Pens Offer McKee Contract
Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins
Jul 9, 05:04 PM | Hype this story!
The Pittsburgh Penguins appear to be one step closer to adding a veteran defenseman to their blueline.
According to Andy Strickland of HockeyBuzz.com, the Penguins are among three teams that have offered stay-at-home defenseman Jay McKee a contract.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators also have made a pitch, while the Buffalo Sabres remain interested.
Per Strickland, the defenseman is expected to make a decision soon.
McKee, 32, was bought out by the St. Louis Blues earlier this offseason and has been linked to the Penguins since the start of free agency by Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, so the news of an offered contract comes as no surprise.
With just under $3 million in cap space , the Penguins project to need at least two more players — a defenseman and a backup goaltender — though it is entirely possible the team will decide to carry a seventh defenseman, making their cap situation even more complex.
Defenseman Nick Boynton, a comparable player to McKee, today signed with the Anaheim Ducks, agreeing to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. One would think McKee, who already will be earning more than $1 million in buyout money, will sign on similar terms.
More on this story as it develops…
Comments
bag o' pucks
Jul 9, 04:58 PM
Ales Kotalik signed with the Rags, 3-yrs at $1M per. That’s good value for a 20-goal scorer.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jul 9, 05:08 PM
@Pucks, I’m hearing it is a $9 million contract over three years. I could be wrong — but this would seem a bit more in line with Sather’s overspending ways.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jul 9, 05:10 PM
Confirmation at TSN. Three-year, $9 million for Kotalik. I am not all that familiar with him, but from what I can recall seeing during his Buffalo days, he’s a Petr Sykora type — plenty of offense, but not much else.
bag o' pucks
Jul 9, 05:13 PM
I just saw that at ESPN. Idiots at TSN were the ones who first reported it as 3-yr, $3M. Wonder what the McKee deal looks like.
KG
Jul 9, 05:26 PM
A lot of McKee talk, I wouldn’t surprised to see him sign today/tomorrow with someone, hopefully us…He would fit in perfectly. I’m sure Shero is telling him the same thing. Have a chance to win the cup and then cash in next year etc. etc…
McKee is better then Boynton. Boynton signed for $1.5MM. McKee at $1.75MM is fair…
KG
Jul 9, 05:32 PM
If the cap hit is manageable. I’d even go 2 years for McKee. He is young enough and is mobile enough to play an up-tempo system, like he did in Buffalo. Plus, Eaton is a UFA after this year…
I am high on McKee. He would be a very solid replacement for Scuderi, at a fraction of the cost (hopefully)...
Matt Bodenschatz
Jul 9, 05:36 PM
@KG, Boynton brings more in terms of physicality and offense, while McKee brings more in terms of defense. They’re close in overall talent. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a very similar contract.
I’m not sure I’d go more than a year, especially with the cap likely coming down and the need to re-sign Letang and Gonchar. If the cap comes down as it is expected to, a guy like McKee may be worth less than he is right now. Same goes for Eaton and other no-flash defensemen who are set to become free agents. In other words, it isn’t unreasonable to think the Penguins could sign him now at one price and re-sign him at a more affordable rate in a year.
SprJudd
Jul 9, 05:39 PM
@KG – While he is mobile and a decent defender, the problem with McKee is that he’s injury prone. And while he may be young in the real world, 32 isn’t exactly a spring chicken in professional sports.
@Matt – I thought that due to McKee’s age he gets 2/3 of the remaining salary on a contract. If I remember correctly, players under 26 (or 27) get 1/3 of the remaining salary while players over that age get 2/3. If I am correct, hopefully the $2.67M he’s pocketing from the Blues will lower his salary demands even more.
bag o' pucks
Jul 9, 05:43 PM
@Sprjudd. You’re correct, it’s 2/3 of his remaining salary, but St. Louis can split the money owed, and the remaining cap hit, over two years.
SprJudd
Jul 9, 05:50 PM
@Pucks – Again, please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe buyouts work like this:
Under 26-27: Player receives 1/3 of remaining money.
Over 26-27: Player receives 2/3 of remaining money.
