Free Agency Day 1 Slow For Penguins
Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins
Jul 2, 10:22 AM | Hype this story!
The Pittsburgh Penguins signed one and lost two during the initial day of the free agency season, but their primary targets remain available.
General manager Ray Shero took his typical methodical approach, watching and waiting, being careful not to overspend.
The result was one signing. And an underwhelming one, at that.
In forward Mike Rupp, Shero added yet another fourth liner to a mix that already includes recently re-signed Craig Adams, enforcer Eric Godard and speedster Pascal Dupuis, as well as minor leaguers Dustin Jeffrey and Paul Bissonnette.
It was reported following the signing that Shero likely is looking to to make a trade to accommodate the addition, though no specific names have been attributed to the rumor, and Shero confirmed in today’s Post-Gazette that he is not looking to trade Godard.
Rupp, signed for two years at an $825,000 cap hit, brings with him experience and a Stanley Cup ring from 2003, one that was clinched by a goal he scored.
At 6’5, 230 pounds, the winger is a physical presence with a willingness to fight, but a skill set that will allow him to be a regular in the lineup in the playoffs, when fighting rarely happens.
“I’m a player who plays a very physical game and I’ve started fighting more in the last few years,” he said, according to the paper. To enhance his skills, he has taken boxing lessons.
The signing appears to be a direct reaction to the toughening of the Atlantic Division by the New York Rangers, who added Donald Brashear to go along with pesky Sean Avery, and the Philadelphia Flyers, who added Chris Pronger and Ian Laperriere to go along with the droves of other tough-guys, such as Aaron Asham, Scott Hartnell, and Daniel Carcillo.
Moving On…
While the Penguins added a veteran in Rupp, they lost two veterans in Hal Gill and Mathieu Garon.
Gill, who had indicated his first choice was to stay with Pittsburgh, signed with the Montreal Canadiens midday. The lanky defenseman played an integral part in the turn-around of the Penguins’ penalty kill over the previous two seasons, but at a cap hit of $2.25 million over the next two years, he simply outpriced himself for the cap-conscious Penguins.
Garon came to Pittsburgh midway through the season after Dany Sabourin floundered in his backup goaltending role. With little opportunity to prove himself behind starter Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh fans had little chance to get to know Garon.
He has moved on to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he will make $1.2 million per year on average over the next two seasons.
Still There…
Rob Scuderi is said to have received attention from several teams, including the Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers, among others, but the reliable defender has not signed on the dotted line.
He is believed to be among the best defensemen on the market, and he likely won’t remain there beyond today. As has been reported numerous times from various sources, Scuderi has said he will return to Pittsburgh with any contract he is offered, giving the Penguins an opportunity to match.
Ruslan Fedotenko, is in a bit of a different situation. Unlike Scuderi, who has been a Penguin his entire career, Fedotenko has no ties to this team or area, making his decision to leave a bit easier.
But, with the Stanley Cup run, his first choice has been said to be a return to Pittsburgh. Like Scuderi, he has been an attractive player, receiving much interest across the league, but has not yet received an offer he likes.
Comments
Steelhammer
Jul 2, 10:36 AM
WAKE UP RAY SHERO!!!
Jon
Jul 2, 10:38 AM
I hope that when you included Hartnell in the tough guys category that you were joking. He is a pansy.
Dave
Jul 2, 10:38 AM
If Gill got 4.5 Mill for 2 years then Scuderi is going to get offers of at least a Mill a year more and probably longer than 2 years. I don’t see him taking that much of a discount to stay with the Pens.
Moq
Jul 2, 11:09 AM
Strictly speaking, nothing of surprise has happened for the Penguins thus far. Rupp is a minor surprise, but I like him a lot better than Godard, though I suspect the latter will remain. Garon and Gill finding another home was to be expected, even if I did harbour a fantasy of Gill taking less to stay in Pittsburgh as a contingency plan for a Scuderi exit. I do understand the reluctance of Gill to wait around and bypass a good financial opportunity when offered.
