Wallace is wearing #63, so along with his roommate Ben Lovejoy (#65) the Penguins have to players to have a number on their back in the 60's in a non-preseason game since May 21, 2001....Perhaps you've heard of those two.
Showing posts with label welcome aboard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label welcome aboard. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The numbers racket
Tim Wallace got called up today in place of the newly demoted Janne Pesonen. We like the idea, better to have a worker if you're going to play him 5-6 minutes a night and let Pesonen go back to the AHL and get some top minutes.
Wallace is wearing #63, so along with his roommate Ben Lovejoy (#65) the Penguins have to players to have a number on their back in the 60's in a non-preseason game since May 21, 2001....Perhaps you've heard of those two.
Wallace is wearing #63, so along with his roommate Ben Lovejoy (#65) the Penguins have to players to have a number on their back in the 60's in a non-preseason game since May 21, 2001....Perhaps you've heard of those two.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Penguins Acquire Ziggy
No, not THAT Ziggy
Anyways, per the PG:
Interesting that they liked Zigomanis over Jeff Taffe. They're essentially the same player, good at the AHL level but not too much of an impact player in the NHL --though Zigomanis did tally 14 goals in 75 NHL games two years ago for Phoenix. But don't fool yourself, this is a 27 year old who hasn't established himself in the NHL and was on waivers from a team (Phoenix) expected to be amongst the bottom dwellers of the league...It's not like he couldn't make a forward heavy team lite Detroit or something.
Taffe, btw, cleared waivers and will add a little more offensive firepower to Wilkes-Barre. I'm sure it won't be too long either before he's reminded that he owes the boys down there $500...I wonder if they'll be tacking on any interest?
We'll see how the Zigomanis acquisition shakes out. An interesting development to say the least. The Penguins have taken castoffs before and made them into serviceable players (Adam Hall was the last reclamation project) so we'll see how this turns out.
Anyways, per the PG:
The Penguins have acquired forward Mike Zigomanis from Phoenix for
considerations. Zigomanis, 27, split last season between the Coyotes and San Antonio of the American Hockey League. In 33 games with Phoenix, he had two goals and an assist; he had 10 goals and 15 assists in 27 games with the AHL Rampage.
Interesting that they liked Zigomanis over Jeff Taffe. They're essentially the same player, good at the AHL level but not too much of an impact player in the NHL --though Zigomanis did tally 14 goals in 75 NHL games two years ago for Phoenix. But don't fool yourself, this is a 27 year old who hasn't established himself in the NHL and was on waivers from a team (Phoenix) expected to be amongst the bottom dwellers of the league...It's not like he couldn't make a forward heavy team lite Detroit or something.
Taffe, btw, cleared waivers and will add a little more offensive firepower to Wilkes-Barre. I'm sure it won't be too long either before he's reminded that he owes the boys down there $500...I wonder if they'll be tacking on any interest?
We'll see how the Zigomanis acquisition shakes out. An interesting development to say the least. The Penguins have taken castoffs before and made them into serviceable players (Adam Hall was the last reclamation project) so we'll see how this turns out.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Brent traded for Danny Richmond
The Penguins today traded forward Tim Brent to Chicago for 23 year old defenseman Danny Richmond.
Richmond has played 49 career NHL games and was originally picked 31st overall in the 2003 draft (one pick before Ryan Stone) by Carolina. He was traded with a 4th round pick in 2006 to Chicago for Anton Babchuk.
Not too much to make of this deal, two teams swapping fringe NHL players--both of whom are restricted free agents and might be looking to stick on a new team. For Richmond though, the task is daunting, as the Penguins have 8 NHL established defensemen on their roster currently, plus impressive prospect Alex Goligoski.
Ray Shero has said he likes to have 10 capable defenseman, and this move gives him that. But by trading Brent, a true center unlike Stone and Jonathan Filewich, this makes it more likely that Kris Beech may be able to stick on the Pens NHL roster. Gah.
