Now that the season has ended, everyone's minds turn to free agency. Here are my suggestions on what the Pens should do...although they probably won't listen to me.
1. Billy G- Although he started the season strong, he seemed a little worse for wear towards the end of the season. I think that after next year, he won't have anything left in the tank. Should the Pens keep him? I think so, but pay him no more than 1 million, and only sign him for one more year.
2. Fedostanko- Let him walk. He doesn't add anything to the team, and his numbers this year were awful. Some people may argue that he steps it up in the playoffs, but that was more of an argument last year. This year he had no points and was a -3 in 6 games. Absolutely not worth the 1.8 million he got this year. Dump him.
3. Matt Cooke- Re-sign him for 1 million per year for 2 years. The team needs a good agitator, and he is one of the best in the league.
4. Ponikarovsky- Get rid of him. So far, he's been one of the worst trades Ray Shero has made. I can't believe that they traded the Mob Boss (Luca Caputi) for his worthless ass. A 2.5 million dollar contract last year!? You have got to be kidding me.
5. Gonch- This one has been debated the most of all. While, like Billy G, he ran out of steam by the end of the season, there is no arguing that he brought a lot to the power play this year, and the power play needs as much help as it can get. He carries a hefty price tag though, and with his age, might tank out this season. So is he worth the risk? I say no.
6. Mark Eaton- I believe he is one of the most underrated players on the team, along with Craig Adams (one of my favorites). There are simply no statistics that will show how much of a difference his defensive play makes. Is he worth the 2 million per year that he has been getting? To be honest, I'm on the fence about the salary. I am not on the fence, however, on what he brings to the team. Re-sign him, but I'm not sure for how much.
7. Jay McKee- He brings size to the lineup, but I think the Pens would be better off bringing someone up from the minors than re-signing him.
8. Jordan Leopold- I've liked what I've seen from him this year, and I think he's a good fit for the team. Re-sign him for 1.5 million per year for 3 years.
9. Ben Lovejoy- He's an unrestricted free agent IV (as I mentioned in a previous post, I'm not quite sure what that means, and I haven't been able to find any more info on it). Please, please, please re-sign him and bring him up this year. I think he is a fantastic defenseman (which the Pens need badly), and I believe this could be his breakout season. I have high hopes for him. Give him half a million for one year, and if he does a good job (which I'm sure he will), resign him to a longer contract worth more money.
So there you have it. But I'm not a GM, so we'll have to wait and see how things pan out before July 1st.
* All salary information can be found at NHL Numbers.
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3 comments:
I agree with everything you said here with one exception. I think Gonchar is still a necessary component of the team. Despite his production decline and his absence in the playoffs, he is still the key to the Pens defense.
I had such high hopes for that Poni trade but he just proved me a liar. They gave up way too much to get him and now they have nothing to show for it. It will be an interesting next couple weeks.
Poni bombed big time. I cut him some slack at first because of the injuries and line shuffling, but geez. You've got to do something eventually!
I'd particularly like to see them keep Eaton, Leopold, and Lovejoy. (At sensible prices of course.) Matt Cooke too, I think he's more valuable than most people give him credit for.
dogfacedgremlin- I agree that Gonch is an important part of the team, but I'm just wondering if his salary may be a bit high.
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