Faceoff Factor

Comments

1. Albert

   Jul 6, 02:02 AM

   Is that all GMRS has to spend on a blueliner?

   The Pens are down Scuderi AND Gill, so ONE high quality blueliner is in order.

2. Justin Maffei

   Jul 6, 02:17 AM

   The Pens have slightly under $3M left under the cap. They have to fit a goalie and at least a defenseman under that. I still maintain that it would make sense to try and move Dupuis.

   However, looking at the Pens blueline situation, it’s hard to find a place for a “quality” blueliner unless someone else is on the outs.

   gonchar – orpik
   letang – eaton
   goligoski – lovejoy

   Now, Lovejoy is not yet signed, but many are saying he is likely to be in the Penguins plans. If the Pens were going to move eaton, I could see space for a bigger time defenseman.

   I guess I’ve been pondering this and am a little torn. If you added another top 6 defenseman, who gets to watch from the press box? This is a question to everyone, not just you albert. I’m curious what people think about that.

3. Diz

   Jul 6, 07:35 AM

   Regarding who’s in the press box, IMO it’s got to be Goligoski and whichever vet we sign. I think lovejoy will prove too valuable on the PK, plus the fact that he can play on the 2nd PP. He’s just too versatile and too strong defensively when compared to Gogo (at this stage in his career) to justify him being out of the lineup.

4. ScottyG

   Jul 6, 08:03 AM

   Word on the street is that Belfour’s looking for a comeback. He might be worth checking out as far as goalies, as well.

5. Toe Blake

   Jul 6, 09:19 AM

   You guys are way off on the d-men. They will be going after a player like those you listed above to play in WBS. They will be going after someone a little bit better to fill-out the blueline. None of the players listed above are capable of being a consistent top 6 defenseman.

6. mbizzle

   Jul 6, 09:37 AM

   nice post,

   I have to agree with you toe blake, someone maybe a little better than the aforementioned group of D will be targeted by Shero. Although I think Vaananen is capable of being a consistent player and he plays with an edge which is nice to see.
   Guys who would fit: Salei (col), Boynton, Mckee, De Vries, maybe Beauchemin.

   Shero has to understand that he just lost his shutdown defensive pair in Gill and Scuds, assuming that Eaton and Tanger will be the shutdown pair for this year is a tough burden to put on those guys. But if they get a guy like Salei (who plays in your face and loves to hit) or Boynton (who is also plays with jam) they can be more comfortable heading into the reg. season. The Avs have 8 d now with the Quincey deal, so they’re looking to clear some guys, including Salei who has a $3mil price tag. Dupuis would have to be involved in that trade.

   Ideally Beauchemin would be the best shutdown type guy in terms of his age and experience, but he will likely be the most expensive. As the days drag along hopefully some of the prices on these UFAs will drop.

7. SprJudd

   Jul 6, 09:45 AM

   I think the Pens should go for a guy like Andrew Alberts, Aaron Johnson, or maybe Nolan Yonkman. Yonkman is a guy I’d throw to WBS for a little while, make sure he can fit into the system they’ve implemented under Bylsma. Alberts or Johnson would be good gritty d-men to have in the lineup, and they’d be comfortable being a 6/7 guy.

   My concern would be having a Goligoski-Lovejoy pairing. Even if it is the 3rd pairing, Goligoski has only 45 games of NHL experience, and Lovejoy has 2 or 3. I think it’d be better to pair the d-men up like this:
   Gonchar – Orpik
   Letang – Lovejoy
   Goligoski – Eaton

   All 3 pairings would have an offensive guy and a defensive guy, and the NHL experience would be spread out a bit more.

8. SprJudd

   Jul 6, 09:48 AM

   As far as goaltending goes, I’d give Nolan Schaefer, Marc Denis, or Curtis Sanford a call. I think those are the best cheap options out there.

9. mbizzle

   Jul 6, 10:03 AM

   Sprjudd,

   Alberts would def. be a great pickup. We need some nasty with the departure of Gill (who doesn’t play big) but still played fairly physical this year for his standard. Alberts makes timely hits and is solid in his own end. I think Shero does want to toughen up after seeing the Rupp acquisition and still wanting to keep Godard around. Alberts is also pretty young which is nice.

