Pascal Dupuis, Free Agent to be?
by Hooks Orpik on May 9, 2011 9:44 AM EDT
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We already did a season breakdown for Craig Adams, and the consensus seemed to be to keep the hard-working 4th liner, provided the price is right.
What about the highest paid forward set to be an unrestricted free agent? Well, other than Alex Kovalev anyways, who you can say with ease will not be back. This free agent, however, figures to command more interest league wide, it's Pascal Dupuis.
A more versatile forward on the team probably didn't exist in 2010-11. You name the line, the position and the situation and Dupuis probably could fill it. 1st line, 2nd line, 3rd line; left wing, right wing; even strength, four-on-four, penalty kill, two man PK; Dupuis can line up any number of these places and give an honest effort and be a competent player.
The raw stats as a Penguin are passable, but certainly not pretty:
| Year | GP | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- |
| 2007-08 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 12 | +4 |
| 2008-09 | 71 | 12 | 16 | 28 | +1 |
| 2009-10 | 81 | 18 | 20 | 38 | +5 |
| 2010-11 | 81 | 17 | 20 | 37 | +16 |
A look at the future of Dupuis, after the jump..
Dupuis found himself as a common linemate to Sidney Crosby, but interestingly take a look at Dupers' stats through January 5th (the portion of the season Crosby played) and the post-Crosby part of the season
With Sid: 40 games, 8 goals, 10 assists, 18 points
W/Out Sid: 41 gp, 9g, 10a, 19p
Virtually indentical numbers, which isn't all that surprising considering for all Dupuis is-- a good forechecker, excellent positional player with good foot-speed -- the thing he is not is particularly skilled with the puck with his passing or getting accurate shots to net consistently. So even with the most productive player in the game, Dupuis' stat-line did not benefit one bit.
If anything this shows that Dupuis ought not to play on a scoring line ever again. He was pressed in there by circumstance as the best all-around winger on the team, but as the team hopefully develops/trades for more top six forwards like James Neal and Eric Tangradi, Dupuis role will go down.
There still should be a need for Dupuis; the only signed Penguin forwards adept at penalty killing are Jordan Staal and Matt Cooke. Retaining Dupuis would certainly be a way to keep that unit strong. Dupuis, at 32, is also quickly becoming one of the more veteran players in the league and he's also a good "room guy" that is a respected and valued member of what still is (age wise) a relatively young core.
But the question, as always, is at what cost to retain him? Given Dupuis age, this is probably the last chance he will get to sign a multi-year deal at the peak of his earning power. The same traits that endear Pittsburgh to Dupuis will also draw suitors in free agency. Pens GM Ray Shero has not been afraid to let lower line players slide away if the market offers a contract too long or rich for Pittsburgh to match, with a guy like Jarkko Ruutu being a prime example of that.
There's also the matter of internal competition- the Pens only have so much salary cap space and a finite number of roster spots too. Might they be more inclined to sign fellow impending UFA Max Talbot- a player who brings many of Dupuis qualities at a younger age and probable friendlier salary? As the chips have fallen, unfortunately, it seems unlikely Pittsburgh retains both Talbot and Dupuis. Combined, both of them will command too much term and money to slot into the salary structure that Shero's established in locking so many big dollar players in long-term deals.
Now for the discussion- what's your breaking point for Dupuis, if Shero were to approach him before July 1 to work a deal out? At what amount (salary and years) do you think the Pens are better off passing? And if it came down to Talbot or Duper, whom would you pick and why? Would it be worth it to pay Dupuis a little more than Talbot?
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I don’t want Talbot back. You scored two goals when you needed to, but you haven’t done since, so thanks for coming out.
On the same note, I don’t want Dupuis back because I don’t think he deserves to play that first line with the best player in the world- the numbers just aren’t there. However, given his speed, forechecking, and penalty killing, I would prefer bringing Dupuis back WAY over Talbot.
In order to keep our penalty killing going strong and at the top of the NHL, Duper would be a must. But I wouldn’t panic about who else to throw on there. I said it before, I think if if Letestu develops a strong defensive game you can easily put him out there to center the second PK unit with his strong face off skills. Add Dupuis on his wing, and that could potentially be a very deadly, and fast, short handed threat.
