Pens sign forward Jason Williams to two-way deal
by Hooks Orpik on Jul 26, 2011 1:42 PM EDT
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PrintPer NHL radio's Josh Rimer:
600k/105k Jason Williams signs 2-way with Pittsburgh Penguins. Confirmed!
A nice depth pickup, if nothing else. Williams, who's been around since he broke in with Detroit in 2000-01, has been a pretty productive player at times. His last healthy season, in 2009-10, he scored 19 goals and 18 assists, splitting duty with the Atlanta Thrashers (RIP) and the Columbus Blue Jackets. In fact, Williams put up 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in just 39 games with Columbus.
BUT...
Injuries have taken a huge toll on the soon-to-be 31 year old. He was on a two-way deal with Dallas last season and only appeared in 27 NHL games (and 17 AHL games). He's had issues from a broken fibula to a hernia to concussions in the past.
Williams has been most successful with the Red Wings, where he's played 277 games in two separate stretches. Williams also has won the Stanley Cup with Detroit, way back in 2002 (though obviously he didn't have a huge role on that star-studded team).
And with all the signings, a look at a quick and dirty depth chart to give an idea of how the Pens look at this point.
Centers- Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Mark Letestu
Top six wingers- Chris Kunitz, James Neal, Tyler Kennedy, Steve Sullivan
Bottom six wingers- Pascal Dupuis, Matt Cooke, Craig Adams, Arron Asham
13th forward- Steve MacIntyre
And the realistic camp contenders to try and claw on to the roster:
Prospects- Dustin Jeffrey, Eric Tangradi, Nick Johnson, Joe Vitale
Vets- Jason Williams, Ryan Craig,
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I’m not sure how I feel about the singing as a whole yet. I mean, first reaction is: cool, cheap depth signing.
But what is it with the Pens front office signing oft-injured players this offseason? I find it kind of ironic considering how much the injury bug impacted the team last year. So they go out and sign Steve Sullivan and Jason Williams?
I’ll try and stay positive, more so with Sully than Williams. But the latter of the two has played only TWO NHL seasons of 80 or more games – back in 2005-06 with the Wings and 08-09 when he split time between Atlanta and Columbus. Outside of that, if you look at his season stats he’s playing a few games here and there before an injury creeps up.
I know it’s a two-way deal and all, but is there a spot for him to earn on the fourth line right now? Is he even a fourth-line bruiser sort of guy? I don’t think so.
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To be honest, when I first heard we signed Jason Williams, I was hoping it was the basketball player with the sweet hands.
Or Derron Williams, with the sweet chin strap.
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I get the impression that after this past season, Shero is playing it safe with the depth signings, playing the just in case game.
There is no way we have another injury stricken season like the one that just passed.
True, but can you combat an injury bug with a group of guys who have history of injuries? That’s what I’m debating right now.
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No you’re absolutely right. And allow me to make this really nerdy reference because I’m bored, but it’s kind of like playing Starcraft and attacking with a bunch of soldiers. Just hope you have enough to get through the oncoming barrage and wait until your tanks get built, or healed.
Protons were always better anyway…
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The Zerg were always easiest to use, though.
1. Build a hundred or so Zerglings.
2. Rush enemy base and attack all ground structures/units until all of the Zerglings are killed.
3. Repeat.
Works, as long as your opponent didn’t have tanks or reavers.
Hard work always beats talent if talent doesn't work hard.
ARE YOU F#$%ING KIDDING ME!!!! ADAMS!!! JESUS TAPDANCING CHRIST YOU HAD 24 SQUARE FEET AND YOU MISSED IT ALL!! - OlenWhitaker
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I love lots of guys. - leaflover4ever
revolving door
I think everyone agrees that given the choice between a player with no history of injuries and a player with a history of injuries you pick the former. I think Shero knows that he has a good group of prospects in the rafters that can be called up for a brief tour here and there. When those guys don’t seem to be cutting it, fill in the gaps with the guys who have been doing it for ten years and know how to get it done.
