaper and is more effective than injury prone, and at times underperforming Cole. If they sign Knuble, it looks as though Fedotenko will be out. Does that mean we’re relying on Talbot to become a sniper?
Knuble is the Ryan Malone type player(good on PK, has some jam, great in front of the net) we missed last year. Would you take him over Feds? Because we can’t get Knuble for the 1st line: Sid Kunitz Knuble will be awful b.c there’s no sniper.
I honestly would not mind them trading Kunitz and his $3.75 mil (Burke is interested) but I don’t think Shero plans on trading him anytime soon.
I would like to see them deal Dupuis and get a guy like Moen from free agency. He’ll be cheap, good on pk, adds some much needed jam we lost when Ruutu left. The Flyer/Pens games just got A LOT nastier with Pronger in the lineup. We’re gonna need to respond by someone not named Eric Godard if something goes down IMO.
What you guys think?
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