If Pascal wants to stay, he will. If he’s willing to keep that $1.4 that he currently makes, try getting him for three years, with maybe a little more added to it, no more than $1.8 though. We have a lot of young guys locked up for cheap who still need a chance to find their fit with the big club.
I don’t want Dupuis back because I don’t think he deserves to play that first line with the best player in the world- the numbers just aren’t there
Agreed, but what if the role was different?
A Cooke-Letestu-Dupuis third line could be pretty efficient, couldn’t it? That’d free Crosby, Neal, Kunitz, Malkin, Staal and one more (Tangradi? UFA?) for the top six.
If Pascal wants to stay, he will. If he’s willing to keep that $1.4 that he currently makes, try getting him for three years, with maybe a little more added to it, no more than $1.8 though
Three, for me, is too much. Term wise, I’d hope for two, but given he could probably find 3 years on the open market, it might be about a requirement. I’m with you on the dollar amount, sounds reasonable enough.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
I agree Hooks, it looks like the Ruutu situation all over again. We should be willing to do a 2 year max deal and he’s probably looking for 3. I’d hate to see him leave, because he’s really serviceable all throughout the lineup as well as his PK duties. I’d be happy to have him back at 2 years and 1.5m/yr. I agree that it will be Dupuis or Talbot, not both that return next year. I guess I’d take Max back for at least .5m/yr less than Dupuis, but no less than that. The difference amounts to one extra minimum wage veteran to be brought up as needed.
We all know how often Shero gives out that third year on UFA deals. The only one to get a 3rd year was Cooke.
What im afraid of is if they end up moving someone to wing, that opens up the third line to be not as efficient as they normally are. Staal is such a good defensive forward that the third line now becomes a liability, not a shut down line. And then doesn’t give the good matchup, since you can’t lean on Letestu like you could Staal to shut down the opposition.
Will be an interesting off season, cant wait to see what Shero ends up doing. You have like 6 of the same type guy, and only room for maybe 3.
We all know how often Shero gives out that third year on UFA deals. The only one to get a 3rd year was Cooke
Lovejoy? Engelland?
They’re more depth players and on dirt cheap deals, but that Shero doesn’t give longer-term deals is a bit of a misnomer.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
Lovejoy was a Rule 4 UFA, and Engelland isn’t an every day player. I don’t consider those two and their contracts to be in the same boat as a Cooke, Dupuis, Talbot UFA deal. Both of their deals Lovejoy and Engelland, (.525 and .567 respectively) wont equal what our UFA’s will get/command on the market. So giving them the extra 500k isn’t a huge issue.
It’s an issue though when you say Shero doesn’t give out 3 year deals to UFAs…When he has in fact given them out 3 of them in the last 10 months. Because he clearly will give out 3 year deals when it makes sense to the team.
I suspect if Dupuis wanted to sign for $600k, Shero would have no problem giving him a 3 or 4 year deal. Granted, that’s never going to happen, but the point is Shero has (and will) sign longer-term deals with UFA’s. He’s done it with Cooke, Engelland and Lovejoy.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
Oh totally if the role were different, but what would that be? He obviously knows how to score goals, but he just doesn’t have the skills to do so. I think he would be perfect on the fourth line with Rupp and Adams, adding more of a scoring threat to them, but he’s too good to be placed on the fourth line, and would be too expensive for that as well.
I can understand your fear of a third year, and I was actually staring at the screen for a good minute or two trying to figure out if I should put two or three. I would be content with two.
A Cooke-Letestu-Dupuis third line could be pretty efficient, couldn’t it? That’d free Crosby, Neal, Kunitz, Malkin, Staal and one more (Tangradi? UFA?) for the top six.
