Penguins Sign Pascal Dupuis to Two-Year Deal

by Hooks Orpik on Jun 28, 2011 10:47 AM EDT

Dupuis has agreed to a two-year contract to remain with the Penguins, sources told the Tribune-Review. The deal, which will be announced this afternoon, is worth $3 million total — meaning Dupuis will count $1.5 million against the salary cap each of the next two seasons.

Dupuis is a valuable player who can slot into a variety of roles on any line and is a good penalty killer. His speed and forechecking make him a natural for the Penguins system.

At two years and just a nominal $100,000 pay raise off his last contract, this has to be considered a win for the Penguins. They have huge holes at right wing and are targeting bringing in Jaromir Jagr and Tyler Kennedy. Taking care of Dupuis and getting him that first domino to fall is a big help.

Penguins GM Ray Shero now has about $6.5-$7 million dollars of cap space to add about 2-3 more forwards.

Next up could be news of a "hand shake" agreement with Jagr, who is expected to hear from the Penguins today, possibly including his first firm offer from Pittsburgh. The CBA bars Jagr from officially signing until Friday (July 1) but it's expected that he will probably be making up his mind where he wants to play in the hours/days before that.

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Woooooo. $300 000 cheaper then I thought :) And 2 yrs is awesome considering his age. Shero you the man!

by MrChadysPens on Jun 28, 2011 10:49 AM EDT reply actions

Now lets get TK, Rupp and most of all #68 Jaromir Jagr !!!!

by MrChadysPens on Jun 28, 2011 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions

I was expecting a 2 yr for maybe 1.7 or 1.8 a yr. This is even better lol

by MrChadysPens on Jun 28, 2011 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions

It’s both cheaper, and for less years than I expected and would have been fine with.

Glad the Pens were able to get this one out of the way. Rewarded a nice team player, but didn’t break the bank to do so. Win-win.

SB Nation PIttsburgh

"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."

by Hooks Orpik on Jun 28, 2011 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions

Big, big win for Shero.

And it came at almost the same time Caps announced that Brooks Laich will be counting $4.6M/yr against the cap when he’s 34. Yikes. I’m a fan of Laich’s game, but in terms of bang-for-the-buck, the Dupuis deal will kill for the next two years.

Had to update my free-agency post yet again. Not that I mind with this news.

DUE TO THE LENGTH OF NHL HOCKEY
SKATE ELECTRIC WILL NOT BE SEEN

by docciavelli on Jun 28, 2011 11:17 AM EDT reply actions

Hah, at this rate you might be updating a lot more before Friday!

SB Nation PIttsburgh

"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."

by Hooks Orpik on Jun 28, 2011 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions

I insincerely hope that this afternoon I have to edit Mike Rupp as “signed” for two years at $900k. That would really make me happy.

DUE TO THE LENGTH OF NHL HOCKEY
SKATE ELECTRIC WILL NOT BE SEEN

by docciavelli on Jun 28, 2011 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions

I’m going to take a stab in the dark and suggest that Cap fans are probably wishing Laich had used Dupuis agent instead!

by MrChadysPens on Jun 28, 2011 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions

Caps fans are actually wishing they’d let Brian Burke sign Laich to that deal. It’s a bit too long for everyone’s liking.

DUE TO THE LENGTH OF NHL HOCKEY
SKATE ELECTRIC WILL NOT BE SEEN

by docciavelli on Jun 28, 2011 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions

For a 34yr old, wayyy too long. I think GMGM may have more then bumped his head. He really should go get that checked out!

by MrChadysPens on Jun 28, 2011 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions

If the cap keeps rising like it has been, not that big of a worry. It’s an over-payment, but when Orpik signed that looked like one too.

SB Nation PIttsburgh

"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."

by Hooks Orpik on Jun 28, 2011 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Ooops

Thought he was 34, he is only 27 lol

by MrChadysPens on Jun 28, 2011 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions

boom!

yes! nice deal, nice price!

Glad to have Duper back for another 2 years.

You have to see it for yourself...

by Bla Razor on Jun 28, 2011 11:17 AM EDT reply actions

Wow, really thought it would have to be 3.5/2yr or 5/3yr to keep him. Nice job Shero and way to go Duper for getting it done and staying with the Pens. So solid.

by Max Powers on Jun 28, 2011 11:19 AM EDT reply actions

It really does smell like a hometown discount. Makes you believe that this is a good organization and that the prospect of playing Crosby and Malkin really does lower FA costs.