I also see the logic in giving prospects some NHL time to boost their value and hope to offload them the next year. Doing that is risky if you don’t have players like Sullivan and Williams (vets) to smooth out the wrinkles the prospects will likely cause.
It’s kind of like buying 100 shares of IBM and shorting half of them.
by TheGasMan on Jul 26, 2011 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
HAHA
Starcraft is awesome I dont care what anybody says lol
by MrChadysPens on Jul 26, 2011 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions
The Cleveland Browns
are the only sports team I can think of that has/does have multiple, consecutive seasons with a rash of injuries to their best players.
So yeah, I think we won’t see what we saw last year either.
by HandsofSweed on Jul 26, 2011 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions
He’s listed as a winger
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Pretty sure this guy is going to be the top line center in Wilkes-Barre (AHL), at least to start the season.
IMO, there isn’t room for him on the NHL club right now. Hoping he can be an AHL stud.
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that’s the reason I asked about the position… cause we can use a center for the WBS team
You have to see it for yourself...
Based off faceoff stats in the NHL, he hasn’t played center since 2008-09.
I suppose he can probably do both pretty well. I doubt he’s an NHL center anymore, but I’d imagine he can probably be an impact AHL C still.
"You come at the King, you best not miss."
I agree. AHL center he’d be fine. I like the signing from a WBS standpoint because I don’t see how anyone with a two-way deal besides DJ will crack the NHL lineup right now.
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I think that’s secondary to the right-handed scoring winger need in Pittsburgh. Jason Williams is only marginally a scoring winger these days, but he’s not completely out of place on the 2nd line. If Steve Sullivan misses time, I think Williams gets called up to take his place on the roster.
Otherwise, Williams could be a regular healthy scratch, rotated with Asham through the lineup depending on matchups.
DUE TO THE LENGTH OF NHL HOCKEY
SKATE ELECTRIC WILL NOT BE SEEN
God, I hope not.
yeah, he’s a RW, but other than that there is scant little to recommend him.
Dupuis would be MUCH better.
Heck, I’d even rather see Tangradi, Jeffrey, Asham and maybe 1 or 2 other guys before we see Jason Williams in a Top 6 role on the Pens.
I think Williams has a boat load of more talent then Dupuis does. I would rather Williams step in then have Dupuis in the top six again. Dupuis is a hard worker and he is fast but he has hands of stone and is always bobbling the puck. His place is bottom 6!
by MrChadysPens on Jul 28, 2011 8:59 AM EDT up reply actions
I wrote up a little something on Jason Williams and possibility of him landing in WBS over at Highland Park Hockey as well.
Just launched my new blog: HIGHLAND PARK HOCKEY
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This signing tells me two things in particular:
(1) Shero isn’t sold on Eric Tangradi just yet, and (2) he needed insurance on the left side of the man advantage in case Sullivan gets injured.
Remember, the depth chart of right-handed wingers (that can play on scoring lines) now goes: Kennedy, Sullivan, Williams. Williams is an insurance policy for Kennedy and Sullivan. Either of those guys gets hurt, and Williams fills in the gap. He’s not going to score more than 20 goals if he spends 80 games in Pittsburgh, but he won’t be Alex-Kovalev-bad either.
My money is still on Dustin Jeffrey starting the season in Pittsburgh. He’s versatile enough to play in nearly any role, and it doesn’t make sense to keep him in Wilkes-Barre any longer. Williams, with a $600k cap hit, is probably a guy you don’t mind healthy scratching regularly (see Maxime Talbot or Aaron Asham last season). That being said, I’d still rather see Jason Williams on the ice than Talbot.
DUE TO THE LENGTH OF NHL HOCKEY
SKATE ELECTRIC WILL NOT BE SEEN
Pump the brakes on Jeffrey for right now though. He will be starting in WB/S to get his ice legs back and see how that knee feels in real hockey games. Once that knee gets accustomed and up to strenght, then he’ll be back in the Burgh. Just a question of how long will that take.
