Many Moves, Notes, and Thoughts
Sorry for the delay, seems much has happened in the last couple weeks and there is a lot to cover....
Ray Shero has continued to pick up role players for the Penguins. This team should be much harder to play against with the additions of Ronald Petrovicky, Dominic Moore and Jarkko Ruutu. These players work hard every night and have been used in specific roles in the past. They also bring some grit to the line-up and that is something that was lacking last season. Though Andre Roy and Eric Cairns provided some toughness down the stretch.
Shero had many holes to fill throughout the organization and he has been working hard to put some pieces in place. He sent a second round draft pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange winger Nils Ekman and goaltending prospect Patrick Ehelechner. Ekman, who posted 21 g 36 a last season, was acquired to fill a top 6 forward position and it is expected that he will play with Sidney Crosby. Ehelechner was brought in to add goaltending depth, since the team elected to buy out Sebastien Caron and did not qualify Andy Chiodo. He will most likely back up Dan Sabourin in Wilkes Barre-Scranton.
The next order of business was adding depth to the Baby Penguins. Shero, who followed the American Hockey League closely during his time in Nashville, brought in a couple of players to bolster the Baby Pens blue line. Wade Skolney, who is 6' 197lbs, has been with the Philadelphia Phantoms since 2002 and won a Calder Cup with the team in 04-05. Defenseman Matt Carkner, who goes 6' 4" 235lbs, spend last season with the Cleveland Barons. Both players bring character in the locker room and have posted their fair share of PIMS. They will be looked at to offset the loss of Noah Welch who should make the NHL roster out of camp along with several other players who were not tendered qualifying offers last month.
Armstrong, Malone and Orpik Re-signed
The Penguins will have 3 of their youngsters back in the fold for the coming season. Colby Armstrong, who found a home alongside Sidney Crosby last season, accepted his qualifying offer and signed a two way deal that will pay him $817,000 for time in the NHL and $75,000 in the American Hockey League. This is probably a moot point considering that Colby showed that he can play in the NHL this past season.
Brooks Orpik avoided his salary arbitration hearing and signed a two year contract that will pay him a little more than $2,ooo,ooo over the life of the deal. Brooks, who is probably the Penguins best hitter, will be looked at to fill a top 4 spot on the blue line.
Ryan Malone took the Penguins through the arbitration process and won. He was awarded a two year $2.75 million deal. The process didn't seem to hurt his relationship with the team, and Malone actually spent about an hour conversing with General Manager Ray Shero after the hearing. Malone jokingly described how the arbitration process works on local Pittsburgh talk radio: "Well, I'm at one end of the table with my agent making myself out to be Mario Lemieux and and the GM is at the other end making it sound like I can't play Junior B."
Marc Andre Fleury is still unsigned after turning down his qualifying offer. There has been no mention as to how talks are going. Shero has made several comments about receiving offers for Marc Andre, but said he does not intend to move the former number one overall.
Recchi Back in Pittsburgh
As was speculated here back in March, Mark Recchi has re-signed with the Penguins. I have to admit, I am a bit surprised by this move. There were many rumors circulating about his strained relationship with Sidney Crosby. With Recchi being resigned, I have to assume that Ray Shero has addressed any rift between the two and made it clear that no foolishness will be accepted. Recchi hasn't done anything to ease my comfort level. Though he is excited to return to the Penguins, he has been quoted as saying things such as: "I got kicked in the butt when I was younger, too, by the older players." This does not seem to bode well for the relationship but when asked, Shero responded with: "Last year was a real trying time for a lot of people, both on and off the ice. That's behind us. I had a conversation with Sidney Crosby, and he's one of the biggest supporters of Mark Recchi coming back." As long as Sidney is taking the high road and seems comfortable with the move, then all will be fine. This is his team now and Mark Recchi needs to be the team player that everyone thought him to be when he originally came back to the Penguins. Recchi will play on one of the top two lines, and will be looked at to score his usual 20+ goals. He had better to warrant the contract that Shero gave him: one year - $2.28 million.