If Pascal wants to stay, he will. If he’s willing to keep that $1.4 that he currently makes, try getting him for three years, with maybe a little more added to it, no more than $1.8 though
If he’s not going to play a prominent even strength role, which I agree he probably doesn’t deserve, then why would you pay $1.4+ for another 3rd line role player? I know what he brings to the lineup, but Dustin Jeffery can fill in for him everywhere for a much cheaper salary. Also Adams is, hopefully, likely to be resigned so he is another PK forward.
by StripesForLife on May 9, 2011 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions
I know what he brings to the lineup, but Dustin Jeffery can fill in for him everywhere for a much cheaper salary.
That is true, but there’s still going to be a drop off from Dupuis performance (known, reliable) to a virtual NHL unknown in Jeffrey. With a younger player in Letestu just breaking into the NHL too, I’d worry that shedding Dupuis for Jeffrey in a 3rd line role is going too young too quickly and performance would suffer.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
Isn't Jeffrey a center?
I don’t remember him playing much wing, at least not for the NHL Pens. I thought I read somewhere that they were working on him being more of a power forward type winger, but didn’t Disco play him exclusively at center?
Yes, I believe he’s been almost exclusively a center in the NHL (though he does have experience playing wing), but another point where a contending team can’t really pencil a young player out of position into a 3rd line role and think they’re not going to miss a beat.
I think Jeffrey slots in well as a 4C next year to get fully integrated as an NHL player.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
If you slot Jeffrey into 4th line Center… wheres Adams go? He is the epitome of a 4th line center.
In my opinion, Jeffrey is a much better player than Letestu (higher points per game in WBS and Pens, better PK). But with Letestu getting the majority of playing time while Malkin and Staal were out, I don’t believe they will move him.
Which leaves Jeffrey out of a position, unless they move him to wing (Hes listed as a left wing on the Pens page).
I just don’t like Jeffrey on the 4th line for the same reason i cringed every time they put Tagnradi there. That’s not their game, they will not succeed in that position.
Craig Adams is naturally a winger. Before he came to Pittsburgh he was almost exclusively a RW with Carolina and Chicago.
Ice time is earned, not given. If Jeffrey plays well, his responsibilities will increase, but I don’t think 4th line is not going to do him any good. The main thing he needs is experience and adjusting to the NHL game speed.
Getting 10-12 minutes a night isn’t the worst thing. I agree some prospects don’t benefit as much with limited minutes, but unless you’re a Crosby/Malkin type player, sometimes you gotta start at the bottom and prove worth.
I don’t see Jeffrey as a Top 9 player on the Penguins at the start of the season. He wouldn’t have been this year either, except for the rash of injuries.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
If you slot Jeffrey into 4th line Center… wheres Adams go?
to H E double hockey sticks? i kid, i kid.
Adams is naturally a RW’er as Hooks mentions and he’s not very good on faceoffs anyways so sticking him back at RW on the 4th line is probably the ideal way to go. While i’m not crazy about Jeffrey getting stuck with 4th liners, I really don’t see any other place where he can start the year.
I think if I had to choose, I’d go with Talbot. Talbot adds more grit and is more of a big game player. Plus I think the extra salary Duper demands could be better spent on keeping Tyler Kennedy.
by crosby_in_sydney on May 9, 2011 10:35 AM EDT reply actions
He’s very streaky in the scoring department but reliably consistent in the PK role. I still have a hard time grasping the love affair Penguins fans have with Talbot in Dupuis’ role next season, should it be a case of one over the other. Obviously Max has his history and all with the Game 7 heroics, but let’s be honest – that was two seasons ago. Plus if we’re going to compare the two, then history would also indicate that Talbot is the more fragile of the two, given his history of ankle/foot injuries and the shoulder surgery he had in the offseason following the win. Obviously the latter of the two is not one that lingers, but I just think Dupuis gets the nod over Talbot in my book, whether he has a set of hands or not.
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That’s a good point about the injury proneness. And I don’t get the infatuation with Max either. Like I said, you scored two goals that were huge, but what have you done for me lately? I think it’s because he takes on the village idiot persona of the team, which I mean in the positive way. He’s the goofball that the team and city can turn to and say “Oh that Max, he’s so goofy and such a sweetheart.”
