2010-2011 Penguins roster and line pairings

[D Rock]

Help me out here fellas. A few of you are better hockey strategists than myself.

Upcoming free agents with age:

Gonchar D 35
Guerin RW 39
Cooke LW 30
Fedotenko LW 30
Eaton D 32
Mckee D 31
Ponikarovsky LW 29
Leopold D 29


So defense was an issue this year, and now 4 of the top 7 defensemen are FAs. Letang, Orpik, and Goligoski will return. Lovejoy is a good candidate to make the jump next year because it's almost certain that not all 4 of these guys will be back.

Gonchar is probably going to find more money elsewhere, leaving Letang and Gogo to be the power play pointmen next year. I'm fine with having those two as the offensive-minded Dmen. The other 4 need to be more stay at home guys. Eaton is a must to bring back, and Mckee is a value as a last guy or 7th guy. Leopold is a luxury as an offensively talented guy, but he can be let go if his salary is given to a more solid guy.

D needs: Bring back Eaton, pick up one stay at home top notch defender, resign Mckee, and resign Leopold or another equal or better player.

Potential pairings:

Orpik-another shut down guy to take out top lines
Letang-Eaton?
Goligoski-Lovejoy/Leopold/someone else/Mckee?


Offense is much more confusing. Guerin should probably retire. Cooke should be resigned, he's too valuable as an agitator who can actually score, making him that much more agitating. Fedotenko is a goner. Poni? I just don't know. If cheap, keep him around but if not he can leave for more money I guess.

Kunitz isn't much of a top line guy, but who else is better? Dupuis maybe? AS discussed in another thread, should Malkin just be a winger? I'm gonna try and roll with that idea here...

Dupuis-Crosby-Malkin
Kunitz-Stall-Poni/Tangradi/someone new?
Cooke-Talbot-Kennedy
Rupp-Letestu-Adams



There's a lot of question marks going into next year for a team with so much talent.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Gonchar has been making $5 million per year for the last 5 years. He said that he's looking for a 3 year deal for the same money. Since he's 36, that would be a tough pill for the team to swallow. Perhaps we are willing to give him close to $5 million per year on a 2 year deal, or maybe in the neighborhood of $4 million per year on a 3 year deal. Word is both sides are talking, and trying to get something worked out, which is more than I expected after they extended Letang's contract worth $3.5 million per year this season.

Cooke is likely our next priority. Perfect as a gritty 3rd liner who cycles the puck down low and agitates his opponents. Replaced Ruutu well and was an improvement. He'll want more than $2 million per season, and we'll want to pay him less than $2 million. We'll find out how much he likes playing for a Cup-contender and on a line with Staal and Kennedy that has achieved near cult status in Pittsburgh. As the Cookie Monster would say "Me Want Cooke!" (there is no "I" in Matt Cooke ).

I'd imagine that Leopold would be their next target, and if his price tag were too high, they would then turn to Eaton. One of those guys, plus give Ben Lovejoy the one-way contract he will want, and keep him up in Pittsburgh as your #6 blueliner this season.

I doubt that Guerin, Fedotenko, McKee, or Ponikarovsky suit up for us in the Consol Energy Center.

[steelpride12]

First I'd like to say that I am very optimistic and hoping that there is still light at the end of the tunnel for Gonchar, but sorry to say I am ready to accept his leave. I know we MUST sign him and he is worth the price, but his age hurts hitting 36 now just not an easy way out here. Out QB on the PP and who kept this D alive he will be no easy way to replace him.

Cooke must be signed right away. He is so important to this team and is a key part of the famous third line, which is best in the league IMO, and I love that he is a pesky agitator who can sway the momentum of a game, but can still score 10+ goals a season. We need grit and that is what he brings.

Goligoski stays he has some improving to do he has a scoring touch I just worry about his size, he is too small for the NHL. Orpik of course and Im both ways about Eaton. He proved big for us last seasons playoffs with an added scoring touch and his defense is mediocre at best and that is what worries me.
If Mckee can go another season keep him, he is a veteran who is slow at times, but trustworthy.

Guerin retires and Kunitz moves down a line and Fedo gone and Poni gone as well. Tangradi plays for sure and excited for Lovejoy and Engeland to come up as well.!

[NJ-STEELER]

whatever they think of offering Gonch... i'd take it and try to sign volchenkov or willie mithell

both defensive minded D men that this team needs more of IMO.

then i try out the kids on the point and have geno as a back up there. his shot makes him a good candidate there...and he did well there in the playoffs before the cup .


also, i dont think it would be too expensive cap wise or trade wise to get a pure PP specialist. someone like bergeron could probably had cheap

[Godfather]

What's the timetable for Bathgate and Samuelsson to make the Pens roster?

[RuthlessBurgher]

What's the timetable for Bathgate and Samuelsson to make the Pens roster?

Andy Bathgate should play one more year of major junior hockey in Belleville before trying to latch on in Wilkes-Barre at the AHL level in 2011-2012.

Philip Samuelsson just completed his freshman year at Boston College.

[flippy]

I'd keep Cooke and maybe Guerrin (unless he's ready to retire) and let the rest go and use the money to bring in some FAs.

I think the guy we missed most in the playoffs this year was Rob Scuderi.

Somehow we need to improve defense and/or goaltending. Could we trade Fluery? Johnson played just as well as Fluery this season.

And we need wingers who can score. Billy G was all we had.

I prefer keeping Crosby and Malkin separate to keep 3 super lines.

[RuthlessBurgher]

I'd keep Cooke and maybe Guerrin (unless he's ready to retire) and let the rest go and use the money to bring in some FAs.

I agree on Cooke...we should do what we can to keep him on board. I doubt we can get much more out of Guerin (like when John LeClair and Gary Roberts simply got too old on our watch)

I think the guy we missed most in the playoffs this year was Rob Scuderi.

I always had a soft spot for Scuds, having watched him grow up with the W-B/S Pens years ago.

Somehow we need to improve defense and/or goaltending. Could we trade Fluery? Johnson played just as well as Fluery this season.

Trade Fleury? Did you forget to put the top on the paint thinner again today, flip?

And we need wingers who can score. Billy G was all we had.

We've been looking for wingers who can score forever.

I prefer keeping Crosby and Malkin separate to keep 3 super lines.

Then you have the option of putting them together for an offensive spark when you are down and absolutely need it.

[flippy]

I get tired of Fluery being spectacular and then letting the worst shots ever go past him. I both love and hate the guy. Although in his defense, he had some poor defensive support at times.

Re: the wingers, I sometimes feel like it's not the wingers as much as it's Crosby and Malkin are hard to play with. They should make the guys around them way better but they don't. I felt like Benedict and Dupuis were the best pairing for Crosby because both are very fast and hustle up and down the ice. But Benedict is a jinx and Dupuis just can't score to save his life.

Carolina is looking to sell their team and they want to dump salaries to make the team look as profitable as possible to potential suitors. I wonder if we could somehow craft a deal to steal away Eric Staal (may be a little too expensive) or some other player?

[steelblood]

I get tired of Fluery being spectacular and then letting the worst shots ever go past him. I both love and hate the guy. Although in his defense, he had some poor defensive support at times.

Re: the wingers, I sometimes feel like it's not the wingers as much as it's Crosby and Malkin are hard to play with. They should make the guys around them way better but they don't. I felt like Benedict and Dupuis were the best pairing for Crosby because both are very fast and hustle up and down the ice. But Benedict is a jinx and Dupuis just can't score to save his life.

Carolina is looking to sell their team and they want to dump salaries to make the team look as profitable as possible to potential suitors. I wonder if we could somehow craft a deal to steal away Eric Staal (may be a little too expensive) or some other player?

Staal is too expensive. Chad LaRose would be great.