Salary Cap Hit: Regardless of players age, annual cap it is halved while term doubles (i.e. – if a player is bought out with 2 years remaining at $2M per season, the buyout then counts as $1M against the cap for 4 years).
Can anybody tell me if that’s correct, because that is my understanding? And Pucks, I apologize if I misunderstood what you typed and just typed out the complicated version of what you said.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jul 9, 05:59 PM
@Sprjudd/Pucks, buyouts aren’t my area of expertise, so I’ll refrain from getting involved in this one. Where’s Moq when you need him? He seems to know the rulebook inside and out.
Moq
Jul 9, 06:01 PM
If a player – 26 or older – has two years left at $2M a piece, then it’s:
(2/3 * 4M)/4 = $0.67M per year for four years.
That is, two-thirds of remaining salary spread over twice the length of remaining contract years.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jul 9, 06:04 PM
Wow, right on cue, Moq. Very nice!
bag o' pucks
Jul 9, 06:15 PM
Well, that’s what I said!! =)
Flyers attorneys are already debating with the league over the final two year of Pronger’s deal. Philly mgmt was under the impression that because he signed the deal at 34, when Pronger retires (presumably after five of the seven years of that deal), the remaining two years drop off the books.
The league has informed the Flyers that they are on the hook for a $5M cap hit for all seven years, regardless of whether Pronger retires or not. I suppose they could buy those last two seasons out and take a $2.5 cap hit over four years. Either way, the Flyers did not understand this portion of the CBA before inking Pronger.
This made me smile.
Moq
Jul 9, 06:18 PM
I should mention that the $0.67M is also the cap hit each year. Had the salary varied, say 2.5M+1.5M instead of 2M+2M, the cap hits would have been: 0.17M, 1.17M, 0.67M, and 0.67M instead.
You can buyout a 35+ player just to save salary, but the cap hit stays the same. In Pronger’s case close to $5M.
bag o' pucks
Jul 9, 06:20 PM
Excellent. I was uncertain about the buyout of a 35+ player. The Flyers may have really crippled themselves…in six years, granted. But it will still be funny.
Moq
Jul 9, 06:28 PM
A buyout, which is the same as contract termination, is always an option. Neither NTC or NMC can protect a player. There are some special circumstances concerning NMC and buyouts as with the buyout of 35+ players, but it’s outside the topic of this comment section, I hope ;-).
Capgeek.com has incorporated the simple buyout formula in a designated calculator, so that you can check the consequences on existing players.
mbizzle
Jul 9, 06:29 PM
Hey guys,
enough of this math stuff MOQ, you’re confusing me. But Yah, Mckee would be worth it, especially with this buyout biznass.
Although Mckee is a great defensive defenseman, I think we already have that type of guy in Mark Eaton. Eaton plays a similar style to Mckee, but Mckee is a bit more physical. I think Boynton would’ve been a better fit seeing what type of defense the Pens exactly need.
Why not Dennis Seidenberg? He’s young, hits likes a frake train, picks his spots well, and is excellent in transition. I like Alberts, I think he’d be cheaper then Seids, but he’s also slower/dumber/and not as good in transition. I think it’s important to get some D-men who are good at that, especially with the style of play the Pens have.
Seidenberg had 30 pts this past year but everyone keeps mentioning him as a physical guy and a good hitter, that just tells you how well-rounded he is. Seids can also play the point on the PP, I wouldn’t mind seeing the Pens improve their 2nd PP, which has been non-existent the past 3 years. Mainly though, Seids is just a good defender who’s on the rise. What money do you think he’d command?
Semenov is a better version of Alberts and a better fighter. He looks like Boris Valabik of the Thrashers but meaner. He also looks like the Russian villains in the old James Bond movies. I think it’s important that the Pens get a D-men similar to Gill. His size/reach will be missed as slow as he is, especially on the PK. That’s why I mention these big/physical guys who would be an upgrade over Gill. I think we already have a Scuderi his name is Eaton, therefore we don’t need Mckee.