   Sanford is very solid for Van. Remember that game at home when Luongo got injured and Cooke got thrown out of the game on the 1st shift, then Sanford came in and was dominant. That was a weird game.

10. Moq

    Jul 6, 10:24 AM

    I don’t think people realize that signing a quality defencemen for less than $2M, which I believe to be the absolute maximum (and it’s probably closer to $1.5M), isn’t that likely. Of course, the decision depends on their faith in Lovejoy. But it would be rather foolish to deposit all salary cap maneuverability in a defenceman before the season starts.

    My choice would be someone like Vaananen, Semenov, or Aaron Johnson. I didn’t even consider Johnson until mentioned here. He seems like a good physical complement to a third pairing. There’s also Kurtis Foster even though he’s been injured and labeled as more of an offensive defenceman with powerplay abilities. Shero is probably looking for someone with solid defensive skills.

    The choice of backup goaltender seems like an open race. Apart from Tellquist, who has signed in Europe, the rest appears to be sensible options in a limited role. In my opinion, Brent Johnson, Yann Danis and Kevin Weekes would be good competition for John Curry.

11. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 6, 10:28 AM

    @Albert, the $3 mil left isn’t going to be enough to sign a big name defender. Any signing will have to be marginal, at best.

    @Justin, you appear to have forgotten Jay McKee, who seems to be the Pens’ primary target right now — if you believe the Post Gazette and Dave Molinari, who has mentioned him specifically in at least four articles. I’m not sure what to think of Lovejoy. He’s a quality defender who needs to be playing every night. To me, he’s either an every day defenseman in the NHL or he’s returned to the AHL and called upon as a seventh NHL defender. My money is on him returning to the AHL — and that’s just based on the talk from those close to the Penguins, who keep saying McKee and others are being pursued.

    @Diz, Goligoski, to me, has the inside track on a starting job. He wasn’t signed to a $1.8 million contract to sit in the press box. The team has high hopes for him and has seen him enough in the NHL to have a good read on what he’s capable of. I think he will end up being an every day defenseman. And Lovejoy may end up being the same — but his chances aren’t nearly as good, seeing as how he has played fewer NHL games and the Pens appear to be seeking a veteran defender.

    @Scotty, good one :)

    @Toe, maybe that’s the idea? Sign a cheap guy to compete with Lovejoy. Sometimes a healthy competition between two players is better than having one above average player. (By the way, just playing devil’s advocate here — I tend to agree with you)

    @Mbizzle, rumors floating around last week were that Beauchemin’s choice destination would be Pittsburgh. I’m sure that was the case for a lot of the free agents out there, seeing as how they’re the defending champs. The question is, if that is true, is he willing to accept a $2 or $2.5 million salary? It’s at least worth monitoring at this point, considering he’s still unsigned. As for Salei, in my eyes he isn’t worth the $3 mil. If they were going to pay that much on a player, they should have retained Scuderi.

    @Sprjudd, keep in mind that WBS has seven defenseman signed to NHL contracts, and that isn’t even including Lovejoy, who remains an unrestricted free agent and may or may not play in the NHL, and two guys signed to AHL-only deals. Unless Lovejoy jumps to the NHL and a few guys bump to the ECHL, I really see them signing no more AHL defenders.

    I, too, share the concern over a Lovejoy-Goligoski pairing. Which is kind of why I think he may end up starting in WBS and being the first call-up.

    Remember, Shero typically carries a bare-bones roster of 21 players instead of the maximum 23. Right now, they have 13 forwards, 5 defenseman and 1 goalie. That’s 19 players, and we know a goalie must be added, bringing us to 20 players. The Pens very well may carry no extra defensemen.

    @Moq, my pick to compete with Curry would be Johnson. I always liked him.

12. Justin Maffei

    Jul 6, 10:32 AM

    Matt, It is true that Jay McKee is being looked at. The article above only includes players who made $1M or under last season.