My only concern is the potential for a ridiculous “Scuderi watch” instead of a more proactive approach by Shero in finding defensive alternatives. Scuderi will make up his mind today and hopefully vanish from Shero’s notepad.
All in all, I don’t think we’ve lost anyone we could have signed, nor failed to pursue realistic options signed somewhere else. The price level for day one was beyond our financial reach.
Dabich
Jul 2, 11:15 AM
LOL @ Jon, more like…he’s a PITA...Pain In The A** =)
Moq, I am definitely pro-Scuderi, and have been for several years now. The guy is rock steady. While I am doubtful we CAN keep him I sure hope we DO keep him.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jul 2, 11:15 AM
@Steelhammer, shades of Craig Patrick? Haha. Nah, I like the patience. Some of these contracts handed out have been downright ridiculous.
@Jon, Hartnell may be a pansy in terms of fighting, but he throws his weight around quite well. Rupp adds to the physicality of an already physical Penguins team.
@Dave, I think you may be right. From what I am hearing, Shero wants both Scuderi and Fedotenko back, but he’s not willing to overspend.
bag o' pucks
Jul 2, 11:17 AM
Rupp took Zigos job, not Godards or anyone elses. Rather than the faceoff specialist, Shero wanted some more grind on that line. I was a Zigo advocate, but I see Shero’s purpose here and won’t complain about the team getting bigger and rougher.
SprJudd
Jul 2, 11:40 AM
@Bag – Rupp did win around 51-52% of his faceoffs last season. Granted, that pace won’t set the world on fire – but it does still make him the second best faceoff man on the team now after Crosby.
@All – I like Scuderi, but I don’t know that it’ll be worth trying to keep him. Suppose he comes back with an offer from another team which the Pens can’t match, but by that point the top 5 UFA targets Shero had identified all went elsewhere. I’m not saying the Pens should abandon all hope of bringing Scuds back, but do you want the defensive equivalent of the Miro Satan signing this season?
Two Sheds
Jul 2, 11:46 AM
I like guys like Rupp, who can fight some and play, a lot better than guys like Goddard, who can probably fight better but can’t play much at all. Clearly the Goddard-types are irrelevant in the playoffs and even during the regular season the scripted fights between Goddard and whomever really don’t do anything for me. They just don’t seem to be worth a roster spot to me — I can’t think of a single thing last year that Goddard did to turn a game around, unlike, say, the Talbot fight in the playoffs against Philadelphia, which really was motivational. When guys like Talbot or Crosby or Satan or Malkin or Kennedy start swinging it creates far more energy than when Goddard does.
If you want to find something to ding Shero about, the time to sign Scuderi was at the end of last season. I bet he could have been locked up for 3 or 4 years for 1.5M per or so which would look like quite a bargain now. I guess everyone underestimated him — or maybe underestimated the value of defense in the playoffs.
The Blackhawks overpaid for Hossa.
TIM
Jul 2, 11:48 AM
I think Shero will make a couple solid moves too. In Shero we trust. Has anyone else heard this Beauchemin rumor?
SprJudd
Jul 2, 11:54 AM
@Two Sheds – Godard isn’t a world-beater with his skill, but he can effectively dissuade opponents from taking some liberties. The Pens played a game against the Rangers last season in which Colton Orr kept running Crosby all game. Godard went out on the ice, hunted Gomez down, and said something to him. Gomez nodded, went back to his bench, and Orr didn’t take a single run again that game. Yes, Godard isn’t going to win games with his fists, but that is effective play. That being said, I do agree with your thoughts that the crowd gets pumped more when Sid, TK, Talbot, etc are out there throwin’ the jacks.
Two Sheds
Jul 2, 12:03 PM
@SPRJUDD – I guess that was effective, though I wonder why Goddard just didn’t go fight Orr. Maybe Orr wouldn’t fight? The “instigator” penalty has taken away even more of the effectiveness of guys like Goddard because they can’t just go beat the crap out of someone unless the guy agrees to fight first. What did Goddard say to Gomez — if you don’t tell Colton to stop picking on Sidney I’ll beat you up? Does that work?
