"C is for cookie, it's good enough for me; oh cookie cookie cookie starts with C." ~ Sesame Street's Cookie Monster
Season Stats: 79 gp, 15g, 15a, 30p, +17, 106 PIMs
Playoff Stats: 13gp, 4g, 2a, 6p, -4, 22 PIMs
Month-by-month Pensburgh grades:
October: B+
November: B+
December: C
January: B+
February: B-
March: B-
Playoffs: B+
Contract Status: Unrestricted free agent this summer; previous cap hit of $1.2 million dollars.
Interesting Stat: Matt Cooke's 4.7 defensive GVT was second among all Penguins this year.
The Good: Matt Cooke performed above expectations this year. He was the team leader in adjusted +/- and was tied for second in GAON/60 at 2.16. He also was tied for fourth in penalties drawn/60, providing evidence of his ability to be one of the better pests in the NHL. On top of all of this, he provided some decent offense for the Pens, as his points/60 was 8th on the team. And his physicality was present throughout the season, as he finished third among Penguins forwards with 183 hits.
The not-so-good: Cooke did not have a great performance while on the penalty kill. His adjusted 4-on-5 +/- was the worst on the team at -2.76, and he was playing against weaker competition than both Jordan Staal and Max Talbot. He was also was a net negative in the penalty department, as he took more penalties than he drew and put his team down a man quite often.
Final Verdict: Matt Cooke is a player that a lot of teams would like to have. He gets under player's skins and he's a solid two-way forward at a nice price. But with a thin free agent market and a very productive year under his belt, how many suitors will Cooke attract this off season? The Pens would surely do themselves a favor by finding a way to bring him back, but overpaying for him with our cap situation could be a big mistake.
Question and Discussion: Will Cooke maintain his level of performance next year? Does he have the tools to be a top-six forward on the Penguins?