And I don’t get the infatuation with Max either. Like I said, you scored two goals that were huge, but what have you done for me lately?
The “infatuation” with Max is that he scored 2 goals and won us a Stanley Cup. Beyond those two goals, he was an extremely good and productive player throughout that playoff run (and let’s not forget his clutch goal in the dying seconds of game 5 the year before) What more can you do?
I’m not saying the Pens should re-sign him based on those 2 goals, but to be as dismissive and condescending as you are seems extremely short-sighted and small minded to me.
So, resign him? If it makes sense for the team going forward, and certainly not because of the two goals he scored back in 2009. But to act as entitled and with such a short memory seems to miss the point of being a fan, if you ask me.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
by CBKWit on May 9, 2011 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
As you so kindly pointed out in my quote, I ask again, “What have you done for me lately?” I’m not dismissing his two goals, but that was two years ago, and then he went on to have two really poor seasons.
As our good friend Garth Algar says: “Live in the now!” Glorifying the past and what players did yesterday won’t help you tomorrow; See: Alex Kovalev.
CB was simply answering your question about why people like Max so much.
I’m with you. Not sure why people have such a love affair with Mario and Shero. Those guys are yesterday’s news.
by PensAreYourDaddy on May 10, 2011 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions
You’re right, it isn’t the same situation. I’m just saying there is a difference between fans having an emotional connection with a player based on past exploits, and actually saying that we should continue to employ said player simply based on what happened in the past.
by PensAreYourDaddy on May 10, 2011 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions
totally agree
Hate that Obama. Sure he got Osama, but that was so last week!
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
Max, was probably the most consistent player in the playoffs this year. He had the best point total with less ice time than other guys whose only job is to score. Having said that, what kills Max is his regular season underachievement. Apparently for this reason he is in DB’s doghouse. Dupuy while a lesser talent perhaps, and older, has done everything they ever asked him to do, play in any line, from the 1st line to the 4th line. He was fairly “soft” with his forecheck, but this year he has improved. Also played left or right wing and PK. I personally like Max for the playoff run, and his influence on the team overall, but he’ll probably get better offers outside. IN SHERO I TRUST.
The Hockey Dr.
Agree
I think as much as the Penguins need to try to keep hold of Adams, they need to work a deal with Dupuis. 3yr./$5M should be something everyone can live with. I know GMRS is loath to tack on that 3rd year and PD is at a point where he’d want that extra year. Someone would give it to him. Pretty much the concensus it’s Max or Dupuis but not both. Max is a Penguins hero for all time, but the reality PD is a more useful contributor to the team in my opinion. His slightly higher price tag is justified.
The Pens free agency will be based upon, I think, what ever their priorities are (duh). Hooks mentioned the Cooke-Letestu-Dupuis line which would be a great 3rd line, but only needed if TK goes thus dismantling the Cooke-Staal-TK line. Of the FA’s I think priority #1 is TK, I certainly didn’t think this back in September, from there we will know where the other dominoes will fall.
Staal is not a top 6 forward! I think the Pens need to continue the 3 center deep philosophy, and I didn’t think that back in September as well. Who the Pens keep should be based upon who they have signed and what the long term plans are. I love “Dupper” and “The Gamer” but Max, at 26, has more of a shelf life than Dupper. One of them have got to stay, but not both.
Kunitz-Sid-?
Neal-Geno-?
Cooke-Staal-?
?-Letestu-?
Ask yourself of the FA’s where do they fit in this equation, i.e. in the question marks? Of the FA’s I don’t think any of them are top 6 forwards, even TK due to his lack of size and do we pay top dollar for bottom 6 guys when there are guys like Tanger2, DJ, and Johnson ready to come up?
I don’t envy Shero with these decisions because all the FA’s, minus Kovy, are guys you want to keep around.