Malkin's Penguins Debut In Doubt
Many doubts are beginning to surface in regard to Evgeni Malkin joining the Penguins this season. The Russian Federation who agreed to sign the IIHF/NHL transfer agreement on 06/09/06, seemingly have backed out of the commitment. Metallurg Magnitagorsk GM Gennady Velichkin was a major detractor and it seems that he has convinced the other GMs to go against Vladimir Tretiak. The Russians missed an NHL imposed deadline of Monday 07/31/06 and have since refused to accept the agreement. Velichkin has long been on record as stating that the NHL team who wants a player under contract in Russia, should have to negotiate a lavish buyout with the Russian Super League team. The unfortunate thing about this entire situation is that the player is the one who is stands to suffer. It seems that the Russians are not as concerned about having Evgeni Malkin play in the Super League this season as they are about making him and his situation an example. He is widely looked at as the best player in the world not playing in the NHL and it is looking like the Russians would prefer he sit in Russia, than play in the NHL. Malkin has already missed a chuck of Metallurg's training camp and they are operating as if he will not be with them this season. He is skating with the team's farm club. Malkin, who recently turned 20, has gone on record numerous times as saying he is more than ready for the NHL and he has nothing more to prove in the Super League. This could get much uglier before it gets better.
Penguins Sign Pivko and Nasreddine
The Penguins announced that they have re-signed defenseman Alain Nasreddine to a one year contract, he served as the Baby Penguins captain for most of last season. He also spent some time at the end of last season with the NHL Penguins. Alain is a great chemistry guy for the team and will offer some leadership on the Wilkes Barre-Scranton blue line.
The Penguins have also signed newly acquired Libor Pivko. Pivko, who spend the last few seasons in the AHL, is going to be given a chance to make the Pittsburgh roster. Shero is hoping that he will settle in on one of the top two lines. Pivko has said that is he isn't on the opening day roster for the Penguins, he will head back to Europe rather than return to the AHL.
Ray Shero has continued to pick up role players for the Penguins. This team should be much harder to play against with the additions of Ronald Petrovicky, Dominic Moore and Jarkko Ruutu. These players work hard every night and have been used in specific roles in the past. They also bring some grit to the line-up and that is something that was lacking last season. Though Andre Roy and Eric Cairns provided some toughness down the stretch.
Shero had many holes to fill throughout the organization and he has been working hard to put some pieces in place. He sent a second round draft pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange winger Nils Ekman and goaltending prospect Patrick Ehelechner. Ekman, who posted 21 g 36 a last season, was acquired to fill a top 6 forward position and it is expected that he will play with Sidney Crosby. Ehelechner was brought in to add goaltending depth, since the team elected to buy out Sebastien Caron and did not qualify Andy Chiodo. He will most likely back up Dan Sabourin in Wilkes Barre-Scranton.
The next order of business was adding depth to the Baby Penguins. Shero, who followed the American Hockey League closely during his time in Nashville, brought in a couple of players to bolster the Baby Pens blue line. Wade Skolney, who is 6' 197lbs, has been with the Philadelphia Phantoms since 2002 and won a Calder Cup with the team in 04-05. Defenseman Matt Carkner, who goes 6' 4" 235lbs, spend last season with the Cleveland Barons. Both players bring character in the locker room and have posted their fair share of PIMS. They will be looked at to offset the loss of Noah Welch who should make the NHL roster out of camp along with several other players who were not tendered qualifying offers last month.
Armstrong, Malone and Orpik Re-signed
The Penguins will have 3 of their youngsters back in the fold for the coming season. Colby Armstrong, who found a home alongside Sidney Crosby last season, accepted his qualifying offer and signed a two way deal that will pay him $817,000 for time in the NHL and $75,000 in the American Hockey League. This is probably a moot point considering that Colby showed that he can play in the NHL this past season.