I think the league would do well to try to phase out guys like Goddard without phasing out fighting.
Pens1967
Jul 2, 12:12 PM
I think the Pens’ biggest obstacle to re-signing Scuderi will be from teams who are currently below the NHL salary floor. I expect one of those teams will throw a ridiculous offer at Scuderi – much like TB tossed Malone’s way last year.
SprJudd
Jul 2, 12:16 PM
@Two Sheds – What Godard said is merely speculation, but I assume it was something along the lines of, “Tell Orr to leave my guys alone or you’ll be eating through a tube.” Sure, Godard could’ve just gone and fought Orr, but he’d be up to the same thing 5 minutes later. Issuing the threat to somebody who is unwilling/unable to go toe-to-toe with Godard is a much more persuasive method of getting Orr to back down.
I’m a firm believer that if the threat of being beaten up would make you alter the way you play your game, you shouldn’t be in the NHL. However, the threat of your teammates having to cash the check you’re writing is a different matter altogether.
I do agree with you that the NHL should eliminate the role of the goon/enforcer, and effectively outlawing the staged fight is a step in the right direction. But until Colin Campbell comes down hard on the on-ice thuggery, there will always be a need for guys like Godard, Orr, Laraque, etc. The fact is players get a harsher punishment for speaking ill of their ex-girlfriends than they do for throwing head shots and using their sticks as weapons. And that is precisely why the goon/enforcer is still a needed role in the NHL.
Francois
Jul 2, 12:18 PM
i don’t want Beauchemin . Shero should sign Scuderi
if not then why don’t give a chance to young prospect like Gogo and Lovejoy
bag o' pucks
Jul 2, 12:19 PM
@Sprjudd. I thought that was an excellent move by Godard in that NYR game. And the camera angle was perfect because it caught the Rags bench in the background and Orr’s expression was absolutely golden. Orr’s BS stopped then and there. Perfect illustration.
@Sheds. You bet it works. Godard fighting Orr is fine but, as Errey says, you don’t go back at their tough guy, you go back at their skill guys.
All, in all, I think guys who do nothing but fight are being slowly phased out. It isn’t going to happen overnight (or as long as Burkie is a GM). Really, the few that are left are the elite fighters. Laraque, Brashear, Godard, Cote, Orr. These guys are the best fighters in hockey, not just the best in the NHL. When Orr was in the A, he was absolutely wrecking guys in that league. There are some exceptions, sure, Koci, etc. But, for the most part, the Steve McKenna’s of the world are elsewhere.
bag o' pucks
Jul 2, 12:21 PM
@Francois. Gogo will be part of the top six next year, and it’s generally, if not widely accepted that Lovejoy will make the big club, as well, as a 6/7 guy. The Pens need another 6/7 guy, however. Hence, the Scuds/Beauchemin talk.
Two Sheds
Jul 2, 12:31 PM
I’m trying to think of any time this year when Godard fought/attacked/hit hard anyone other than another enforcer. I guess it must have happened, but I can’t think of anything he did this year that was very meaningful (other than this NYR game, apparently). He isn’t on the ice enough to play against most of the opposing skill guys (and he couldn’t catch up with them if he was), which is why your “enforcers” need to be guys who can also skate and get some minutes — more like Cooke or Orpik — who don’t fight so much as hit.
The staged fights could be eliminated pretty quickly by making them automatic game misconducts, which would make the teams skate a man short afterwards, and turning a few game misconducts into suspensions.
