[ad_1]
Last season, the Penguins opened the training camp with only two contracted players – Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin – who had proved that they were able to play center in the NHL on a daily basis. .
Derek Grant, a 28 – year – old free agent, signed a one – year contract worth $ 650,000 on Thursday.
Of the 15 forwards that could possibly be on the team's opening list, six – Crosby, Malkin, Grant, Derick Brbadard, Riley Sheahan and Matt Cullen – list the center as their main position .
A decisive year in Anaheim, establishing himself as a regular NHLer after spending part of his six previous professional seasons in the American League. He had 12 goals and 12 badists in 66 games, mostly on the fourth row, but he was in the top nine if injured.
Michigan State took 53.1% of his face-offs While playing about 11 minutes per game, he sees changes in both the power play and the penalty kill.
"He's just had a good year with 12 goals in the fourth row," said general manager Jim Rutherford. "He can play center, he can play wing, he kills penalties, he can play in all situations, he adds to what we talked about, he has more balance, more of depth and all that. "
Although it's easy to see why Rutherford would like to add a player with Grant's abilities, especially at the NHL minimum wage, it's also fair to wonder what the Penguins are going to do with all of these centers .
They will move to the wing. It's generally considered an easy transition for an NHL center.
"Grant, Cullen and Sheahan can and have played on the wing," Rutherford said. "It just gives the coach more options."
The bady answer is that any of them could be traded. "I think it's a fair guess, but it's not why I did it." "I do not have anything at stake yet. Certainly, when we enter the camp and in the season, it gives us more options."
There is also an answer that is a combination of both. Untouchable from the team, Brbadard is the center that could get the biggest return in a trade. Perhaps he could be more powerful in the left wing, which is one of the weakest points of the attack of the team. Or maybe Brbadard himself will fill this perceived hole. He could pbad on the left side of one of the first two lines of the team. It's an idea that coach Mike Sullivan has thought of investigating, Rutherford said.
"It's not my decision," Rutherford said. "That's just one of the things Sully has talked about repeatedly at meetings where we talk about different things: it may or may not be an experience at any time, but it's not." something that he raised. in his career, but he is a talented player and a guy who could do it.I do not even know if Sully will experience it. "
After Grant's addition, the Penguins are a little over $ 700,000 under the $ 74.5 million salary cap with 14 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies on the clock.
Their last regular off season job is to sign a new contract with goaltender Tristan Jarry, a restricted free agent. "Rutherford said there was no problem. Unusual pitfalls in these talks
"No, just negotiating now," he said. "He will soon take his course."
[ad_2]
Source link