13. Moq

    Jul 6, 10:51 AM

    Personally, I don’t believe in the likelihood of signing McKee. Even though he was overpaid in his last contract, and now has buyout money on the way, I don’t think he’ll accept a dramatic paycut to play in Pittsburgh. If rumours are to be believed, there are quite a few interested teams. That should push the price beyond our range, especially if there’s security in terms of several years.

    With Gonchar and Letang extensions coming up, I don’t see Shero signing someone expensive for more than one year, and who among the candidates would accept that?

14. SprJudd

    Jul 6, 10:57 AM

    @Matt – I’d tend to agree with Brent Johnson being a solid choice for a backup position, but since he didn’t play after the hip surgery, I am not convinced. Also, I’d like somebody who could carry the load in the event of a long-term Fleury injury – and I’m not sure Brent Johnson could do that. Marc Denis has been a starter before (for Columbus, I believe) and I seem to recall Curtis Sanford has held that role in St. Louis. Nolan Schaefer has been a starter in the AHL ranks as well. All three of those guys have shown an ability to withstand the rigors of starting day in and day out. Johnson hasn’t done that for years.

    As far as the AHL defensive situation goes, I forgot all about how many guys they’ve got signed for the WBS roster. So staying away from Yonkman would probably be smart unless they are absolutely convinced he can be successful at the NHL level. But if Lovejoy does start the season in WBS, I still think Andrew Alberts or Aaron Johnson would be the best pickup – Alberts more so than Johnson. The Pens don’t have much physicality on the blueline after Orpik and a smallish Letang. I really do believe the Pens need more nastiness on the defense – especially given some of the teams within their own division.

    And for anybody who thinks grit and toughness on the blueline is overrated, look at the Washington Capitals. I hate them with a passion and was glad to see it, but I was completely stunned that they had nobody putting Sid on his wallet in front of the net in the playoffs. Lack of snarl cost the Caps dearly last year and will continue to cost them this year.

15. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 6, 11:01 AM

    @Justin, my bad. I didn’t read your front page teaser.

    @Moq, you may very well be right. But I don’t see Shero being too actively involved in signing a player who seems an unrealistic possibility. I actually think McKee may be a guy willing to accept a lesser contract, and here’s why: he’s got a damaged reputation right now, what with being bought out and all. By signing with Pittsburgh, he has an opportunity to showcase himself on a proven winner. By signing for one year at, say $1.75 mil, he’ll still be making nearly $3 mil this season. On top of that, he’ll have a chance ton win the Stanley Cup. This is precisely what Fedotenko has chosen to do this year. Sign for less on a Cup contender and hope to win big at season’s end and at free agency’s start.

    @Sprjudd, valid point regarding the addition of a proven starter. Fleury has had injuries in his past, and it may be wise to bring in someone who can handle an extended role, should Curry falter.

    Aaron Johnson is a restricted free agent with Chicago. The only likely way to obtain his services is through a trade, as I doubt Shero will sign him to an offer sheet. And I definitely agree that snarl is needed. Shero knows this, and I’m willing to bet he addresses it.

16. Justin Maffei

    Jul 6, 11:07 AM

    According to Sportsnet and Sportscity Aaron Johnson is an UFA.

17. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 6, 11:24 AM

    James Mirtle and TSN have him as one of 20 players who filed for arbitration.

18. Justin Maffei

    Jul 6, 11:25 AM

    That is aggravating haha

19. bag o' pucks

    Jul 6, 11:48 AM

    @Matt. Lovejoy isn’t UFA, the Pens qualified him. He’s RFA. And it’s possible that he ends up with a one-way contract out of it. His RFA number is $.9625M, which is too high for a guy who may well spend a lot of time in the press box.

    Shero’s leverage to bring that number down is a one-way deal. Hypothetically, if they decide he’s ready for full-time NHL duty, Shero could sign him to a one-way deal in the neighborhood or $.6 or $.65M, and save about $300-360K on the cap.

    If that’s the route taken, Lovejoy may spend time in the pressbox, but that may not be the worst thing for him. He’ll be practicing with the big club, he will see some action, and would be well acclimated to jump in and play once the first injury hits.

