Faceoff Factor

Comments

1. Nathan

   Jun 22, 08:14 PM

   I hope we see Zigomanis back, that right-handed 62.9% is an aewsome luxury to have.

2. Justin Maffei

   Jun 22, 08:38 PM

   I agree. Ziggy was great. He might sign for $600,000 or less, which the Pens would jump at.

3. bag o' pucks

   Jun 22, 08:47 PM

   Agreed. I’d love to see Zigo back. That last 6.5 seconds of game seven that saw two scoring chances against Fleury to almost tie the game? That may never have happened had Zigo been taking that faceoff. In fact, I wouldn’t balk at a two-year deal for him with a cap hit of $.6-.65/per. He may be the best faceoff man in the league, and he’s a very good PKer.

4. Justin Maffei

   Jun 22, 08:50 PM

   I’d be okay with a two-year deal as well. They just have to be careful with multiple year deals since they have a lot of big contracts already.

5. mike t

   Jun 22, 08:59 PM

   Am i the only one that think that Godard should be traded or release. Bissonnette can do everything Godard can do for cheaper. Hes also younger. I mean i like Godard but signing him for 2 years didn’t seem like that good of an idea, though idk how much he makes per season. Has anyone heard on how Bissonnette’s wrist is doing after that nasty cut?

6. bag o' pucks

   Jun 22, 09:20 PM

   I would not like to see Godard waived or what have you. He’s one of the best at his job and his price tag is not exhorbitant. There’s a lot to like about Biss, but there’s no telling what his condition will be like in September. And Aaron Boogaard is nowhere near being ready.

   This was Biss’ quote from May 12: “I can’t feel my thumb. They said I might not regain feeling in my thumb. I’m about 50 percent on my first two fingers. Two of the tendons were (damaged) and they had to close off the one artery. That’s why I was gushing all over the ice.” He said he hopes to be able to grip a hockey stick again in four months.

   With a very young team, as Pittsburgh has, a proven and respected heavy is a necessity. Especially in a division with Riley Cote, Colton Orr, and Mitch Fritz.

7. Albert

   Jun 22, 09:26 PM

   @Mike T – I’m a Godard fan. He’s signed for the next 2 years at a cap hit of 750k—very reasonable for one of the best enforcers in the NHL. He is also very well-liked on the team. And he’ll dance w/ ANYone. MUCH better than Bissonnette.

   Re: Zigo – He’s still a risk coming off the shoulder surgery. I view him kind of like Eaton coming off his ACL. Sign him to a moderate 2-year contract. IF he can overcome his injury and play to his potential you get a bargain. IF not, you don’t lose that much—we are talking a difference of only a couple hundred K either way. Good on the PK (esp. important if Dupuis is gone) and great on faceoffs is worthy of taking a moderate risk. I think GMRS will treat it as such.

   Of the other options…the only one I like is Jeffrey: cheap, known entity, and a little upside.

8. Justin Maffei

   Jun 22, 10:34 PM

   Mike T,
   I also would be opposed to trading/waiving Godard. He truly is a very good enforcer. He is a necessity on a team with the likes of Crosby, Malkin, Staal, etc. Bissonnette has shown himself to be a bit of a loose cannon which is a good thing for an enforcer, but he’s just not the same caliber yet.

9. mbizzle

   Jun 23, 12:35 AM

   I think Travis Moen would be a great pickup from SJ. He’s making like 800k I think? He was on a very important 3rd line during Anaheim’s Cup run in ’07.

   What will happen IMO is they’ll re-sign Zigomanis and try to trade Dupuis. Then that other spot can be filled with Jeffrey or Wallace who adds a little bit more grit than Jeffrey. But Joel Ward would be a great pickup. Apparently his agent wants a 1.1-1.5 mil/yr deal according some hockeybuzz blogs. That’s ridiculous.

   Scott Nichol would be interesting…

10. Justin Maffei

    Jun 23, 12:45 AM

    Wallace would need resigned since he’s an RFA and they might consider him. I guess I’m just not a big fan of his.

    Moen is not one that I considered. He was actually at $925K, which might push him out of the Pens range. I do love his physicality and his ability to PK, though.

    I think they too will re-sign Ziggy and try to trade Dupuis. I wouldn’t be surprised if they brought someone in though. I hadn’t seen that about Joel Ward. He might actually get that, riding out his 17 goal, 35 point season.

11. Moq

    Jun 23, 09:54 AM

    Personally, I would sign Zigomanis and leave one spot open for rotation among WBS hopeful, eg. Jeffrey, Caputi and a few others. Bill Thomas will probably be re-signed as well and play a few games in place of Godard against softer opponents.

    I saw a few Sabres games last season and Matt Ellis could be a cheap option as a fourth line left winger. However, an open roster spot would offer motivation for training camp.

12. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 23, 11:10 AM

    What a great series of stories and discussions!

    I think the Penguins have to be careful to keep spending down on the fourth line. LaRose, Ward undoubtedly will cost far too much for the fourth line, and I’d venture to guess both are looking for scoring line roles more so than checking line roles.