TOM
Jul 9, 06:46 PM
i think alberts would be a great fit for the pens….they have plenty of speed and mobility on d…they need size and toughness to play against certain players like gill did….alberts palyed stall about as tough as anybody i have seen in playoffs….stall was rather quiet against philly…this guy is a good fit for the pens.
christopher knapp
Jul 9, 07:00 PM
the penguins should go afther marty reasoner and alberts that are good players
bag o' pucks
Jul 9, 07:15 PM
@mbizzle. I would guestimate that Shero is searching specifically for a partner for Goligoski. I don’t imagine the Gonchar-Orpik or Eaton-Letang pairings will change (at least I see no reason for them to change), so a steady veteran stay-home guy is what Shero is after. McKee fits the bill pretty well.
Doc Nagel
Jul 9, 07:17 PM
Semenov looked pretty inconsistent for San Jose the last couple years. He’d be more of a 7th defenseman. I think the Pens would be better off with Lovejoy than Semenov.
Am I remembering correctly that McKee was a key shot-blocker with the Sabres? That would be a major attraction for the Penguins, given they play that style in front of Fleury.
christopher knapp
Jul 9, 07:25 PM
howe about semenov and martin biron in goal that will be a good back for fleury mckee is a great players for the penguins
mbizzle
Jul 9, 07:57 PM
@CK, The Thrashers re-signed Reasonar and plus we don’t need anymore players like that. We are overloaded in the 3rd/4th lines with solid role players. For god sakes Dupuis is our trade bait, and Jeffrey/Wallace/Bissonette who are capable of playing on the 4th line this year will probably not even get in the lineup much.
Rupp is basically your Reasonar, but more physical and more effective. Both are good at faceoffs.
@ CK, are you German? I feel like you used freetranslation.com to type in that comment, but whatever I’m not hatin’
Marty Biron would be a nice backup and even starter on most teams, but he’d be one of the priciest backups. A luxury Shero doesn’t really have. Signing Biron would limit the number of Dollazzz that could go towards getting a solid defenseman.
Plus, we have Curry who’s a younger/cheaper option and he showed last year in the couple games that he played, that he’s capable of competing at this level.
Moq
Jul 9, 08:06 PM
There are still quite a few options, eg. Alberts, Vaananen, McKee, Alberts, Seidenberg, Cullimore, Semenov, and probably a few others. I haven’t watched each defencemen sufficiently to pick the best fit for Pittsburgh. Therefore I have no problem leaving the decision in the hands of Shero. My only satisfaction so far is that the likes of Foster and Boynton didn’t command lavish salaries, which leads me to believe that a signing won’t leave us completely impoverished.
In regards to Biron. His price tag is probably a bit too steep for a backup goaltender. There are a few legitimate options here as well, including Curry from within.
christopher knapp
Jul 9, 08:08 PM
yes I AM FULL GERMAN TRADE DUPUIS WE YOU GET GOOD PLAYERS FOR DUPUIS WE NEED SOME HELP ON D
mbizzle
Jul 9, 08:33 PM
@ MOQ, watch the Canes/Pens series, I thought Seidenberg was one of the only Cane D-men who played decently. All the others were awful. Including my favorite one Joe Corvo. He’s like the defenseman version of Kovalev b.c of how smooth and slick he is with the puck. Gleason was bad and Pitkanen was god awful.
I really like how good of a 2-way defenseman Seidenberg is. The Pens don’t have any guys who are good in both ends. Seids plays physical defense and has off. skillz. Gonchar is underrated defensively and I think Letang has improved dramatically the past year, but outside of them no one.
@ Knapp, LOLOLOL I can’t even comment on that.
christopher knapp
Jul 9, 08:42 PM
WE NEED D MEN TO HELP OUT FLEURY LEFT WING
christopher knapp
Jul 9, 08:52 PM
JOE CORVO IS A GREAT PLAYER I LIKE HIM VERY MUCH HE CAN HELP OUT THE PENGUINS ALOT AND HELP OUT FLEURY
christopher knapp
Jul 9, 09:03 PM
DID YOU LIKE THE PENGUINS DRAFT PICKS
Kel Varnsen
Jul 9, 09:24 PM
Dude, caps lock, hit it one more time and it will do wonders…McKee would be a real nice fit. Him and Lovejoy would nicely round out the top 7 and though different, I don’t think our D would drop off all that much from last year…it would be more mobile, at least.
