Pens' Playoff Push '08-'09

[PghSteel-43]

It's amazing what can happen when you give the best player in the world some half-decent talent.

[DCSteelers]

I don't think there is any question now that Rob Scuderi should be the #1 off-season prioirty, with Hal Gill a close second. 

It'd be nice to keep most of the team together with another 1-yr for Fedentenko and Guerin....  I don't know if the team will target a Hossa-esque FA to put with Kunitz and Sid next year.

[Merman1983]

I don't think there is any question now that Rob Scuderi should be the #1 off-season prioirty, with Hal Gill a close second. 

It'd be nice to keep most of the team together with another 1-yr for Fedentenko and Guerin....  I don't know if the team will target a Hossa-esque FA to put with Kunitz and Sid next year.

I dunno, I think Scuderi might have priced himself out of the Penguins plans with his performance this postseason (say that three times fast). Free agent defensemen got overpayed during the last free agency period, and I see Scuderi being "that guy" this offseason. He is a very good player, but I see NY or one of the teams that made a run at Orpik last season going overboard.

This team is going to have alot of holes to fill, including resigning Letang long term. I also believe Goligoski is a UFA, correct me if I'm wrong. Fedontenko, Guerin, Sykora (bye-bye), Satan (bye-bye), Gill are going to need resigned/replaced.

The Geno and Stall extensions kick in next year as well, and the salary cap is not going up as much as it did in the past. I doubt we see a Hossa or Havlat type signing due to this (we can dream though).

This team is going to go through this every single offseason, we just have to hope that a combination of the right free agent signings and player development can compliment the big boys who thankfully we already have locked up.



But fuck all this offseason talk, we have a cup to win.

[PghSteel-43]

I don't think there is any question now that Rob Scuderi should be the #1 off-season prioirty, with Hal Gill a close second.  

It'd be nice to keep most of the team together with another 1-yr for Fedentenko and Guerin....  I don't know if the team will target a Hossa-esque FA to put with Kunitz and Sid next year.

I completely agree about Scuderi and I think we will resign him in the offseason for a few reasons...

1- If he were an offensive defenseman who put up crazy points this year, I could maybe understand a team going out of their way to put up some crazy money.  Will there be teams who may top our offer?  I'm sure, but...  

2- I think the guy truly wants to remain a Penguin.  See Brooks Orpik as an example, who could have easily made more money elsewhere after his playoff showing last season (Los Angeles).

3- He's on a team that has made it to the Stanley Cup finals for two years straight.  Scuderi doesn't strike me as the type of guy who will go to Philly, LA or NYC for a few extra more bucks.  It's not all about the "bling" with Scuderi in my opinion.

I'm sure the Penguins will have money set aside for Scuderi in the offseason.  If there is one defenseman on this team who may receive more money than we are willing to pay is Hal Gill.  I feel he will be gone, along with Garon, Boucher, Satan and probably Sykora.  At least that's what I'm hoping in order to free up a solid chunk of change.  We also have the option of letting guys like Pesonen, Minard, Taffe and Zigomanis walk in order to free up some cash if we wish to do so.

Depending on if he wants to continue his NHL career and depending on if we want to keep him around, I can see Guerin sticking around if we throw $3.0-$3.5 in his direction.  After watching the way he has shown up in these playoffs and how he handles himself away from the ice, I would do it.  Fedotenko should stick around for around $2.0-$2.5 I would have to believe.  Once again, that's if we wish to resign either of them.  If not, that's more money to add to the FA signing pot.  

While I have been pleasantly surprised by Gill's play this season, if another team is willing to give him more money I wouldn't even bother getting into a contract battle.  He's not exactly a Spring chicken nor does he play defense like Rob Scuderi or Brooks Orpik.  Plus we are going to have to make room for Goligoski and eventually Lovejoy.  While they are restricted free agents, I would also attempt to get Goligoski, Curry and Lovejoy locked up in the offseason.

It should be a very intersting offseason.  While I'm not expecting the Penguins to grab a Marian Hossa-type player in the offseason, there are good players to be had in the $3.0-$4.5 range.  Those are the type of players I'm expecting the Penguins to target, guys in the Kunitz/Sykora price range.  Depending on how much money we free up, I see no reason why we wouldn't have enough to grab one or possibly two.

[PghSteel-43]

Found this today fwiw.  It's Buccigross' take on our upcoming offseason decisions...

John,

With another possible Stanley Cup run, what do you think the Penguins will do this offseason? Who do they let go and re-sign? Their significant free agents are:

Hal Gill
Rob Scuderi
Petr Sykora
Miroslav Satan
Bill Guerin
Ruslan Fedotenko
Philippe Boucher

With Sergei Gonchar's contract expiring in 2010, do we try to re-sign him short-term or leave Alex Goligoski to fill those shoes? Despite the expected drop in the salary cap, do you think the Pens have the ability to go after a big free-agent winger to play alongside Crosby, say a Marian Gaborik? What do you anticipate them doing in the offseason and how do you see themselves improving in the draft?

Mike
Hartford

Hal Gill: The Penguins will likely not re-sign Gill unless he is a last resort. His $2 million number is about right, but his foot speed is really at the point where he is close to being too slow. He has played pretty well though this postseason.

Rob Scuderi: He is 30 years old and has found a nice niche with the Penguins. I would think he would basically take Gill's $2 million salary. I could see Scuderi getting a three-year, $6 million contract.

Petr Sykora: He only turns 33 this fall and has been a dependable mid-20s goal scorer for the Penguins at only $2.5 million. There is chance he could return, but I think the Penguins would like to get younger and faster at the winger position.

Miroslav Satan: He made $3.5 million this season. I doubt he will be back except as a last resort. He is a low-impact player in the playoffs.

Bill Guerin: I think Guerin will retire. He probably could score 15-20 goals and is a smart, experienced player. I suppose he could find a team to pay him around $2 million a year, but he has a young family and, at some point, he would like to stop moving around. He has played on five teams in three seasons and has had a great career. Then again, people live a long time and I suppose it would behoove one to take a $2 million contract until people stop giving them to you. The Penguins would only sign him at a low number.

Ruslan Fedotenko: I think Fedotenko has a chance to stay. He is only 30 and has had a nice postseason for Pittsburgh. I wouldn't give him any more than $2.5 million a year and three years. But he probably could be replaced by a young player at a small cap number and one wouldn't see a major difference.

Philippe Boucher: If he takes around $2 million a year, it is possible. Boucher is a fifth-sixth defenseman who can step up in case of injury and play some power plays.

All of these decisions are also based on how the Penguins plan to spend their $8 million of cap room. The cap will likely come down to about $55 million next season and could drop again to around $50 million in 2010-11. That has to be part of the plan. Do the Penguins try to sign a $5 million player and then fill the gaps with players at smaller salaries? Or do they spread the money out to get more predictable depth?

If they have lots of trust in some young or international players at a small number, they can take a run at Havlat if he fits under the cap. Sergei Gonchar's $5 million does come off the books after next season. As the cap falls, it makes it harder for the Penguins to carry two $8.7 million cap numbers in Crosby and Malkin. You could see Crosby's next contract being one of those 10-12 year deals that is frontloaded to get his cap number down and help build a deeper team.

All of this illustrates how important the drafting and development of an organization is, especially among players not taken in the first round.