Mike Zigomanis put in 22 games with the Penguins during the regular season before an injury and surgery left him off the ice for the remainder of the season Ziggy's role was simple - get on the ice, win faceoffs and chip in where you can.
Up until a should injury took him off the ice following the December 3 game against the Rangers, Ziggy was doing just about all you could've expected from him. His win percentage on faceoffs floated around the 62% range. He wasn't afraid to get dirty or stand up for his teammates when the situation called for it (Nov. 22, 15 PIM including a game misconduct) and ice time rarely fell below 10 minutes per game. All in all he posed as a consistent third/fourth liner, killed off a few penalties and lived up to the title of faceoff specialist.
One glance at the salary situation in Pittsburgh is just about all management needs to see when making decisions on certain players. Ziggy's cap hit of $650,000 in 08/09 is the least of the team's problems. Should the Penguins make Zigs an offer, it will likely be a bit lower than last year's, especially when you factor in the 60+ games he spent injured. Yet even at, say, $500 - $600K, Ziggy could pose as a much-needed role player and chip in on the PK similar to the role of Pascal Dupuis, a guy a lot of Pitt fans have recently talked about unloading due to cap issues.
Mike Zigomanis - where do you stand Pens fans?