FanPost

Now to build a team to defend

Once the dust settles from this win the hard part will begin, defending the cup. there are a few note worthy free agents out there that i have already done quick summaries on but given the situation and some of the folks we are loosing i think a more focused look at who is available is required.

  1. The small fry

Brian Gionta is out there and just about every team will offer him keys to the city to put on thier sweater. 3 years removed from a near 50 goal season if there is one winger out there that was a bargin, it was Gionta. At the end of the season he was making 4 million. Lord only knows what his value is at this point. like i stated earlier he is three years removed from a 48 goal season. in those three years he tallied 25, 22, and 20g's respectavly. Yes the penguins have thier own winger worries right now. Miroslav Satan, Petr Sykora, Ruslan Fedetenko, and Bill Guerin are all free agents. I think it is a safe bet to say Sykora is probably done in Pittsburgh. Miro Satan is a question mark along with Bill Guerin and Fedetenko. I'm about 75% convinced that bill wil retire now that he has finally hoisted the cup again. Maybe i read too much into post game speaches and interviews but it sounded to me like he missed his family desperatly and the only reason he was still playing was for one more shot. That now leave's Satan and Tenk. I would hope Ruslan would take a smaller salary to stay as would Satan if the pens want to bring him back. Both guys know how hard it is to win, both know they have a better shot to win here then anywhere else. But as we sit here now basking in the glow of a Stanley cup, What would you offer Brian Gionta to put on a penguins sweater?

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via www.aquinasinstitute.com

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Year

Team

GP

G

A

P

+/-

PIM

PPG

SHG

GWG

GTG

SOG

2008

Devils

81

20

40

60

12

32

3

3

1

0

248

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