But you’re right that the number of Steve McKenna’s in the league is on the way down. I guess it just seems a shame that the Penguins are reserving a roster spot for Godard rather than some more talentened player.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jul 2, 12:37 PM
Rather than addressing each person individually, I’ll address topics…
re: Godard/Rupp
Godard plays an important role, one that Bylsma clearly likes, as he had Bissonnette and Boogaard in the AHL, then chose to play Godard after the trade deadline instead of Adams. He’s a deterrent who often fights scripted fights, but those scripted fights generally take a pest off the ice for five minutes. He also is a bit of a loose cannon who will do anything for his teammates. The Orr/Gomez story is an interesting one. Godard tried fighting Orr, if memory serves me correctly. Orr laughed him off. So Godard went to the next best option: one of the team’s finesse players. Orr’s antics ended. That’s intimidation. That’s something Letang, Cooke, Talbot and others can’t effectively execute. Godard also pummeled Hartnell in Philly in December. Rupp serves a different role. I’ve been reading up, and the best comparison I am getting is a bigger, slower Matt Cooke. Rupp plays on the edge, often crossing the line of clean/dirty and has a way of agitating, but can also drop the gloves if need be. He’s more of a prototypical fourth liner who can do it all than Godard — but he’s not a replacement for Godard.
re: Scuderi
I get the feeling Shero will be working the phones diligently today — and the defender he signs won’t be Scuderi. Scuds is about the best defender left on the table and several teams — Islanders included — have much cap space to work with. He’s going to be offered much more than he is worth and/or the Penguins can afford.
re: Beauchemin
I have heard the rumor, but if Shero can’t afford Scuderi, he also can’t afford Beauchemin.
Predictions:
Look for Shero to target skilled, yet rugged players. Bertuzzi and Grier come to mind on offense, though I’m not sure either is going to put up great numbers as a feature winger — they’d almost need a finesse guy on the other wing. Morris and Mara come to mind on defense.
Francois
Jul 2, 12:52 PM
Mara is a upgrade over Gill?
bag o' pucks
Jul 2, 12:56 PM
@Sheds & Matt. What made the Gomez incident so effective is that Godard did that during a whistle. Play had stopped, all eyes were on them, he coasted up to Gomez and put the butt end of his stick into Gomez’ back, said a few things, then just casually went to the bench for the change as Orr’s face turned beet red on the NYR bench.
So, yes, it’s doubtful Godard could catch Gomez during play, but there’s plenty of time to make a point between whistles, too.
bag o' pucks
Jul 2, 12:58 PM
Antropov stays with NYR for four @ $4M per.
Rex is back in Boston for one year @ $1M.
bag o' pucks
Jul 2, 01:00 PM
My bad. Antropov leaves NYR for the Thrash at four yeasr, $16M.
ForgedMissionOrders
Jul 2, 01:02 PM
Grier would be a solid signing, although he doesn’t strike me as a typical scoring line player. Perhaps he’d fit into a Tenk kind of support role, strong defensively and willing to do the dirty work and can chip in some goals as well.
Bertuzzi on the other hand does not deserve a spot on the Pens roster or anyone else’s after the Steve Moore incident. He should have been banned for life from the NHL, there was no explanation or excuse for that scene.
Pens1967
Jul 2, 01:03 PM
IMHO, Shero has been planning all along to lose Scuds. He’s already got Goligoski and Lovejoy to step in and of that pair, only Lovejoy is without true NHL experience. If the Pens need a 7th d-man, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Phillipe Boucher comes back.
I think the guy Shero would really like to have back is Fedotenko, but if not him, then he will re-sign Petr Sykora because Sykora has pretty good chemistry with Malkin and Talbot will do the mucking and grinding. Otherwise, I think Pesonen could fit well with Malkin as he is a proven finisher and apparently isn’t afraid to play defense or go after the puck in the corner.
SprJudd
Jul 2, 01:08 PM
@Bag – Equally impressive is that Godard did it without getting a penalty. Guys like Donald Brashear are only good for 3 things:
1. Throwing cheap shots
2. Starting fights
3. Taking dumb penalties
Nobody can convince me that Brashear could’ve done that without getting a penalty and/or suspension.