    That said, the Pens still need one more solid NHL defender. The WB/S blueline is tentatively set w/ Lee, Guenin, Engelland, D’Aversa, Grant, Strait, Bortuzzo.

20. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 6, 12:02 PM

    @Bag, slip of words on my part. Good catch. Lovejoy is a restricted free agent.

    Even if he signs a one-way deal, he may find himself in the AHL, assuming he hasn’t surpassed the point where he needs to clear waivers.

21. bag o' pucks

    Jul 6, 12:06 PM

    @Justin. Nathan Oystrick is a guy who fits your criteria, also. He played for Atlanta last year. 26yrs, 6’0, 215lbs, 53g, 4-8-12, 50pims, -2 (not bad for Atlanta, really). The previous two seasons he played in Chicago (AHL), scored a combined 90pts, was +25, with 217pims. Those were good Chicago clubs and he fit right in.
    09-10 was his first full-time jump to the NHL.

    @Matt. Yep, waivers are the key. Fletcher loves the guy and would claim him in a heartbeat.

22. SprJudd

    Jul 6, 12:42 PM

    I think the biggest question is going to be how much wiggle room under the salary cap Ray Shero would like to have. There were a few NHL teams which didn’t have the wiggle room to call up AHL players to replace injured regulars in the lineup last season. Unless an injured player can be placed on the long-term injured reserve list (or something like that), his salary is still counted against the cap. If the Pens sign any of the players we’re talking about and leave themselves with, say, $400K under the cap, that won’t even be enough to call up an AHL replacement for Max Talbot.

23. Moq

    Jul 6, 01:11 PM

    If I’m not mistaken, Lovejoy is eligible for arbitration. Today is the deadline for club-elected arbitration. Probably not that likely to happen.

    @SPRJUDD, don’t forget that the salary is prorated. An AHL callup for a month wouldn’t exceed $150K. But I think you’re right about Shero being reluctant to prop himself against the salary cap from the start of the season. If he’s going with a barebone 21 man roster, it’ll prevent the occasional call-up of youngsters, which I suspect will be a priority.

24. Justin Maffei

    Jul 6, 01:13 PM

    @Bag, I included only UFAs. However, as Matt spotted, Sportsnet was off on some of their FA classifications. They have Oystrick listed as an RFA which is why I did not consider him.

25. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 6, 01:19 PM

    @Sprjudd, to add to what Moq said above, here are things to consider…

    1. Players’ salaries are divided up by days and are only counted against the cap for the days they are in the NHL. So, if a player is called up in December, the team doesn’t need to have enough cap space for his entire salary, just the balance of it. Then, when he returns to the AHL, the cap hit is gone — of course, aside from the days he spent in the NHL.

    2. When a player is injured, his cap hit can be taken off the books for the time in which he is injured. This is called long term injured reserves. It allows the team to replace the injured player without worrying about his cap hit. The problem with this is that the team has to comply with the cap when bringing in a replacement and when the injured player comes off LTIR. In other words, if the Pens place Talbot on LTIR, they can promote a player from the AHL or sign a player from free agency to fill his roster spot and his cap space. When Talbot returns, though, the Penguins would have to comply to the cap, which likely would involve demoting the replacement player.

    Now, I highly doubt Shero will put the team in so much of a bind that they have no room for call-ups. In fact, Shero is known to carry a minimal roster — generally 21 players. That means we’re likely to see a defenseman and (definitely) a goalie added to the mix. After that, my guess is one extra forward will be carried. In other words, we’ll likely see: 13 forwards, 6 defensemen, 2 goalies. That has been Shero’s formula for the past few years. That alone will allow for cap space savings and promotions as the season progresses.

26. doug

    Jul 6, 01:24 PM

    Alexei Semenov would do alot to solve the D issues….picture a nimble ,fighting Hal Gil who can even add a goal or two
    he’d be on my first of options

27. SprJudd

    Jul 6, 01:29 PM

    @Matt – I believe there’s a minimum amount of time a player is required to be out of the lineup before their salary can be exempt by Long Term Injured Reserve. If I recall correctly, a player must be out for a minimum of 30 days (or at least initially diagnosed as being out for that long) before their salary is temporarily bumped from the books. I am no capologist and I could very well be wrong, but I thought that’s the case. So having wiggle room is important for players who may be out 2-3 weeks instead of 1 month or more.