Life is about one simple choice, get busy living or get busy dying
At some point next year, Bylsma is going to try Staal, Malkin and Neal/Kunitz (probably Neal as Kunitz will stay with Crosby). I know most people on here are split about the decision, but it’s going to happen. I think Letestu will fill in nicely as the 3rd line center, because we all saw he was a little out of place as a scoring line center this year. If Kennedy is resigned he will play on the 3rd line as well. That leaves an opening beside Sid and the whole 4th line. Tangradi, Adams, Jeffrey, Vitalie (maybe) or a UFA could fill those, unless Shero feels comfortable having Dupuis play along side Crosby.
by StripesForLife on May 9, 2011 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions
I agree, I think after Staal’s productive second half of the season, the days of him as the regular 3rd line center are over. The Pens may experiment with the big 3 centers at times, but for the most part Staal’s going to be getting that increased top 6 role.
..And that was the plan all along before the injuries this season too.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
Staal makes sense- he’s better at faceoffs and defensive responsibilities down low suit him better (plus free up Malkin to get the puck and go).
The whole “Malkin’s a center!” thing doesn’t fly for me- the guy plays all over the ice anyways, on any shift he could be a left wing, right wing, center. He pretty much just stalks the puck in the defensive zone.
I don’t see why he can’t do that as the nominal “winger” to Staal’s center. The bigger issue, to me- is Jordan Staal a good enough playmaker and fast enough player to change gears and keep up with Malkin offensively. I’m a lot more worried about that than Malkin playing out of his natural position. Especially when his change is going from C (the most difficult forward position to play) to W (the easiest position on the ice to play).
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on May 9, 2011 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
For me, and all the hockey I’ve played, the position you play is simply the spot you lineup from on the faceoff. Once the play is going, it’s not the center that’s forchecking, it’s the F1. Same thing on the backcheck. F1 picks up the guy going to the net and assumes the low role.
by StripesForLife on May 9, 2011 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions
um, what success did Staal demonstrate as a top 6 forward? He is THE BEST bottom six forward in the NHL, but he simply isn’t a top 6 guy!
Life is about one simple choice, get busy living or get busy dying
In a good organization (not imply the Pens aren’t), the best Bottom 6 forward in the NHL won’t be playing a bottom 6 role the next year.
by StripesForLife on May 9, 2011 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions
30 points in his last 37 games is significant production for Staal, especially considering his rotating (and not terribly skilled) linemates.
It’s easy to have great bottom six forwards, a top sixer is much more important.
I’m sure the Penguins at times will split all three centers up, but for the most part I’d expect them all to be on the top two lines for the most part.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
30 points in his last 37 games is significant production for Staal, especially considering his rotating (and not terribly skilled) linemates.
right that.
and ALSO considering that other teams were throwing out their best players vs. the Staal line given that there was no Crosby or Malkin to worry about.
Staal is much better as a 3rd line center. He’s not a “goal scorer” at this point. Yes he had a slightly better production this year (2nd half of the season), but he also doubled his icetime. He couldn’t possibly play at that pace the whole season, and arrive at the playoffs with anything left in the “tank”. Occasionally I would use him with Malkin, but that’s it. His best production is with TK and Cookie.
The Hockey Dr.
There were times when Staal wouldn’t finish that I would say he better hang out with Eric a whole lot and learn some offensive skill. But then I thought that is silly because Staal is a good player in his own right. The only thing I would want him to work on would be his re-directs and net front presense for PP purposes. That he could still goto Eric for, but trying to turn Jordan into an offensive dynamo would seem a little too redundant for this team.
but trying to turn Jordan into an offensive dynamo would seem a little too redundant for this team.
You are making that sound like all he has to do is turn the offensive switch to “on”. Jordan is not offensively gifted, and it’s very likely he will never be that, but having said that your ending sentence….
would seem a little too redundant for this team
makes no sense. So more offense is bad?
That’s why I said “trying to turn Jordan into an offensive dynamo,” not “he should just turn the switch to be more offensive.”
And the redundancy would come from having a Center as one of your best offensive players. So more offense at Center, and not at wing, or not having a pure and steady D man QBing plays would be bad.
Let’s not forget one very big piece of information as well, which is Sid, for whatever reason, likes playing with Pascal Dupuis. If your Captain, who is the world’s elite player, says something like that, you have to take it into consideration.