As I’ve said before, Eric Godard won’t beat you with his skill, nor will he win games with his fists. But he knows his role, performs it well, and doesn’t make waves. Dan Bylsma seems to like him, as do Ray Shero, Ron Burkle, and Mario Lemieux – otherwise Godard would be wearing the sweater of another team. Eric Godard is by no means an untouchable, but he’s very good at what he does, and he’s one of the most effective players with regards to filling his role properly.
Moq
Jul 2, 01:10 PM
I don’t think any of the cap floor teams – Thrashers, Islanders, Coyotes and Predators – poses a significant threat to sign Scuderi. Most of them have players of their own left to sign and disinterested in spending too much above the floor. Scuderi will probably take the best offer from a team most likely to be a playoff team if not a contender. I’m still confounded about the love given to Scuderi, but it is what it is.
As far as predictions go, I don’t have anything substantial. Pyatt/LaRose, Alberts and Brent Johnson would be fine with me if possible. Add Lovejoy to that and we’re done. (I wouldn’t mind a trade for the Danish player Jannik Hansen, Vancouver, from purely nationalistic reasons.) But, unfortunately, it’s a bit more complicated than that. We’ll see how the chips fall.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jul 2, 01:13 PM
@Francois, not necessarily an upgrade, but not a downgrade either.
@Bag, Farkas should be back in action on the liveblog anytime now. Just talked to him.
@Forged, Grier is interesting. He’s a hard-worker, a leader, and a semi-skilled player. Bertuzzi’s incident soured me big time, but when it comes to finding what this team needs, he very well may be a perfect fit.
@Pens, so you think Shero will re-sign one of Fedotenko and Sykora and possibly Boucher, and that is it? Interesting…and quite possible.
@Sprjudd, exactly. Fans may not like Godard or see the need for him, but the likelihood of him not being a Penguin next season is low.
@Moq, Johnson would be a solid backup — but I believe it should be made known up front he has to beat out Curry for the job. Pyatt is interesting, but certainly not capable of a second line role. Had Rupp not signed, Pyatt would be a much better fit than he is now.
SprJudd
Jul 2, 01:14 PM
@Pens1967 – After what happened last year, Shero has to have contingency plans in place and must always be aware that he may lose out on some of his own guys. Yes, many guys are willing to give a hometown discount, and many will play for less money in order to win. However, not all guys will take less for a shot at a Cup, and the hometown discount can only go so far. I would be very surprised if Phillipe Boucher came back, but I will not be surprised if somebody other than Scuds is wearing #4 for the Pens next season.
I think ideally, the Pens either bring back Scuds or get a guy like Andrew Alberts for the defense. Up front, either bring back Tenk or Sykie, or go after Grier or LaRose…maybe Pyatt. Of course, this all assumes everyone is either willing to play cheap or the Pens move somebody else in the meantime.
SprJudd
Jul 2, 01:19 PM
All, not to sound like a suck-up or anything, but I must say I really enjoy this site. Everyone who posts seems to know their stuff with both the Pens and hockey in general. We may not all agree on everything, but everyone certainly seems to be able to argue their points with good stats/facts and well-informed opinions. This is definitely a site I visit multiple times daily because of the knowledgeable writers/readers/posters.
Moq
Jul 2, 01:34 PM
@Matt, I would have to disagree about Pyatt. He may have some issues, which goes for most the wingers within that payroll range, but I don’t think he’s an impossible fit as a second liner in Pittsburgh. Around 20-25 goals wouldn’t be out of the question given his previous seasons. There’s the risk of continued underachievement, but we’re not going to get a fantastic winger without question marks for $2M.
bag o' pucks
Jul 2, 01:51 PM
Agreed, Sprjudd.
Dabich
Jul 2, 02:05 PM
“If you want to find something to ding Shero about, the time to sign Scuderi was at the end of last season. I bet he could have been locked up for 3 or 4 years for 1.5M per or so which would look like quite a bargain now. I guess everyone underestimated him — or maybe underestimated the value of defense in the playoffs.”
