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.

Mike Zigomanis Makes the Penguins a Complete Team

15 or so games into the season, and the Penguins' savior has been the unlikely Mike Zigomanis. Last night, he cemented his position as unsung hero.

If you missed the game, the Pens rallied from a 5-2, final period deficit to win 7-6 in OT. Tons of fans and writers are going to slobber over Jordan Staal...and rightfully so. He snapped out of a season-opening slump to record his second career hat trick. All three goals were scored in the third period, and he exerted his will over Pavel Datsyuk in the extra frame, sneaking up from behind, stealing the puck, and setting up Ruslan Fedotenko for the game winner.

But there's more to hockey than just passing, shooting and scoring. Faceoffs won and lost are a massive deal in today's NHL. After a goalie stoppage, the puck stays in the attacking zone, so winning faceoffs allows you to keep the attacking pressure on if its in the opposition's zone, or allows you to gain possession to force the puck out of your own zone. This came into play last night.



Observe the above picture. The quality is shitty, since I stole it from the Youtube video at the top, but it shows the Pens in the attacking zone, down a goal, with an empty net and 30 seconds left on the clock. Sidney Crosby had just put a shot on net, and the clock stopped when Detroit goalie Chris Osgood covered the puck. With no room for error, the Pens needed to win this exact faceoff, to keep the puck in the zone and save as much time as possible for a last shot to tie the game. Mike Zigomanis calmly took to the circle, and won the faceoff back to the point. After a shot and scrum, Jordan Staal tapped in a rebound for the hat trick and the equalizer.

Wow, Nick...one faceoff win. Big deal.

No. You'd be hard-pressed to find a reliable faceoff man in Black and Gold over the past 6-7 years. When Ray Shero brought in Ziggy after the first week of this season, we knew we were getting a reliable forward who would score a handful of goals. We weren't sure if we were getting this:



That's the leaderboard for faceoff percentage in the entire NHL. Ziggy has a full one percent lead over noted faceoff man Rob Brind'Amour.

To put this into perspective, its like the Steelers finally having an O Line to compliment their offensive weapons. Its like the Pirates finally having their pitching and bats working at the same time. If you follow either of those teams, you'll understand the importance of faceoffs to the Pens.

Shero has done an amazing job putting together a nucleus of young forwards and defensemen in front of a franchise goalie, but faceoffs have always been our Achilles heel. One faceoff win last night showed the hockey world that Ziggy's faceoff stats were no fluke. The game was on the line, and he calmly did his job. And with that one faceoff win, Ray Shero looks like even more of a genius.

Shero and the Pens put the NHL on notice that they're becoming that complete team that can hang with anyone. Especially the defending champs.

But who woulda thunk that Mike Zigomanis would be the difference?

Penguins Lock Up Fleury, Sign Satan and Fedotenko

Sorry, that's one of the first images that apears when you Google Image Search for Free Agents.

Big news in Penguins land. With Hossa not coming back, Ray Shero suddenly had a wad of cash in his pocket.

He used said cash wad. From the good fellows at Faceoff-Factor:

MAF. 7 years, $35 million. $5 mil a year for a stud overall number one pick? Worth it.

Miroslav Satan. 1 year, $3.5 mil.

Ruslan Fedotenko. 1 year, $2.25 mil.

The Fleury contract was a bit of a surprise, and I'm not opposed to snatching two former division rivals from the Islanders. Hell, everything worked out with former Devil Petr Sykora.

Both Fedotenko and Satan are left-handed left wingers. Seems like the Pens will have the same recurring problems with hardly any right-handed shots. Sure, we signed a right handed RW in Eric Godard, but he's a fourth-liner who is filling in the goon role.

Still, some good news after the Hossa bullshit.

Oh, and the best little nugget about Satan, both Yahoo Sports and ESPN use 666 in the url for his player profile. Cue Iron Maiden.

Paul Holmgren Is A Joke

I happened across an article the other day at Delaware Online, the website for the Wilmington News Journal. Wilmington is a suburb of Philly, and the article talked about the massive contract given to the still-unproven Mike Richards. The title: Richards' Deal Forces Flyers To Get Creative.

He gambled that Richards, who missed 23 games last season due to a sports hernia and a separated shoulder, would remain healthy throughout the rest of his Flyers career.

He gambled that Richards, whose career high in points before this season was 34, would continue to develop as a point producer and eventual captain.

And he gambled that the NHL salary cap, which has climbed from $39 million to $44 million to $50.3 million since the end of the NHL lockout, would continue to escalate.

Assuming there are no significant roster changes, the Flyers have committed roughly $44 million to next year's payroll.

All indications point to the NHL salary cap rising to about $55 million next season.

Theoretically, that would leave the Flyers about $11 million in cap space to re-sign unrestricted free agent defenseman Jason Smith and restricted free agents Jeff Carter, R.J. Umberger, Randy Jones and Riley Cote.