Brooks Orpik avoided his salary arbitration hearing and signed a two year contract that will pay him a little more than $2,ooo,ooo over the life of the deal. Brooks, who is probably the Penguins best hitter, will be looked at to fill a top 4 spot on the blue line.
Ryan Malone took the Penguins through the arbitration process and won. He was awarded a two year $2.75 million deal. The process didn't seem to hurt his relationship with the team, and Malone actually spent about an hour conversing with General Manager Ray Shero after the hearing. Malone jokingly described how the arbitration process works on local Pittsburgh talk radio: "Well, I'm at one end of the table with my agent making myself out to be Mario Lemieux and and the GM is at the other end making it sound like I can't play Junior B."
Marc Andre Fleury is still unsigned after turning down his qualifying offer. There has been no mention as to how talks are going. Shero has made several comments about receiving offers for Marc Andre, but said he does not intend to move the former number one overall.
Recchi Back in Pittsburgh
As was speculated here back in March, Mark Recchi has re-signed with the Penguins. I have to admit, I am a bit surprised by this move. There were many rumors circulating about his strained relationship with Sidney Crosby. With Recchi being resigned, I have to assume that Ray Shero has addressed any rift between the two and made it clear that no foolishness will be accepted. Recchi hasn't done anything to ease my comfort level. Though he is excited to return to the Penguins, he has been quoted as saying things such as: "I got kicked in the butt when I was younger, too, by the older players." This does not seem to bode well for the relationship but when asked, Shero responded with: "Last year was a real trying time for a lot of people, both on and off the ice. That's behind us. I had a conversation with Sidney Crosby, and he's one of the biggest supporters of Mark Recchi coming back." As long as Sidney is taking the high road and seems comfortable with the move, then all will be fine. This is his team now and Mark Recchi needs to be the team player that everyone thought him to be when he originally came back to the Penguins. Recchi will play on one of the top two lines, and will be looked at to score his usual 20+ goals. He had better to warrant the contract that Shero gave him: one year - $2.28 million.
Malkin's Penguins Debut In Doubt
Many doubts are beginning to surface in regard to Evgeni Malkin joining the Penguins this season. The Russian Federation who agreed to sign the IIHF/NHL transfer agreement on 06/09/06, seemingly have backed out of the commitment. Metallurg Magnitagorsk GM Gennady Velichkin was a major detractor and it seems that he has convinced the other GMs to go against Vladimir Tretiak. The Russians missed an NHL imposed deadline of Monday 07/31/06 and have since refused to accept the agreement. Velichkin has long been on record as stating that the NHL team who wants a player under contract in Russia, should have to negotiate a lavish buyout with the Russian Super League team. The unfortunate thing about this entire situation is that the player is the one who is stands to suffer. It seems that the Russians are not as concerned about having Evgeni Malkin play in the Super League this season as they are about making him and his situation an example. He is widely looked at as the best player in the world not playing in the NHL and it is looking like the Russians would prefer he sit in Russia, than play in the NHL. Malkin has already missed a chuck of Metallurg's training camp and they are operating as if he will not be with them this season. He is skating with the team's farm club. Malkin, who recently turned 20, has gone on record numerous times as saying he is more than ready for the NHL and he has nothing more to prove in the Super League. This could get much uglier before it gets better.
Penguins Sign Pivko and Nasreddine
The Penguins announced that they have re-signed defenseman Alain Nasreddine to a one year contract, he served as the Baby Penguins captain for most of last season. He also spent some time at the end of last season with the NHL Penguins. Alain is a great chemistry guy for the team and will offer some leadership on the Wilkes Barre-Scranton blue line.
The Penguins have also signed newly acquired Libor Pivko. Pivko, who spend the last few seasons in the AHL, is going to be given a chance to make the Pittsburgh roster. Shero is hoping that he will settle in on one of the top two lines. Pivko has said that is he isn't on the opening day roster for the Penguins, he will head back to Europe rather than return to the AHL.
posted by Bmetzer66 at 10:10 AM
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