Two Sheds, you got it…ht is TOTALLY underestimated, especially under Bylsma’s system. I’ve kept a close watch on Scuds for the past few years, and he’s not flashy. So no one notices what he does. He’s always been steady, but under Bylsma, he’s even better. Your’re right when you say he should have been locked up last season. Hindsight is always better than foresight tho.
I was impressed with LaRose during the playoffs. If he plays anywhere near as well in the regular season, then I think he’d be a great fit for this team. Can we afford him?
Dabich
Jul 2, 02:07 PM
SPRJUDD, you suck-up, you =)
Dabich
Jul 2, 02:08 PM
How old are you now, Matt? 27?? You’re getting old, Man!
Matt Bodenschatz
Jul 2, 02:14 PM
@Sprjudd, contingency plans are key. Shero’s plan last year worked decently well. Fedotenko had a solid year and Satan played better than most expected, but still not good. But when you look at who was signed and at what cost, Shero’s plan looks even better. Naslund is gone, Vrbata is gone, Rolston has been garbage, Hossa disappeared in the playoffs, etc. Shero’s players came at a relatively cheap price and worked out decently well. The core is where the talent is, and free agency is to supplement it.
Also, thanks for the compliments of FF. When Jesse Marshall and I started this adventure two years ago, this is what we envisioned: a fan site where we generated ideas through stories, and our readers carried those ideas into thoughtful discussions. This site is nothing with its loyal readers!
@Moq, Pyatt’s best season saw him score 37 points (twice). Now, he may not have been playing with a Malkin, but those aren’t inspiring numbers for a player to flank Malkin’s wing. I’d much rather just go with Kennedy, Talbot, Cooke, Dupuis, or some other internal option.
The Pens certainly won’t get a fantastic winger for $2 million, but they may find a better fit — someone who is a top-line style player who has underachieved, as opposed to a third/fourth liner who has possibly overachieved on occasion.
@Dabich, 26, thank you. Don’t make me older than I am!
Dabich
Jul 2, 02:27 PM
Ha ha Matt, I stand corrected. Happy Birthday anyway, hope it was a good one.
Pens1967
Jul 2, 03:40 PM
Matt, I think with the wingers and d-men, that Shero has players in the pipeline, but most are a year away. That was part of the rebuilding plan (insert Bucco joke here), but the Pens won the Cup about 2 years ahead of schedule. That has left Shero with having to use stop-gap wingers and d-men until guys like Caputi, Tangradi, Strait, Grant, Sneep, etc, are NHL ready.
I think the ability to speak fluent Russian is a big consideration for Malkin’s winger. If you recall, on Fedo’s
goal on the drop pass, he called for the puck from Malkin in Russian. I think just having that extra split second when Malkin
can process what he hears without having to translate it back to Russian in his brain is an important asset. Remember, Sykora also speaks Russian.
The reason I speculated on Boucher returning is that in the SI story after game 5, he talked about how Letang often shared his worries about his next contract. Boucher told Letang it was a great situation in Pgh and why would Letang want to go anywhere else. I inferred Boucher really liked his time here even though he didn’t play that much.
Plus Boucher might be a really good mentor Letang.
bag o' pucks
Jul 2, 04:28 PM
This relates to 67’s view on one of Malkin’s wingers speaking Russian. Although it’s a complete non-issue now, back at the ’05 draft, I remember wondering why they Pens didn’t take a shot at Sergei Kostitsyn.
Granted, there was no Russian deal in place and some skepticism that he might come over at all. But, his brother, Andrei, was already in NA playing for Montreal, so I thought it was worth it to take a shot, especially when the Pens had back to back picks at 194 & 195. They went with a d-man who never turned pro and Joe Vitale. Montreal grabbed the younger Kostitsyn at 200th overall and he’s developing pretty nicely.
Would have been a worthwhile shot and I think Kos’ game would work nicely with Malkin. Again, totally meaningless now, but what the hey.
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