christopher knapp
Jul 9, 09:31 PM
I AM HUGE PENGUINS FAN WHO IS THE BEST BACK UP FOR FLEURY
christopher knapp
Jul 9, 09:39 PM
DO YOU THINK THE PEGUINS MAKE TRADE SOMEPLAYERS AWAY
tom c
Jul 9, 10:15 PM
i’m the dude who posted about alberts…i will use last initial from now on…what do u guys think of albert?...seems like a ntural pick for the pens to me….no matter whether gill was slow or not, he was very effective against power forwards…the pens need a guy to take his place in front of the net
KG
Jul 9, 10:17 PM
1 year $800K is the reported deal from Andy Strickland
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Andy-Strickland/McKee-Signing-1-yr-Deal-In-Pitt/5/22059
Brilliant signing by Shero. McKee was getting a great pay day from St. Louis, he went for the winner now!
mbizzle
Jul 9, 10:32 PM
First of all, Wow what a signing if this ends up being $800k for Mckee. Seeing that the source is Strickland, it’s 99.9% true. Shero is a genius, again.
@Tom,
Mckee’s game involves a lot of aggressiveness. Search his name on youtube and you’ll see some big hits. He’s known as a pretty big hitter but I think that’s what lead to so many of his injuries, maybe not. Either way, at the price we just got him for, it’s a low risk/high reward type deal.
Mckee has never played on a team this good before. Sure the Sabres were very tough in the late 90s when he was there and he was a force to be reckon with. Since coming to the Blues his career has been up and down. Nevertheless, he’s not that old and IF he can stay healthy for most of the season you’re going to be loving Jay Mckee. Missing 5-10 games is fine, Gives more time for Lovejoy to play or someone else.
Superfan99
Jul 9, 10:50 PM
McKee’s ’08-09 stat line per Mirtle:
GP: 69
TOI: 13.53
QCMP: -0.03
GFON/60: 2.38
GAON/60: 1.99
Diff: 0.39
Solid numbers—probably the second or third best of the FA’s still out there (Alberts and Mara being slightly better). If it’s $800k, it’s a great signing—solid anchor for Goligoski to play next to. Under 70GP the past two seasons worries me, but even with the low game count, a bargain.
Matt Bodenschatz
Jul 9, 11:06 PM
@Tom, the link was to HockeyBuzz.com. There was no direct link at the time to the Strickland rumor, as it was on the front page of the site. As it turns out, McKee has signed with the Penguins. You won’t see bogus rumors on FF. You will see news from substantiated media outlets, and Strickland, the beat writer for the St. Louis Blues, fits the bill.
@Tom C, with McKee signed, I would assume the final spot goes to Lovejoy. Alberts likely is out of the equation.
@Mbizzle, McKee has played in an um-tempo system before — primarily in Buffalo — so his role in Pittsburgh won’t be new. I’ve known of McKee less as a big hitter and more as a sound positional defenseman who can/will hit, but focuses more on shot blocking. If he stays healthy, this is a great signing. If he gets injured, this remains a good signing. For his $800,000 pricetag, Shero couldn’t go wrong.
@Superfan, thanks for Mirtle’s stats. For those unaware, James Mirtle’s From the Rink blog is a must-read and is a daily stop for me.
christopher knapp
Jul 10, 09:46 AM
how about the sign alberts and a back for fleuty next
Dabich
Jul 10, 10:51 AM
The fact that Philly has friggin attorneys working on their fiasco tickles my funny bone immensely LOL! What total idiots.
christopher knapp
Jul 10, 04:13 PM
KEVIN WEEKES WILL BE A GOOD BACK FOR FLEURY
christopher knapp
Jul 14, 10:38 AM
I cant wait for hockey penguins have a guys in camp i saw it on my website
christopher knapp
Jul 15, 11:16 PM
penguins signs two players today ben lovejoy dmen tim wallce that are very good players
christopher knapp
Jul 16, 07:30 PM
hi guys penguin have tough schedule this year and the penguins will have a good team this year back to back stanley cup champions
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