I wonder if that translates to #jagrwatch as well?

DUE TO THE LENGTH OF NHL HOCKEY
SKATE ELECTRIC WILL NOT BE SEEN

by docciavelli on Jun 28, 2011 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions

I was just thinking the same thing about the hometown discount. It’s great that Pittsburgh is a team that players like to play for. Dupuis is a great signing, as he is a versatile player that is not out of place on any of the 4 lines. The bonus is that it keeps four of the core penalty killers intact, so there shouldn’t be too much difference there(with the exception of probably losing Max, of course)

by gilathiel on Jun 28, 2011 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree that it’s a hometown discount, and that it says a lot about our team. I also think it may mean that his family and kids are happy here, and that he may have had a strong preference for not uprooting them.

I believe in Geno.

by Cari on Jun 28, 2011 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I totally called it

From Penguins website:

Dupuis chose to forego potential unrestricted free agency to stay in Pittsburgh because the Laval, Quebec native and his family – wife Carole-Lyne, daughters Maeva, Zoe, and Lola and son Kody – have firmly planted their roots in the area.

"It’s mainly because of the team and the city," Dupuis said of his motivation to re-sign with the Penguins. "We really love Pittsburgh. The kids are in school there, and we love the schools. We love the people. We love our neighbors. We love our house. … I’ve got four kids and everybody loves it in Pittsburgh.

"It was the only place we wanted to go."
Thank you little Dupers for being happy in school.

I believe in Geno.

by Cari on Jun 28, 2011 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions

good call!

by Diomedes7 on Jun 28, 2011 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m a fan. I like it. I kind of felt like it was going to be either Dupuis or TK sticking around and I guess now we have our answer. While some might argue TK had a better season last year that’s because he was given a few more opportunities with Sid and Geno out. He’s not going to be a consistent 20+ goal guy but I can see him getting close.

If I had to guess which teams would be interested in him, I see him being a good fit in Buffalo, New York (Rangers since they need to fill some cap space) and possibly even Minny.

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com, twitter and now on the official Pensburgh Facebook page

by FrankD on Jun 28, 2011 11:30 AM EDT reply actions

I’m not writing off a Kennedy signing just yet. Jagr’s still a 50/50 proposition right now, and if Shero doesn’t think he’s going to land Jagr by Friday, he’ll be trying to lock up Kennedy for another 2-3 years in order to make sure he’s got a second-line RW with a right-handed shot. Honestly, I think Shero’s going to try signing both Kennedy and Jagr. Given the numbers I worked out, he can do it if they both agree to less than $2.5M/yr.

DUE TO THE LENGTH OF NHL HOCKEY
SKATE ELECTRIC WILL NOT BE SEEN

by docciavelli on Jun 28, 2011 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions

THIS!

by MrChadysPens on Jun 28, 2011 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree 100%

I think if he can get both Jagr and Kennedy for less than $4.5 million it’s a win.

by StripesForLife on Jun 28, 2011 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions

That's exactly

what I smell also. God I hope I’m right.

by HandsofSweed on Jun 28, 2011 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I admit I haven’t watched a lot of Minnesota hockey over the past couple of years, but he’d be a strange fit there, I think. Although with the abundance of Penguins connections, I agree that it could happen.

And you’re spot on about Buffalo: he’d be a great fit there, I think. Although I’d rather see him go further away so that we don’t have to see him in the wrong jersey all the time.

Congratulations to Dan Jack Adams Bylsma!

by PopRocks on Jun 28, 2011 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions

To my knowledge Minnie has been playing a style similar to the Pens lately, gone are the days of Lemaire hockey.

by Skyff on Jun 28, 2011 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah. I’d noticed they’d sort of picked up the pace a little. But their roots are still kind of in a Lemaire way of thinking, aren’t they? Actually, it’ll be interesting to see how Mike Yeo develops the team, what with his hybrid of success assisting both Therrien and Bylsma. His plan may very well determine whether they’re interested in TK or not.