Can they do it?

"We're going to have to be very creative," Flyers president Peter Luukko said.

Paul Holmgren is a joke. He gave so much money to Mike Richards...banking that the player will get better and become the eventual Captain.

Remember when the Sid contract talks were going on? Sid could've asked for $10+ mil a year, and Ray Shero would've blabbed the same sob story that the Penguins would have to get creative sign Geno, Staal, Esposito, etc. down the road.

If Shero ever based his contract negotiation style on pure hope and speculation, he'd be run out of Pittsburgh. His contract was given to the reigning MVP, and he negotiated a deal that left room for the other young talent.

In conclusion.

Smarts > Hope.

Shero > Holmgren.

Pens Ink Crosby!

Rejoice, Pens fans! Sid's not going anywhere!

Crosby inked a 5 year/$45 mil deal to stay with the Pens.

With collective bargaining, Crosby was able to demand up to $10.06 mil a year, but settled for a cool $9 mil a year. It'll give Shero a little wiggle room to help re-sign guys like Geno, Staal and MAF over the next 2 to 3 years.

This has turned out to be a legendary offseason for Shero. First, he re-signs Whitney to a 6 year deal, has a former top prospect fall into his lap at the 20th selection, signs Cup-winning veterans like Sydor and Sykora, brings back young contributors in Christensen and Talbot, then inks the regining MVP to a contract extension. At a bargain, mind you.

Well done, Ray Ray. You too, Sid. I'm gonna go be happy for a while. See you in a bit...

Despite Shero's Claim, Pens Sign Several Early Free Agents

Ray Shero denied that the team was interested in signing free agents on Sunday, the opening day of the free agent market. The big names went off the board, and Shero stayed true to his claim. Briere to Philly (damn), Drury and Gomez to the Rangers (damn, again). However, Shero did add some pieces among the 2nd tier free agents that could help the team immediately. Here's a quick recap:

First and foremost, D Ryan Whitney was inked to a 6 yr./$24 mil contract. Whitney just got paid, and the signing was well worth it. Safe to say I'm thouroughly pleased that Whitney will be around for awhile.

More help on the blue line, as Shero signed defenseman Darryl Sydor. He's a 2-time All-Star who has also won 2 Stanley Cups. Shero wanted experience...Shero got experience.

And what about the winger that everyone claimed we needed to sign? Well, Ray Ray continued the experience-theme, signing veteran winger Petr Sykora. PSaMP was never a huge fan of Sykora, mainly because he played for the hated Devils. He does, though, have his name on the Cup, so signing him was a no-brainer that I can accept.

Goalie Dany Sabourin is back. In his relatively short career, Sabourin has bounced between the Flames, Pens and most recently, the Canucks. He backed up Vezina-winner Roberto Luongo last season. Will this signal the end of the Jocelyn Thibault-era?

I'm exhausted. I didn't think I'd have to update on so many free agent signings within the first 24 hours of free agency. Get to know these players, Pens fans. They'll be the guys helping the team to its first Cup since '92!

Penguins Draft Center Esposito

Before yesterday's draft the possibility of me writing this headline was slim to none. At least in my mind.

Angelo Esposito, the consensus top prospect heading into the past season, slipped to the 20th overall selection, and the Pens were there to snatch him up.

Shero even admitted that the team had no name tag for Angelo, because they thought he would be long gone before the 20th pick. PSaMP thought the same thing.

Whether by luck or design, Ray Shero is out to prove that he's the anti-Dave Littlefield. As the Pirates continue to pick pitchers, thus alienating fans, the Pens have been able to consistently snag top players, creating a corps of young talent that is unrivaled in the current NHL. If Littlefield was the GM of the Pens, he probably would've drafted defensive-minded defensmen in 8 of the last 10 drafts, with 7 or so of them blowing out a knee before making an impact on the team. Shero, on the other hand, is trying to help the struggling NHL by giving fans a unique opportunity to watch what could be the best group of young players ever assembled on one team. Yes, its a little early to make that claim, but try to look at the team and not say something along those lines.

Some scouts claim Esposito plays with creativity, but not enthusiasm. Shero hopes Esposito can find enthusiasm by playing with the likes of Crosby, Malkin, Staal and Fleury.

Yesterday, I wrote a headline that read Its a Good Day to be a Pens Fan. This was only to express my happiness that Shero brought back wingers Mark Recchi and Gary Roberts. I never imagined that those signings would be overshadowed by a middle-first round draft pick. So I was right. Yesterday was awesome for Penguins fans. A little bit of youth added into some veteran wisdom, and PSaMP is already thinking about the start of the NHL season. And some people claim that Pittsburgh's just a football town...

Its a Good Day to be a Pens Fan!

Finally!