    Zigomanis, in my opinion, is a must-sign. He brings much-needed faceoff skills and a right-handed shot. I’d love to see Adams retained as well, as he provides grit, experience and defensive play, but if he’s seeking a multi-year deal, he can walk.

    If holes exist, I’d be looking to fill them internally, with players such as Dustin Jeffrey, Bill Thomas and Jeff Taffe, as Justin said.

13. SprJudd

    Jun 23, 01:59 PM

    I’d like to see a fourth line made up of a combination of the following: Zigomanis, Godard/Bissonnette, Taffe/Jeffrey. All 5 guys combined probably wouldn’t be more than $3.5million total. I really like what Biz Nasty can bring to the lineup – the energy he brings. But unless the Pens are playing Philly (or a team of that ilk), Bissonnette and Godard should never both dress for a game. I think Zigomanis is a must-sign because of what Matt said above (righty and good faceoff man). I think Taffe and Jeffrey could be interchangable parts on a 4th line, but preference should be given to playing the younger Dustin Jeffrey more as long as he shows he can hack it if for no other reason than to further his development. Taffe is a solid fourth liner, but I think he’s peaked as an NHL player.

14. Tim in Maine

    Jun 23, 03:53 PM

    Biz Nasty is a very good middle weight option, but at this point, Godard is really all they need. Even though Laraque is the undisputed heavy weight fighter, Godard is a much better enforcer. Recall his little “discussion” with Scott Gomez at center ice when Orr was taking runs at Sid & others. Gomez nodded & then spoke to Orr and Renney and suddenly, Orr toned it down significantly. BGL never would have done that.

    IMHO, Zig would be a prudent signing. Love Duper for what he has brought, but if RS can shed some salary, it would be worth considering. Adams would be fine as well to have back. I would like some opportunity to be there for the WBS guys, but maybe that comes with injuries.

15. Justin Maffei

    Jun 23, 06:40 PM

    There is a big difference between needing Godard in the regular season and needing him in the post season. Fights are few and far between in the playoffs. And Letang can’t stand up to the big boppers like Riley Cote, Colton Orr, and Mitch Fritz. As Bag said, these guys are in our division and without Godard, these guys will feel free to take runs at our skill players.

16. Eric Politowski

    Jun 23, 06:52 PM

    Godard isn’t going anywhere.

17. bag o' pucks

    Jun 23, 09:29 PM

    @Tom. You’ve written a lot of goofy things (in a good, humorous way) on this site, Tom, but considering using Letang as the club’s enforcer may just take the prize. Not just for the fact that Brashear would probably just toss Letang over the boards and into the crowd. But moreso that you’d prefer to have Letang sitting in the penalty box for five minutes at a time, or perhaps during 4-on-4’s, when a player with his attributes should be making his living.

    There’s also another, much more common sensical reason heavy’s are wingers, not defensemen. It’s a lot easier to play the ensuing five minutes with 11 forwards than only five defensemen.

    First you repeatedly suggest that the Pens lineup should be composed half of rookies, then you roster no one to protect those kids. The Pens be golfing in April, well, those who weren’t in the hospital from getting their arses kicked all year long!

18. Moq

    Jun 24, 07:16 AM

    It annoys me to no end that a player like Godard is necessary for any team in the NHL. If only the NHL had the balls to do something about it and discourage fighting through harse penalties, especially the staged variety. As long as that doesn’t happen, and I suspect we’ll be stuck with fighting for a while, a one-dimensional “player” liker Godard is needed. Letang isn’t going to handle that assignment by himself.

19. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 24, 10:40 AM

    As much as anyone likes or dislikes it, fighting is a part of the game, and as long as other reams continue to employ enforcers, Eric Godard will have value. As Bag said, having a skilled player fight is ridiculous. Number one, you run the risk of injury. Ruslan Fedotenko is the perfect example. Number two, you have a quality player in the penalty box, or worse yet tossed for the game or suspended for a few. Bad idea. Godard is affordable, knows his role, and is effective at discouraging opponents when necessary. And he takes very few minor penalties that lead to shorthanded situations. When he’s in the box, someone is going with him.

20. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 24, 05:05 PM

    “Watch Pronger’s play. He is the most feared player in the NHL according to THN. He rarely drops his gloves and participates in staged fights” — and look who the Ducks have on their roster: George Parros.

    Tom, I realize you have contrarian views on plenty of issues. That’s fine. Everyone has that right. What I frequently try to point out to you is that your views generally don’t coincide with the plan the Penguins have taken and likely will continue to take.

    For example, Mormina may be NHL ready. That’s entirely possible. What’s not very likely, though, is that the Penguins will utilize a defense with three rookies — assuming Goligoski and Lovejoy have two of the seven spots secured. Talking about these things at length is about as meaningful as talking about acquiring Vinny Lecavalier at length. It just isn’t going to happen.