Congratulations to Dan Jack Adams Bylsma!

by PopRocks on Jun 28, 2011 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions

As I understand it their main style of play was basically Penguins hockey, but with the twist that they can go back to Lemaire hockey when needed, as we saw when we played them last season. I recall an interview with Todd Richards after that game where he explained they usually play like the Pens, but switched it up for that game. Of course Yeo might go a whole new direction.

by Skyff on Jun 28, 2011 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Part of my rationale with Minny is really tied in with the whole Chuck Fletcher thing. And now with Mike Yeo manning the ship he might see the value in adding a guy he’s familiar with. He could make a nice replacement for John Madden, who will likely test the market if he still feels like he has some gas in the tank.

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com, twitter and now on the official Pensburgh Facebook page

by FrankD on Jun 28, 2011 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions

I live in Minneapolis so I follow the Wild a bit (though obviously not as much as the Pens!). They’ve finally dumped a lot of their aging veterans and are looking to get younger. Plus the Wild are playing a more uptempo style now, somewhat similar to the Pens.

Next year they’ll be in full rebuild mode, and in my opinion a young guy like TK would fit into their plans pretty well.

"90% of the game is physical. The other half is mental." - Yogi Berra

by cyroose on Jun 28, 2011 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think signing Dupuis rules out TK but it probably does signal the end of Superstar’s time in Pittsburgh. Great signing here. Responsible, versatile player big on the PK, averages half a point a game over his career, that is contributing. Basically the same stats as Brooks Laich for 1/3 the money and 1/3 the years!

by Dutch71 on Jun 28, 2011 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions

I am glad to see Duper back for such a great price. I look forward to seeing him in a Pens jersey for the next two years. Quality signing GMRS!

by xaryss on Jun 28, 2011 11:45 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Super Duper news

Talk about a cap-friendly hit! Very nice resigning by Shero. Now that is something he doesn’t have to worry about and can concentrate on the other moves.

Proud fan of Pittsburgh's professional sports teams and the Pirates too.

by Black&GoldTrain on Jun 28, 2011 11:53 AM EDT reply actions

And the Hossa trade still lingers..

Anybody out there saying who in the world is Angelo Esposito yet? I like it…great to see Duper back into the fold!

by LightningCoach on Jun 28, 2011 11:53 AM EDT reply actions

Solid point. Didn’t even think about that. Every player in that deal has gone on to one or more teams since.

Hossa: Pens, Wings, Hawks.
Esposito: A lifetime of mediocrity.
Christensen: Thrashers, Ducks, Rangers
Dupuis: Pens…Pens…Pens

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com, twitter and now on the official Pensburgh Facebook page

by FrankD on Jun 28, 2011 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Brad Richards played Oakmont Yesterday

Friend in FLA said guy on radio claims Shero is shopping Geno.
has anyone else heard this?

apparently Richards was at Oakmont yesterday … trade Old/overpriced for an IN HIS PRIME/FINALLY HEALTHY Geno? Please don’t do that

by Petesburgher on Jun 28, 2011 12:07 PM EDT reply actions

SB Nation PIttsburgh

"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."

by Hooks Orpik on Jun 28, 2011 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Snark aside, uhh yeah the Pens are NOT going to trade Malkin and sign Richards.

SB Nation PIttsburgh

"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."

by Hooks Orpik on Jun 28, 2011 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Lemme guess…(e5)? Forget it. Trading Staal for a “winger for Jeffrey” is more likely than Malkin being moved before 2014.

DUE TO THE LENGTH OF NHL HOCKEY
SKATE ELECTRIC WILL NOT BE SEEN

by docciavelli on Jun 28, 2011 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions

There’s a time and a place for everything, and now is neither for moving Malkin.

And besides, 1 playmaking center with a concussion is enough, thank you.

SB Nation PIttsburgh

"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."

by Hooks Orpik on Jun 28, 2011 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions

That’s ridiculous and wouldn’t happen. The Pens don’t need any more “leadership.”

Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com, twitter and now on the official Pensburgh Facebook page

by FrankD on Jun 28, 2011 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions

I was just thinking last night that things on the Dupuis front have been quiet… too quiet… while we had heard leaks about some of the other negotiations and decisions. I’m very happy that Shero got this done. Welcome back Duper!

I believe in Geno.

by Cari on Jun 28, 2011 12:37 PM EDT reply actions

H O O R A Y ! ! !