    Please, somebody correct me if I am wrong because I don’t want to be saying anything incorrect and treating it like it’s the gospel truth.

28. Moq

    Jul 6, 01:35 PM

    If Talbot misses 10 games and 24 days he’ll qualify for LTIR.

    His cap hit still counts against the salary cap, but the Penguins would be allowed to exceed that limit by Talbots prorated salary while injured if that became necessary.

29. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 6, 01:41 PM

    @Doug, I know little about Semenov, but if what you say is true, he sounds good.

    @Sprjudd, I believe you are correct with what you say. For the shorter-term injuries, we’re looking at maybe $100,000 for a month’s duties. Shero certainly will be leaving wiggle room, and one way he will do so is by having a bare-bones roster and calling up players as needed — rather than paying them to ride the pine.

    @Moq, right on!

30. FDeuce

    Jul 6, 01:50 PM

    i wouldnt mind seeing nittymaki backup fleury, but for a smaller price than the $1.25 million he made last year. maybe somewhere in the $800k range. i wouldnt be surprised if dupuis got traded to free up some cap space, but then again shero usually doesnt make a big splash during free agency he’s better at the deadline.

31. bag o' pucks

    Jul 6, 01:50 PM

    @Justin. Atlanta declined to qualify Oystrick, thus, he’s RFA.

    @Moq. Even if Lovejoy were eligible for arbitration he has no NHL experience (a three-game cup of coffee aside). Therefore, he has virtually no case to present at an arbitration hearing. Not to mention the animosity often engendered in such cases and, in this one, with the franchise who picked him off the scrap heap and may be giving him his first NHL job. Lovejoy filing would have been a very bad career move.

32. bag o' pucks

    Jul 6, 01:51 PM

    @Justin. Edit: Oystrick is UFA.

33. doug

    Jul 6, 01:58 PM

    @matt…I watched enough sharks games to get a good feel for the guy.He moves well to support the speed of San Jose,yet will use his body size to his advantage.At his currnt pay grade, plus playing for a contender…i’d say we could get him at just about 1 mil a year.

34. Chubz

    Jul 6, 01:59 PM

    if melichar comes back, im giving up my season tickets.

35. Moq

    Jul 6, 02:00 PM

    @Pucks. It’s too late for Lovejoy to file for arbitration, but the club can file for arbitration as well. The deadline for that is today. But I don’t think it’s very likely unless negotiations have reached an untenable point where no progress is possible, and as you say, it can generate unnecessary animosity. I just felt obligated to mention the remote possibility.

36. bag o' pucks

    Jul 6, 02:05 PM

    @Moq. Yes, I misread your post regarding club-elected arbitration. My bad. You’re right, remote possibility, but worth mentioning.

37. James

    Jul 6, 02:55 PM

    Why not resign Boucher for $1.5 mil? Projected over a full season, Boucher would have 160 hits and 190 blocked shots and still has on offensive upside…and he is a right-handed shooter.

    I don’t think Talbot is a top six wing, and should not be on Malkin’s line. Unload Dupuis and Eaton for some draft picks. Bring back Sykora for $1.8 mil. So the guy went through a slump. I can’t believe he has hit the wall at age 31. Mark Recchi went through a slump at the start of the 2007 season and the Penguins waived him; last season, he scored 61 points.

    There would still be money left to make an offer to Beauchemin, McKee, or Boyton. I would also like to see Ben Lovejoy get a shot a making the team. The Penguins don’t seem to want to give their prospects a chance. Pesonen is a good example. They brought him up for five games and an average of six minutes playing time. How is the guy supposed to do anything with that? Now they are going to let him go (he wants to stay), and all he did was lead WBS in scoring last season.

    One more item: Eric Godard useless. Shero wants to keep him, but ¾ million for a guy who plays less than five minutes per game and whose sole purpose is to fight is ridiculous. What did Godard do to help the Penguins win the Stanley Cup? He did nothing; he was a scratch for the entire post-season.