It seems like its been forever since talks began with the two veterans, but Ray Shero and the Pens signed Gary Roberts and Mark Recchi. Both are signed to 1 year deals.

Roberts' deal is said to be for $2.5 mil, while Recchs can earn up to $2 mil through bonuses.

The Pens should be a clear Stanley Cup favorite going into the season. Seeing what Gary Roberts did for the team down the stretch to the playoffs last season, PSaMP is giddy with excitement over what he can bring for an entire year!

Well played, Ray Shero. Now somebody go buy his tie!

Penguins Sign Winger Wallace

The Penguins signed a deal with a winger, but not a high profile, 40 goal guy. Instead, the team agreed to terms on an entry-level contract with Tim Wallace, who played collegiate hockey at Notre Dame.

Wallace might be recognized by the hardcore Pens fan, having participated in rookie camp before being cut by Pittsburgh during regular training camp last season. He spent 32 games in Wilkes-Barre, scoring 14 points, as well as 19 games with the Wheeling team of the East Coast Hockey League, scoring 17 points.

After acquiring defenseman Jonathan D'Aversa earlier in the week, the Pens seem intent on continuing the youth movement that was ushered in by Crosby/Malkin/Stall/Fleury. Ray Shero is adamant about not signing a big-name winger for a one-year fix. If the Pens are going to win, they're going to win with the young guys on the team.

The Pens still could use a veteran winger, and PSaMP is hoping a deal will happen with Gary Roberts. Re-signing Mark Recchi would also be a bonus. However, Wallace may be a good fit as a backup to Roberts or Recchs, seeing as how both will enter next season (if they re-sign) as the silvertops of the group. Gary turned 41 a few days ago, while Recchs will hit the big 4-0 in February. Having a young guy like Wallace in Wilkes-Barre again will only provide an insurance plan for the old, decrepit vets (I'm kidding).

The Tribune-Review Is All Over the Steelers This Morning

Don't read too much into it. Just because I occasionally read the Trib, that doesn't mean that I'm some right-wing sports aficionado. I just like to get the full spectrum of sporting news, so I read the Trib just like I would read the Post-Gazette. And the Trib just happened to have more Steelers stories this morning. Here's a few updates on the black and gold.

Mike Prisuta sat down for a one-on-one with Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. The interview centered mainly around the coaching change, and how bright Pittsburgh's immediate future looks. I wanted Prisuta to ask Troy about the contract situation, and if Troy was confident that the Rooneys wouldn't pull a Faneca/Porter on him. But alas, no "business" questions, and Troy stuck to "football-only" answers.

Marvel Smith loves "playing" next to Alan Faneca, according to John Harris. Smith said the two leftside linemen have their own communication system on the field, and having Faneca close by makes it easier on him. He's one of the first Steelers to openly support Faneca, who will must assuredly miss all 14 workouts before reporting for training camp. Harris calls Smith one of the elite left tackles in the game. If by elite, Harris means "easily gives away when a play is going to be a pass by starting in a pass-protection stance," then yes, Smith is elite.

Deisel Keisel is about to be put to work, says Scott Brown. Brett's versatility and quickness will help Dick LeBeau and Mike Tomlin develop 4-3 plans in which Keisel (above, with the cool gold helmet) can play DE or Linebacker. His teammates call him one of the best basketball players on the team, and admit that the 28 year old still has a lot of football left in him. Brown even likens Keisel's '07-'08 position to that of Adalius Thomas' position last year with the Ravens. The versatility part is right on, but Keisel is not the first person that I would compare to Thomas, who is a freak. I supported the decision to go with Keisel over Kimo last season, and I think Keisel can have a big impact on Tomlin's new defense. The Thomas reference was a little bit of a stretch, though.

Oh, and this isn't Steeler news, but the Pens have made offers to both Mark Recchi and Gary Roberts, writes Rob Rossi. Terms haven't been discussed, but Ray Shero obviously liked the positive influence that Roberts had in such a short time with the Pens. Popular consensus around Pittsburgh states that the Pens need a goal-scoring winger next year. Shero has been adamant, however, that the Penguins aren't going for a one-year "rent-a-player," and Pittsburgh already has the core to compete for the Cup next season. We have goal-scoring wingers in Colby Armstrong and Ryan Malone, but those two need to produce after having down years in '06-'07. The Pens can keep two proven vets for a reasonable price, while only expecting a moderate rise in points from Armstrong and Malone, in order to continue last season's success.

The Post-Gazette so far today? The Nuttings are finally seeing the importance of Dominican players. Little late, there. And Dave Littlefield is confident in Zach Duke (1-5) and Paul Maholm (2-6). That last story made my head hurt, seeing as how the two pitchers combine for a record of 3-11. And we're at the 1/3 point in the season. Anyone want to guess why we're going to push the losing streak to 15 years? Anyone?