Was Jordan Staal Given the Alternate Captaincy to Increase His Trade Value?

I hate to be this guy. I really do. But I didn't start a sports blog so I could keep my thoughts and opinions to myself.

I love Jordan Staal. At 20 years old, we couldn't ask for much more out of the kid. He scored about 75 goals as a rook, and hasn't matched that offensive total in the one-plus years since. But what he brings as a versatile two-way player and penalty kill specialist...that's unrivaled for a player so young. The dude has crazy potential, and from time to time skates like a man possessed.

Which is why his recent strong play earned him the Alternate Captaincy, along with linemate Matt Cooke, for the month of December. Therrien is switching it up all season, but Staal truly earned the A on his jersey.

So now to the depressing, rumor-filled part of this post.

My buddy Tony at The Confluence wrote that the Penguins have yet to find a legit scoring winger for Sid. Ray Shero has done a remarkable job assembling a ridiculous core of centers to go with a sturdy blue line and a franchise goalie who always seems to be backed up by a proven vet. The one thing lacking is the wing.

In that post, there are a good number of comments with readers speculating on what will happen, given that the team has a decent amount of trade bait and hardly any cap space to work with. It seems like the only options are to hope a young guy like Luca Caputi matures quicker than hoped, or to package a few guys for the chance at a mid-to-higher tier scoring winger.

Earlier in the season, the "Trade Staal!" chorus could be heard everywhere. He couldn't score and was looking lost. Those chants have quieted with his recent output, and should be silenced forever with Therrien bestowing the A to Staal's jersey. But is it all part of a plan?

Right now, Staal's market value is the highest it's ever been. He's finding the back of the net and is really putting together some solid shifts. However, if you were an opposing GM, which player would you look at? The young kid who sometimes plays to potential and other times still seems not ready for the bright lights? Or the former #2 overall pick, in his third season at just age 20 who dons an A on his jersey? Which guy is gonna bring the Penguins the most in return?

Staal is a Second Line-caliber center who plays on a checking Third Line due solely to the talent above him in Sid and Geno. I'm all for home-grown talent, and kinda can't wait to see if guys like Caputi (or even Janne Pesonen), could be that star on Sid's line. But due to the situation that Staal is in, it could be in the best interest of the team to package Staal and a defenseman or prospect to a talent-starved team in hopes of a young, scoring winger.

Which is why that A on Staal's chest might mean more than originally thought.

Janne Pesonen's Cult Song Is Insane

Someone hand me a bunch of acid please. At least then I'll have a bit of an explanation for this.

Jesus Pesonen? Wait...two chicks? Dammit, back to Janne Christ.

I never question where nicknames or theme songs come from. I like to sit back, enjoy some fan's creation and laugh at the absurdity. The Pensblog and Free Candy? Awesome. It even spawned its own video. At least it was in English, though.

I've made no effort to hide the fact that Janne's my guy going into the season. However, I'd like to better understand his cult song.

Does anyone speak Finnish? All I hear is "Nah-nah-nah-nah, nah-nah nah nah nah."

I've tried to translate the song, which is "Pelimies" by Martti Vainaa & sallitut aineet. The only semi-normal-sounding phrases are:

"package Teen mitä but , pump iron"

"scurrying screw vernacular"

"Teen bundle its less tense out-of-date"

"Tactful touch ( touch ) health its concede ( concede ) Access move ( move ) night too?"

"package Is anybody extraneous , which pattern stumble"

"Tule thus mild thee cafeteria"

"meat is robust while meat is dull"

"night am victor"

"Glorious hirvet and glorious lion"

Awesome. I'm going to go ahead and guess the Finnish-English translation failed on several different levels. Because when I think Janne Pesonen, I think, "meat is robust while meat is dull."

This crazy video makes me so happy.

Pesonen Signing Finally Reported?

The news of Janne Pesonen's signing has finally been mentioned. What the hell took so long?

Is the Finnish-English divide that great when it comes to signing hockey players? I know we had a bitch of a time with Russia and Geno, but we knew this on Friday.

Awesome Penguins blog Faceoff Factor had the news before the weekend. TSN's UFA tracker finally has the news today. And FF's tracker was pretty much just as reliable as TSN's at the onset of free agency. Its still nowhere to be found on ESPN. Or did Shero just not want to announce it?

I don't know transfer agreements or that shit, I've just been waiting for someone of significance to report on the signing since I originally heard of Shero scouting Pesonen.

Oh, and Janne's my guy going into the season. I say he lights it up in the NHL. Write that down...July 7th.

Penguins Sign Janne Pesonen

The Penguins have signed F Janne Pesonen (h/t to Faceoff-Factor), who most recently played for Tron.

I'm serious, look at these threads:



I might have an epileptic fit.

Actually, after being drafted by Anaheim in the 9th round of the 2004 entry draft, but has only played in Europe. According to the Post-Gazette:


[Pesonen] had 34 goals and 44 assists in 56 games with Karpat in Finland's Elite League last season, placing him sixth in the league scoring race. His totals were up from 22 goals and 33 assists in the same number of games in 2006-07.


Nice numbers, and flanking a Sid or Geno-centered line could only be positive for the young Fin. According to his HockeyDB page, he's never played more than 56 games. If the Penguins are looking to make a run at the Cup, Pesonen had better train his ass off to avoid the Evgeni-Malkin-end-of-season-lull.

UPDATE**Pesonen signing update here**