38. Eric Politowski

    Jul 6, 03:53 PM

    Curry will be our back-up goalie.

    Hopefully we sign McKee or Tollefsen to be our #6 defenseman.

    Shero already said that Dupuis and Godard are staying, him and Rupp bring different physical elements

39. bag o' pucks

    Jul 6, 04:43 PM

    @James. Dupuis likely won’t be dealt now that Talbot is out for the first month of the season. Besides, what motiviation does another club have for, via trade, helping the Stanley Cup Champs out of a bit of cap bind? The fewer options the Pens have helps every other club out there.

    The Pens already are investigating McKee. Pesonen isn’t a prospect, never was, at 26-yrs old (last summer) he was an audition. With Feds returning, there’s no need for Pesonen. Lovejoy probably will make the team, so will Curry. What prospects didn’t get a shot? Taffe? Minard? Mormina? They weren’t prospects, either, just minor league depth. This is the first year you’ll see Shero’s prospect pool fill out since he took over. In addition to Caputi, Jeffrey & Johnson, you’ll see Tangradi, Zabotel, Grant, Bortuzzo, Strait, Thiessen, Haddad, Petersen in WB/S. That’s why you’re seeing a lot of one-year deals in Pittsburgh (Tenk, Guerin, Eaton with one left). Those guys will be replaced with whomever performs the best over the next season + two camps. Shero has given us zero reason to question his methods.

    Godard fills an important role with the team. Philly, for example, now has Cote, Asham, Carcillo, Laperierre, Hartnell, Pronger, etc. Who would you have do the fisticuffs when things get nasty, or are you doubtful that there will be fireworks in the Pens-Flyers games this season? What Godard did to help the Pens win the Stanley Cup was take an awful lot of lumps during an 82-gm season that his team mates didn’t have to so they’d be that much healthier when the playoffs started. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just clueless.

40. mbizzle

    Jul 6, 05:22 PM

    @ Bag O pucks,

    U are dead on balls accurate. When things get nasty this season with not only Philly’s fighters (asham, cote, laperriere, carcillo, pronger) but how about NYRs with Avery/Brashear and now Toronto with Orr/exelby/komisarek/Mayers. You need guys like Godard who actually do their job, unlike Laraque who was always friendly and would say good luck before every fight. Even though he would dominate most fights, he wasn’t a guy who’d stand up when something would happen to our stars.

    To name a few occassions involving Godard: Game godard mouthed off with Gomez then Orr stopped hitting Sid, Game where Valabik hit Geno hard/there was a shot on FSN of godard asking Geno who hit him, next shift Godard goes after Valabik, and the final moment was in TB when Talbot was being chased by Koci, then eventually Koci ended up in Godard’s arms and the two tango-ed.

    Rupp adds a physical element that the Pens don’t have. A big guy who can hit and skate and screen the goalie. Things Malone used to do, but obv. Rupp isn’t that good but he can fight better than Malone. Rupp won’t be doing as much of the enforcing as he will be using his size/skill to help screen the goalie/win faceoffs. Rupp used to be on the Devils top 6 only a couple years ago so he knows how to play.

41. Justin Maffei

    Jul 6, 06:11 PM

    Just an FYI, G Andrew Raycroft has signed with Vancouver, according to TSN.

42. Moq

    Jul 6, 08:36 PM

    Ghostbusters!

    (Well, I resisted long enough :-)

43. Justin Maffei

    Jul 6, 11:09 PM

    haha thanks moq

44. tom

    Jul 7, 10:31 PM

    the guy who makes the most sense to me for the pens to sign is andrew alberts. since pronger plays for the flyers now, there will be limited oppurtunity for a big defensive defenseman like him. but he is just what the pens sorely need. i thought he played very well against stall in the playoffs, he is big and aggresive. he made 1.25 mill last year, not out of the question for the pens.

45. Justin Maffei

    Jul 7, 10:33 PM

    I don’t know why I did not include him, but what about Jassen Cullimore? According to James Mirtle, he does pretty well on the PK. He’s 6’5” 220lbs and skates well. He’s not overly physical though.

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