This may also mean that Dupuis is taking it into consideration as well, which could be a good thing.
True, but Crosby also enjoyed playing with Andy Hilbert, Ryan Malone, Colby Armstrong and Marian Hossa. Don’t see any of those guys on the roster.
I’m with you that it should be a consideration, but I think given the choice, Sid would take a more skilled player if he could get him. Sure he respects Dupuis and enjoys playing with him, but that doesn’t mean that team isn’t going to consider a skill upgrade if it’s possible.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
Once the Pens beat Detroit the following year, his comment about going to the team with the best chances of winning was lost on me. He suffered the agony of defeat two years in a row and finally got his with Chicago. Maybe if he was in the Eastern Conference I’d have a little bit of angst for him, but really, in the grand scheme of things, I hardly every give Hossa a second thought.
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by FrankD on May 9, 2011 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah, I don’t think much about Hossa much either in that context, just a player that Crosby enjoyed playing with.
Other than the risk of signing a 1 yr deal and the injury factor, I don’t really fault him for picking Detroit over Pittsburgh- DET lost virtually no one from a 2008 Cup team that was among the best teams in recent times, IMO. Adding a player like Hossa should have put them over the top, one would think. Luckily, the Pens found a way to win.
Hossa still got his big pay day (and on a Cup worthy team) so it worked out for him too. After spending all those hopeless years in Atlanta, tough to blame him for taking control of his future.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
It blows my mind that in today’s sports=business environment so many people hate on Hossa for taking less money on a risky one year deal in the hopes of winning. Then, he speaks honestly about the decision he made and got blasted by Pens fans. So, to summarize: Honesty? Check. Winning > Money/Security? Check. Fan base acting fanatical? Check.
Put on your dancin' shoes.
by PensFan024 on May 9, 2011 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I’m with you. As someone said below, most were (or still are pissed) because Hossa said publically he thought Detroit had a better chance to win the ’09 Cup than Pittsburgh did.
Detroit lost no key players from ‘08 to ’09 and gained Hossa…The Pens lost Malone and Hossa that summer. Looking back now, I don’t think his view was unwise, but we’re all obviously glad he was wrong. It also goes to show how much Fleury, Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Letang, etc, etc, grew and performed and how much difference the additions of Kunitz, Guerin and Bylsma made.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
i agree w/ Frank…i never think about Hossa
at the time, however, i think i was more in the AStitch camp
its a douche thing to do, let alone say
to me, it was like when you play pick up games
you (Hossa) are the best player on the team keeps losing
so you (Hossa) “defect” to the other/winning side
WEAK.
in pick up games, it never happens, though.
the guy whining (you/Hossa) may get his wish to go over to the other side, but it’ll only be agreed to if the winning side sends 1 of their best players the other way
there is NO HONOR in what he did EVEN IF he had won a Cup w/ Detroit
they proved they could win w/o him, so what would he add?
turns out he was “subtraction by addition”
ignominy
also the Pens were lucky he didn’t accept their 7 year, $50M deal.
they would be seriously cap-strapped w/ an aging, injury-prone player
I didn’t mean it as I still hold a grudge against Hossa, just that I think Armstrong and Malone leaving were because of those money neccesities, like Scuds too. Maybe they felt the same way, that they wanted to win- which I doubt because of the teams they went to- but Hossa didn’t have to come out and say it the way he did. I just view it a little differently.
Not just you personally but it’s more curious that Hossa was a Penguin for a few months, his contract was up and he chose the best opportunity for himself to try and win. At the expense of much more guaranteed money from Pittsburgh or any number of other teams- being as Detroit could only do a 1 year deal.
Then you have guys like Scuderi and Malone were Penguins for years and years and the team developed and gave them chances to become NHL players. At the first chance both of them bolt for greener financial pastures.
Yet Hossa is universally hated and Scuderi/Malone are generally warmly regarded by Penguin fans…Interesting how that works.