Love the Dupuis signing.

by Diomedes7 on Jun 28, 2011 1:00 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Nicely put.

by Skyff on Jun 28, 2011 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Impressive job by Shero. And what way to show loyalty by Dupuis. Thumbs up to both.

by Skyff on Jun 28, 2011 1:00 PM EDT reply actions

Great signing

Would have been happy with a little more money and another year as well, but this is even better.

In Shero we trust.

There's an 87% chance this post is sarcasm...

by Stros Bro on Jun 28, 2011 1:21 PM EDT reply actions

Good signing. Also shows Duper likes playing for the Pens. He probably could have got a little more, but it wasn’t worth it for him to move his family to another town.

The Hockey Dr.

by Outcast on Jun 28, 2011 1:23 PM EDT reply actions

I won’t complain about this signing, you really can’t, but I don’t think this means Dupuis should be on the first line like he has been. Second line is even pushing it for me.

"Hockey is the only tribe I belong to." -Jack Falla
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by AlexStitch on Jun 28, 2011 1:42 PM EDT reply actions

Well if Jagr signs he will be third line for sure!

by MrChadysPens on Jun 28, 2011 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Unless Malkin reverts to center.

by Skyff on Jun 28, 2011 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think we will see set lines that play together all the time. Bylsma has shown he likes to mix it up a bit. Sure Jagr would be the most skilled RW, but I don’t think he can play the 18-22 minutes every night beside Crosby. I also don’t see him fitting in on the 3rd line either.

I like the Dupuis signing because he is so versitile and can play up and down the lineup and brings the PK aspect that the Pens need.

by StripesForLife on Jun 28, 2011 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Malkin plays the same amount of minutes as Crosby so it wouldnt matter what line he is on. He just wont take every shift. Although I feel you are underestimating Jagr!

by MrChadysPens on Jun 28, 2011 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Would be just the same as when Guerin played, he was top line but never played 20-22 mins. Crosby gets that much time because he double shifts. Even Kunitz doesnt play that much and he is on Crosbys leftside.

by MrChadysPens on Jun 28, 2011 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions

I could see like the same situation with Guerin. Jagr plays on the powerplay and takes about every other shift with Crosby.

by StripesForLife on Jun 28, 2011 6:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Same as Guerin except its Jaromir freaking Jagr lol :) I will be crushed if he doesnt sign…

by MrChadysPens on Jun 28, 2011 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions

His low raise probably has everything to do with this picture:

The prospect of adding some more Tattoos.

Oh… and that guy in the background Ray Shero.

by STAALKINEAL on Jun 28, 2011 2:00 PM EDT reply actions

Signing Gives Shero Options

current lineup, pre-Dupuis signing, looked like this:

LW C RW
Kunitz Crosby _ _ _ _
Neal Staal Malkin
Cooke Letestu _ _ _ _
Tangradi Jeffrey Adams

Dupuis can fill EITHER role:
a) back on Crosby’s line 1
OR
b) on the 3rd line

It’d be great to sign BOTH Jagr and TK
But any ONE of them now and Shero can move forward toward July 1 w/ lots of options for the 13th roster spot.

by Diomedes7 on Jun 28, 2011 2:03 PM EDT reply actions

You put Kennedy and 68

into those two slots, add Flower and a top-3 NHL Defensive corps?

LET"S GET IT ON MOTHEREFFERS!!!!

by HandsofSweed on Jun 28, 2011 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions

Tangradi prob sits down, though.

by HandsofSweed on Jun 28, 2011 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions

i hear you on ET, but he’s signed and he’s a LW

by Diomedes7 on Jun 28, 2011 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Don’t forget Jeffery likely won’t be able to play until October.

by StripesForLife on Jun 28, 2011 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions

roger that. they could go 3 deep down the middle and re-unite the Cooke-Staal-TK line until then (w/ Letestu at 4C)
but i didn’t want to get into that as its not essential to my point

my point is that Dupuis’s flexibility during the season ALSO provides GMRS w/ flexibility when negotiating w/ TK and Jagr and potentially other FAs > 7.1

that is, its a GREAT signing for the on-ice team
AND for negotiating the last couple/few signings

by Diomedes7 on Jun 28, 2011 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree with you. Dupuis’ versitiliy makes him unique and a great signing. In an ideal world, jagr and Kennedy sign and those 3 fill the top 3 RW positions.

by StripesForLife on Jun 28, 2011 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions