NHL Review

Well it looks as though the Pittsburgh Penguins wasted no time after completing their cup run to sign Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defensemen Alex Goligoski to a long term (3 year) deal.

Though he spent a good amount of time up in the NHL with the Penguins due to the injury of Sergei Gonchar, Goligoski has been with the Baby Pens the majority of the season. With the Penguins' 7 defensemen, it was difficult for GoGo to get much playing time, which is essential for a developing player. In an interview, Alex was excited to become a Penguin long term, saying:

“I wanted to stay a Penguin for a long time. The way they treat you here and with this group of guys here, I think we can be a contender every year. I want to be a winner so it was an easy decision. I’m glad we were able to get (the contract) done early. It’s just really exciting right now.”

So, what does this mean for Pens fans? Well, it means a couple things.

With deals not yet on the table for Rob Scuderi, Hal Gill and Philippe Boucher, General Manager Ray Shero faces a tough off-season decision regarding the free agency. All three defensemen are UFAs come July 1st, so who do the Penguins tell to walk?

If Shero has his head on straight, he will sign Rob Scuderi at a relatively decent price and let the other two go. Scuds was an essential part of the winning dynamic in Pittsburgh, though not an offensive force by any means, this man was able to shut down top offensive leaders (Alex Ovechkin anyone?) time and time again, in both the playoffs and the regular season. Shero better lock this guy up to a deal soon, or other teams will be throwing offers left and right at Rob Scuderi.

So what about Hal Gill? Personally, I would tell this guy that his NHL career is just about over. This defensemen is big, slow and does not produce. You would think that a 6' 7" defensemen would have SOME kind of shot from the blueline (think Zdeno Chara), but you'd be wrong. Gill cannot even hit the net from there, let alone rip a slapshot. This guy is a pylon of a player, one who should try his luck in the KHL. Though I bet he still has some NHL-esque gas left in the tank, this 34 year old defensemen is only good on the penalty kill. In addition, U.S.S. Gill cannot deliver a check to save his life and it isn't like he is a small dude or anything. Pittsburgh would be wise to not even speak to this man about a contract extension, hopefully letting GoGo and Boucher (maybe) filling his spot.

Finally we come to Philippe Boucher's contract ending. What becomes of him? Well hopefully the Penguins either sign him to a cheap, one year deal (a scrap deal) or just get rid of him. Though he is a decent sized defensemen, he is past his prime and could be replaced by Gogo or even top AHL prospect Ben Lovejoy. I like Boucher a lot, but his career will probably end soon or dwindle down in Europe or something. Either way, Boucher is a decent space filler on D, who is an experienced veteran.

The Penguins should have an easy decision this offseason, but the cap always seems to be against them (though how could it not be?). With long-term deals with Orpik, Fleury, Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, it is tough to fit role players, much less D-men on the same bill! It'll be interesting to watch this summer!