I have no love for how Hossa conducted himself, but I think the fact that he stung the Pens fans (by going to Detroit, the team that just beat us) made it worse. Interesting how he’s seen as a douche, but others who’ve probably been greedier- in terms of pure jumping for the highest dollar- are remembered fondly.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on May 9, 2011 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Bugsy
Malone left b/c Shero was tied w/ Hossa who screwed him at the last minute
Then the Pens had to scramble and (seriously) overpay for Miro Satan
Its hard to say Malone “bolted for greener pastures” when mgmt. told him he wasn’t the priority, Hossa was, and that after signing Hossa they wouldn’t have the money to even approach his FMV.
Huge Ray Shero fan, but he got burned — by Hossa — on that one.
The Pens are STILL looking for a rugged winger that can play w/ Malkin and crash the net.
Neal fits that bill
let’s hope he produces more next year than he did this spring.
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
As far as I can tell, he struggled in some earlier games, then finally got it together during the last few. I feel okay about that because at least I can pretend that his struggles weren’t a Pittsburgh anomaly.
Although I guess we’ll find out with more certainty next year.
Cooke for Byng. Kunitz for Prime Minister. Orpik for President.
Very true
Maid Marian’s mistake was his “going where I’ve got the best chance to win statement” especially bolting for Detroit. In the end though the money he freed up allowed the Pens to get other important components of the Championship team. That they faced detroit and beat them with Hossa on board made it all the sweeter.
I remember Ross McKeon of Yahoo’s analysis pre-finals 2009. The Pens weren’t good enough to beat detroit in 2008 WITH Hossa, how could they beat Detroit now WITH Hossa!? Wings in 5 was the call…LOL.
Forgave MM long ago, especially since things worked out as they did.
While we all fell in love with the idea of Crosby finally getting a great winger in Hossa, I could see why people were upset when he left what seemed like a great situation. In his defence he’s gone to Detroit and now Chicago, so clearly winning was a high priority. Had he gone to the Islanders or Maple Leafs to chase more money, I would have had a problem with that especially considering his quotes. Heck, I would have been fine with him going to NYI or Tor if he just said “My kids need to eat” or something more eloquent. I’ll never begrudge a guy for taking care of his family or for trying to win. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
Keep him, if only just for moments like this – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfdUyLal9yc.
by PensAreYourDaddy on May 9, 2011 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Keep Dupuis
as much as I hate to say it, Dupuis over Talbot. Talbot is one of my favorite Pens due to his game 7 heroics, the way he plays the game and his character… but he hasn’t been the same player the last 2 seasons(be it injuries or what).
If we can get Dupuis for 2 years(I’d even go 3) in the 1.6 million dollar range, I would do the deal on day 1 and be done with it. Yea I’d like to have him at 1.4 but I’m not sure we can get a more consistent player that we know what we’re getting for 1.6 million.
My breaking point would be anything over 3 years and anything over 1.8 million per year.
There's an 87% chance this post is sarcasm...
Dupuis >>> Talbot
how is this even close?
Dupuis is more productive.
Dupuis is more durable.
Dupuis is better on the PK.
Dupuis can play Top 6 minutes.
(I agree w/ Hooks that he’s not ideal there, but he can hang. Talbot cannot).
Talbot is funnier and has a better beard.
Dupuis: $3.2M for 2 years or $4.2M for 3 years.
Ha. Yeah, these past 2 years, there’s not a lot more.
Max was great in 2008. Not just Game 7, but also his fight w/ Carcillo vs. Philthy that altered the course of that series (and his “Shh!” is priceless), and he was ALSO money during that regular season. He didn’t score a bunch, but the goals he scored were clutch. As was his game tying goal in game 5 of the 2007-08 SCF in Detroit — the one Sykora won in OT, etc.
But last year and the year before…
Dupuis
He offers excellent flexibility and can play on any line. Solid penalty killer and a good teammate. I wouldn’t mind him back and I would rather have him than Talbot. However, it does all come down to how much he wants back. I wouldn’t go anymore than two years either. A slight raise but nothing over 2 million.
Proud fan of Pittsburgh's professional sports teams and the Pirates too.
by Black&GoldTrain on May 12, 2011 11:29 PM EDT reply actions
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