Pens Ink Two, Name Assistant Coach

The Penguins signed 2 players over the last 3 days. They made their first trip into the open seas of Free Agency by signing veteran defenseman Mark Eaton. Eaton, who played the past 5 seasons with Nashville, is 6' 2" 212 lbs. When he broke into the league, he was more of an offensive player, but has concentrated on his defensive game recently. Eaton led the Preds with 170 blocked shots last year and averaged 5 minutes and 22 seconds of short handed time last season. He should bolster their penalty killing unit, a unit that was scored on regularly last season.

General Manager Ray Shero then signed the feisty Jarrko Ruutu away from the Vancouver Canucks. The 6' 2" 195 lb forward can play either wing and is known for his agitating style of play. Ruutu has been known to take a few too many penalties, but Shero seems to think that he will draw for more than he takes. The team is hoping that he can play a slightly bigger role than he did in Vancouver. He does have a scoring touch, one that former Canuck's coach Marc Crawford had used in shoot-outs last season. Ruutu will most likely match up against the top forwards on opposing teams but Shero will not pigeonhole him as just a role player. Most opinions seem to agree that he is one of the best agitators in the game and should make the Penguins a lot tougher to play against.

The Penguins also have named their new assistant coach, Andre Savard. He was currently the assistant GM in Montreal, and was formerly the GM of the Canadians that fired current Penguins coach Michel Therrien. Not sure if this will cause any problems in the Penguins coaching ranks, but it doesn't seem to be an issue at this time. Savard is looked at as a shrewd evaluator of talent and a great hockey mind. He should be a big time asset to the Pittsburgh Penguins. GM Ray Shero spent some time working with him with the Ottawa Senators.