Jeffrey would have to clear waivers to play in the WB/S. He could go down (briefly) for an injury rehab stint, but that wouldn’t be long. I’m starting to think Jeffrey will be on the NHL roster quicker than most of us previously thought.
"You come at the King, you best not miss."
That’s my thought as well. He really doesn’t have much to do in WBS, and really, couldn’t the injury issues be put to rest during pre-season/training camp? He’s not going to be asked to play more than 15 mins. per game in Pittsburgh, so I don’t see that it would tax him physically any more than playing 18-20 per night in WB/S.
DUE TO THE LENGTH OF NHL HOCKEY
SKATE ELECTRIC WILL NOT BE SEEN
This signing tells me two things in particular:
(1) Shero isn’t sold on Eric Tangradi just yet
Maybe so, but if Eric Tangradi doesn’t look better in camp than Jason Williams, there are bigger problems for the Pens than what Shero thinks of Tangradi.
"You come at the King, you best not miss."
I didn’t mean to say that Tangradi wouldn’t be as effective as Williams, I’m just saying that maybe Shero thinks that it’s worth keeping Tangradi in WB/S, logging big minutes for the first few months out of training camp until there are injuries or he simply plays his way onto the roster.
Tangradi could probably be just as, if not more, effective overall. I just wonder whether the Pens’ brass think he’s ready for the full-time gig in the Burgh, or whether it’s worth a few months more of top-line work in the AHL to work out the kinks of his game.
DUE TO THE LENGTH OF NHL HOCKEY
SKATE ELECTRIC WILL NOT BE SEEN
Remember how we went 1-35 on the PP during the playoffs, and that one goal was becuase Tangradi was in front of the net using that big body to cause problem for Roloson?
If the season hadn’t ended at that series, and tha was, say, game 30 or 40 something, I think Tangradi would have a spot on this team hands down.
If the season hadn’t ended at that series, and tha was, say, game 30 or 40 something, I think Tangradi would have a spot on this team hands down.
True, but remember that was Tangradi’s first game in 2+ months thanks to the concussion he suffered. Real tough to earn the trust to go from injured to in the NHL playoff lineup under those circumstances.
"You come at the King, you best not miss."
That’s my take on it. Tangradi was pulled off the taxi squad to fill in for a suspended player. I don’t remember him doing much else that game other than sitting in front of the net on the man advantage.
I’m not dogging Tangradi at all here. I simply think that it would be best for him to play 18 mins. a night in WBS for a few months to get his scoring touch before taking on a full-time role in Pittsburgh. Jeffrey’s another case. His development is complete, and he’d fit right in on the third line in Pittsburgh—perhaps as a Tyler Kennedy replacement.
DUE TO THE LENGTH OF NHL HOCKEY
SKATE ELECTRIC WILL NOT BE SEEN
by docciavelli on Jul 27, 2011 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions
I love this signing!
Shero and me think a lot alike, but he obviously is the smarter man. I saw Williams play in Dallas and thought, wow, this guy would fit in perfectly with us.
I think if memory serves he played with Detroit the year we won it all? I remember getting a few looks at him in the playoffs and again thinking he would work well for us, and BOOM here he is.
This reminds me a lot of the Asham signing (another case of a guy I was pleading for the Pens to get and they did, Z last year made me very happy I was pulling for us getting him as well) Sorry about the rant there, anyways, a guy who when healthy can play a really good role on the team. He has a good upside and 600k 2 way is a great deal. Needless to say Sheros choices have worked out really well, and I am very pleased!
Get in the fast lane grandma, the bingo game is ready to roll!
Jason Williams? As a wings fan, let me just say...
…wait, I have to stop laughing and catch my breath first….
Eat 'em up, Tigers!
Whats so funny about Williams lighting up the AHL?
by MrChadysPens on Jul 29, 2011 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Wings fans don’t like this guy, we get it. But I think you signing Chris Conner is even funnier! Fringe NHLer for fringe NHLer…don’t make fun of us when your team did the EXACT same thing, dude.
Get in the fast lane grandma, the bingo game is ready to roll!
by PensForTheWin on Jul 29, 2011 9:47 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
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