The shape of the Wilkes-Barre Baby Pens roster is forming too, and they seem to be solid, if not spectacular. With presumably Goligoski and Richmond on the backline in the 'A', they'll also have TJ Kemp, Deryk Engelland, Joey Mormina, Ben Lovejoy, Jon D'Aversa and perhaps Paul Bissonnette as defenseman. Overall a pretty young and skilled defensive group.
Does this deal signal an idea for another trade down the line--such as the rumored disposal of veteran Darryl Sydor? It appears for now it's going to be a wait and see situation, but the Pens definitely have the defensive depth to go in any direction they choose. And if that choice is to take that reasonably solid organizational depth into the season, well that ought to be a good one for the on ice performance for the big and farm team.
Richmond has played 49 career NHL games and was originally picked 31st overall in the 2003 draft (one pick before Ryan Stone) by Carolina. He was traded with a 4th round pick in 2006 to Chicago for Anton Babchuk.
Not too much to make of this deal, two teams swapping fringe NHL players--both of whom are restricted free agents and might be looking to stick on a new team. For Richmond though, the task is daunting, as the Penguins have 8 NHL established defensemen on their roster currently, plus impressive prospect Alex Goligoski.
Ray Shero has said he likes to have 10 capable defenseman, and this move gives him that. But by trading Brent, a true center unlike Stone and Jonathan Filewich, this makes it more likely that Kris Beech may be able to stick on the Pens NHL roster. Gah.
The shape of the Wilkes-Barre Baby Pens roster is forming too, and they seem to be solid, if not spectacular. With presumably Goligoski and Richmond on the backline in the 'A', they'll also have TJ Kemp, Deryk Engelland, Joey Mormina, Ben Lovejoy, Jon D'Aversa and perhaps Paul Bissonnette as defenseman. Overall a pretty young and skilled defensive group.
Does this deal signal an idea for another trade down the line--such as the rumored disposal of veteran Darryl Sydor? It appears for now it's going to be a wait and see situation, but the Pens definitely have the defensive depth to go in any direction they choose. And if that choice is to take that reasonably solid organizational depth into the season, well that ought to be a good one for the on ice performance for the big and farm team.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Pens sign Cooke
Subtract like likes of Gary Roberts, Georges Laraque, Ryan Malone and Jarkko Ruutu and a club loses a lot of size and toughness.
The Penguins took a step to add some back by signing free agent Matt Cooke. The contract itself appears to be a cracker-jack one for the team, if initial reports are true (two years, $1.2 million per season). Cooke made $1.5 million the past three years and seemed to earn that. He's a scored 10+ goals in six of the past seven seasons (and the missed season was injury shortened to 8 goals in 45 games). Compare that to Ruutu's 2 career ten-goal seasons.
Cooke has been said to have received more money elsewhere (Ruutu got more per year from Ottawa and an extra year) but chose the Penguins. A good sign, as the Pens can certainly use the grit and the addition of a reliable penalty killer. Cooke doesn't have the yapper that Ruuts does, but then again hardly anyone chirps as much as Ruutu. Cooke is very uptempo, very aggressive and still a pesty player that gives a lot of effort and seeks out hits.
Roberts and Ruutu emerged as cult heroes and it seems like Cooke is destined to follow, given his style of play. That and there's already a nickname: the Cooke-y monster. It's a competitive world to start a trend, this blogosphere.
Twist our arm for a roster outlook and here's what we've got in early July, all very subject to change...
Fedotenko-Crosby-Satan
Talbot-Malkin-Sykora
Cooke-Staal-Dupuis
Godard-Stone-Kennedy
Pesonen?
Orpik/Gonchar
Scuderi/Whitney
Gill/Letang
Eaton/Sydor
Fleury
Sabourin
Obviously the forward lines could be different, Max Talbot probably isn't a consistent top 6 NHL winger, Janne Pesonen may or may not be the answer there. But it's looking like the 3rd line that will have a lot of energy to go with some size and skill some with whatever combination of Pascal Dupuis/Tyler Kennedy/Talbot/Cooke emerges to go with Jordan Staal. But there's plenty of time for those questions.
The Penguins took a step to add some back by signing free agent Matt Cooke. The contract itself appears to be a cracker-jack one for the team, if initial reports are true (two years, $1.2 million per season). Cooke made $1.5 million the past three years and seemed to earn that. He's a scored 10+ goals in six of the past seven seasons (and the missed season was injury shortened to 8 goals in 45 games). Compare that to Ruutu's 2 career ten-goal seasons.
Cooke has been said to have received more money elsewhere (Ruutu got more per year from Ottawa and an extra year) but chose the Penguins. A good sign, as the Pens can certainly use the grit and the addition of a reliable penalty killer. Cooke doesn't have the yapper that Ruuts does, but then again hardly anyone chirps as much as Ruutu. Cooke is very uptempo, very aggressive and still a pesty player that gives a lot of effort and seeks out hits.
Roberts and Ruutu emerged as cult heroes and it seems like Cooke is destined to follow, given his style of play. That and there's already a nickname: the Cooke-y monster. It's a competitive world to start a trend, this blogosphere.
Twist our arm for a roster outlook and here's what we've got in early July, all very subject to change...
Fedotenko-Crosby-Satan
Talbot-Malkin-Sykora
Cooke-Staal-Dupuis
Godard-Stone-Kennedy
Pesonen?
Orpik/Gonchar
Scuderi/Whitney
Gill/Letang
Eaton/Sydor
Fleury
Sabourin
Obviously the forward lines could be different, Max Talbot probably isn't a consistent top 6 NHL winger, Janne Pesonen may or may not be the answer there. But it's looking like the 3rd line that will have a lot of energy to go with some size and skill some with whatever combination of Pascal Dupuis/Tyler Kennedy/Talbot/Cooke emerges to go with Jordan Staal. But there's plenty of time for those questions.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Pens sign Satan, Fedotenko
The Pens have reportedly signed Miroslav Satan (1 year $3.5 million) and Ruslan Fedotenko (1 year $2.25 million) to contracts.
Satan is a skilled winger who's 33 years old but seen his points drop each of the past three seasons since the lockout. To his defense, he was with the mostly hapless New York Islanders the whole time. Satan's scored 29 goals in seven seasons, he knows how to put it in the net. He's likely your Sidney Crosby winger.
Fedotenko is more in the mold of a Ryan Malone. He had that great playoff run with Tampa Bay (scoring 12 goals in 22 games on the way to a Cup) and is pretty consistent as a 15-20 goals and 15-20 assists guy.
This likely means no Jaromir Jagr or Markus Naslund signing, but you never know.
By our calculations Pittsburgh has now spent $50.6 million on 20 players (10 forwards, 8 defensemen, 2 goalies). There is some room for another forward, but now we start to wonder if a defenseman coughSydorcough might be traded, if possible.
See you tomorrow for "Worst Satan newspaper headline puns"...If you want to submit any, drop a line at hooksorpik at gmail
Satan is a skilled winger who's 33 years old but seen his points drop each of the past three seasons since the lockout. To his defense, he was with the mostly hapless New York Islanders the whole time. Satan's scored 29 goals in seven seasons, he knows how to put it in the net. He's likely your Sidney Crosby winger.
Fedotenko is more in the mold of a Ryan Malone. He had that great playoff run with Tampa Bay (scoring 12 goals in 22 games on the way to a Cup) and is pretty consistent as a 15-20 goals and 15-20 assists guy.
This likely means no Jaromir Jagr or Markus Naslund signing, but you never know.
By our calculations Pittsburgh has now spent $50.6 million on 20 players (10 forwards, 8 defensemen, 2 goalies). There is some room for another forward, but now we start to wonder if a defenseman coughSydorcough might be traded, if possible.
See you tomorrow for "Worst Satan newspaper headline puns"...If you want to submit any, drop a line at hooksorpik at gmail
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