    To continue, Godard has been with this team for a year. He has played for two coaches, both of whom felt it was important to play him regularly in the regular season. Is he a liability when on the ice? Sure, few enforcers aren’t, and those who can actually play the game cost too much money — see Laraque, Georges. But Godard plays roughly 4 minutes a night, leaving little time for him to really be much of a problem. His contributions in fighting and threatening are more than a small, but physical player like Letang can offer. Heck, they’re more than Orpik, Cooke, or even Guerin could offer. Like them or not, fights are a part of the regular season game, and I’d much rather have Godard in the box than Letang, Orpik, Cooke, etc.

    What I am trying to say is that having the opinions you have is fine, but sometimes you just don’t let go, even when reality dictates you will be wrong. Shero is quite the conservative GM, aside from the bold Hossa trade of one year ago. He’s not known to rush his youngsters, he likes having plenty of experienced players on his roster, and he is known to have a bit of his dad (legendary Flyers coach Fred Shero) in him — he loves physical hockey, which currently includes fights. He’s not getting rid of Godard, whether you, me, or anyone else likes it.

21. bag o' pucks

    Jun 24, 06:39 PM

    Re: Joey Mormina. We’ll likely see whether he’s ready for the NHL in the fall at training camp. Whether that’s the Penguin’s camp or not, we do not yet know. What we do know, the reality, is: the big, bruising physical-play-loving Flyers decided against signing Mormina out of college; he’s played four pro seasons; gotten one callup; played one NHL game; was returned to the AHL after that one game; that both the Kings and the Hurricanes chose not to tender Mormina a qualifying offer; he was a free agent for ten days before the Penguins signed him last summer; he was not called up by Pittsburgh this year, largely due to a well-stocked defensive lineup.

    None of that suggests whether Mormina is ready for the NHL or not at present. Big players always take longer to develop than smaller players. But it does suggest that at least two fairly astute hockey minds (and Bobby Clarke) decided Mormina didn’t have the potential to play in the NHL. One of those GM’s has won a Stanley Cup and, in reality, all know infinitely more about hockey than Tom or any of us.

    Re: Tom’s premise that those folks who agree that a heavyweight is necessary on an NHL club prefer “bad or unskilled fighting more than skilled hockey.” That’s just a useless over-simplification. The rostering of an enforcer who plays five minutes per night hardly interferes with the 20+ minutes that Crosby and Malkin get. Not to mention, again, that if someone is going to be engaged in rough stuff, which happens in hockey (and anyone who’s played knows this), Godard is the guy a coach wants in the penalty box when that stuff happens, not Letang, not Orpik, not even Cooke or Kunitz (although they’re certainly going to earn their minutes throughout a long season).

    The reality is if someone asked Crosby, or Geno, or Gonchar if Godard is valuable to have on the roster, every Penguin, to a man, would not hesitate for a second before answering affirmative. And the reality is that every one of those guys knows infinitely more about hockey than Tom or any of the rest of us.

    @Matt. Hey, what’s wrong with contrarian views? I love contrarian views. I do, however, concede that they are worthless if ungrounded in reality.

22. Albert

    Jun 24, 09:23 PM

    Is Mrs. Mormina married to Mr. Letang?

    Letang as enforcer is the most ridiculous thing I’ve read in very, very, VERY long time.

    Still laughing…typing this from the floor.

23. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jun 24, 11:19 PM

    @Tom, you ignored the entire premise of my response and simply went to your typical defense of repeating everything you;ve already said.

    I said: “For example, Mormina may be NHL ready. That’s entirely possible. What’s not very likely, though, is that the Penguins will utilize a defense with three rookies — assuming Goligoski and Lovejoy have two of the seven spots secured.”

    You responded: “...you all are so negative about him.”

    What I am saying is that it is my belief Mormina, who has spent plenty of time in the AHL, who has been passed up by several teams, and who has extremely limited experience as an NHL player is not exactly the most likely to earn a promotion. Is that really that far fetched? It’s entirely possible he will, but it just isn’t that likely. And, considering the Penguins already appear to be promoting two rookies — Goligoski and Lovejoy — the premise that they’ll promote a third and have three defenders out of seven with less than one year’s experience. That just doesn’t happen. Not on junk teams. And especially not on Stanley Cup teams. Could it happen? Yes. Is it likely? Not even remotely.

    As for enforcers, if you truly think it’s better to have Letang and the like mix it up and, consequently, take more penalties and risk injuries by playing more physical than they are used to, that is your perogative. But it is my belief that I would much rather have Godard fight Boogaard, Orr, Fritz, etc.

    I’m not really sure why I bother responding, though.

    @Bag, absolutely nothing wrong with contrarian views. In fact, they are quite good, as they facilitate discussion. But, as you said, staying grounded is important. I can sit here and talk about how the Pens should trade Max Talbot for Vinny Lecavalier and Ben Lovejoy for Dany Heatley all I want. That’s contrarian. It’s also not going to happen.

24. bag o' pucks

    Jun 25, 08:16 PM

    “I can sit here and talk about how the Pens should trade Max Talbot for Vinny Lecavalier and Ben Lovejoy for Dany Heatley all I want. That’s contrarian.”

    Contrarian. Ha! You saw those rumors on tiops, didn’t you? Admit it!

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