It seems there are some tools you just can’t remove from your tool chest.
In the latest incarnation of David Warsofsky (signed by the black and gold on three separate occasions) the Penguins have agreed to terms with forward Evan Rodrigues on a one-year contract worth $700,000.
You remember Rodrigues (or maybe not)? After arriving at the trade deadline from Buffalo in the ill-fated Dominik Kahun swap, he skated for seven mostly nondescript games at the tail end of the regular season, tallying a single goal.
The Pens liked him so much they scratched him for each game during the qualifying round of the recent postseason before foisting him on Toronto in the Kasperi Kapanen trade.
And now he’s back…like some ill-fated shinny version of a boomerang.
My apologies if you’re getting wet from all of the sarcasm dripping from my words. I’m just disappointed. I know it’s early in free agency, but I was holding fast (pun intended) to the hope that the Pens might land the aforementioned Kahun or Jesper Fast, late of the Rangers. Players who might have a real impact and actually improve our team.
After all, I thought that was the general aim of signing free agents. Silly me.
Truth be told, I’m not being entirely fair to Rodrigues. The 27-year-old Toronto native did a lot of little things well during his brief stint here, like drive possession (an impressive Corsi of 64.4). He’s quick, tenacious and versatile, with the ability to play all three forward positions and he’s a right-handed shot…a rare commodity among our forwards. Qualities that no doubt influenced the signing.
Fine as a depth player. I was just hoping for someone with more of a track record. And perhaps a bit more size and gristle.
Makes me wonder who’s gonna step through our revolving door next.
Dominik Simon?
Don’t laugh (or cry, depending on your perspective). GM Jim Rutherford reportedly has an offer on the table for the “Wrong Dominik” as Other Rick recently and so aptly referred to him.
Stay tuned.
Pens Sign Jankowski
It just keeps getting better.
The Pens have signed a former Calgary Flames center. Just not the one I wanted (Sam Bennett).
Instead, they inked Mark Jankowski, 26, to a one-year deal for $700,000. (Hmmm, there seems to be a pattern here.)
A former 21st overall pick in 2012, Jankowski has had his moments as a pro. In 2017-18, he notched 17 goals as a rookie and followed up with a solid sophomore season (14 goals, 32 points, 52 percent on faceoffs). Then he took a rather precipitous tumble this past season, dropping to just five goals, seven points and a minus-12 in 56 games.
Shades of Riley Sheahan?
Could be.
The one thing that stands out…literally…about Jankowski is his size. He’s 6’4” and 212 pounds. But before your heart gets all atwitter, thinking we may actually have added an Erik Gudbranson-type physical presence, think again. With 14 hits last season, he’s decidedly unphysical.
Ugh. Where do we find these guys?
Jankowski is regarded as a good defensive forward and penalty killer. So at least he’s got that going for him.
The Pens also signed 27-year-old right wing Josh Currie to a two-way contract, again worth $700,000 at the big-league level. The 5’10” 172-pounder has 21 games of NHL experience–all with Edmonton–in 2018-19. He tallied two goals and five points to go with 39 hits.
This year’s version of Andrew Agozzino.
Ex-Pens in Play
Ottawa wasted little time in signing Matt Murray to a four-year contract worth $25 million (AAV $6.25 million). Justin Schultz signed for two years with Washington at an AAV of $4 million.
Much-maligned Jack Johnson signed a one-year, $1.15 million deal with the Rangers. He’ll rejoin former Pens assistant Jacques Martin on Broadway.
Hey Rick,
I have been trying to take a wait and see approach before going off.
Truthfully, even though I am no fan of Rodrigues, Jankowski, or even Curri,
my thought “as long as you DON’T resign the human pylon, Simon!!!!!!!!”
As I mentioned to you earlier I was really hoping the team would invest in Matt Benning and Jesper Fast. So, before I began a rant, I wanted to wait to see what these 2 actual NHL players (a real bottom 6 F and a real bottom pair D) would sign for. Even in a depressed market, someone may have offered more than JR could have matched.
Alas, JR once again disappointed. He may be a horse trader (at least in his own mind) but he doesn’t know horse flesh.
Fast signed a 3 year deal for $2 mil/yr (very reasonable and responsible) for Carolina and Benning signed a 2 year deal for $1/yr (actually maybe a little on the cheap side) with Nashville. For $3 million JR could have added a very speedy Winger that checked off all of the boxes for Sully’s game and gotten a real RHD that may have been able to attenuate the Giveaway artist Matheson’s lack of defensive acumen.
And he still may have been able to get Rodrigues – if he was that hard up to have him back to play 3rd line Center, to make Caleb happy.
Worst of all, with about $2 million lef tin cap space, JR is still liable to go out and resign Simon.
If JR had done that, I do think the team would have at least be playoff bound, in tact, with no mid season shake-up.
So with respect to Daltry and the who,
“Meet the new team
Same as the old team”
Only a slightly weaker team. JR got rid of Hornqvist after he turned in his highest G/60 5 on 5 in his career, 1.22 (only the 4th time in his career he was over 1.00), and his 2nd best Pnt/60 5 on 5, 2.17 (and again only the 4th time he eclipsed that mark).
Yes, that would be an ideal time to trade him for value, so why did JR lose on the deal?
Actually , now that I think of it, this is more like the reverse of “Back to the Future” We moved ahead to the past, we moved ahead to the early 2000’s again.
The top 6, yes they are solid, but for how much longer?
The bottom 6, well, they are not the bottom 6 of a contender and only Dumoulin and Marino are D-men on a contender.
Rick
This team has no identity except for the fact we will be the least physical
team in the league by a wide margin. What frustrates me the most is no
matter what blog you go to the thing they want are skilled / finesse players.
Do they understand we have no shot before the season starts at making
any type of serious run for the cup.
With the way this team is structured we will again see an early exit from
the playoffs. This is crazy – right now we are sitting with Ruhwedel as our
RD on the 3rd pairing “ouch”.
If anyone watched this years playoff they would of seen teams physically
abusing each other. 2020-21 is destined to be a long, long year.
Hi Mike,
Good to hear from you…especially on what for me has been a downer of a day.
I couldn’t agree more. I think we all took note of the type of teams that made it to the final four this season. Talented, yes, but able to compete physically, too. Hell, even a tough and skilled Boston team couldn’t hang.
We have absolutely zero physical presence…especially with Hornqvist gone. I just don’t know what Rutherford (and Sullivan) are thinking. And for that matter, Lemieux and Burkle. They must have at least an inkling of the direction JR is taking. With such a vested interest in the team’s (and their own) success, I can’t believe they’re on board with this.
We’re looking more and more like Carolina with every move Rutherford makes. And I’m not talking the present version of the Hurricanes, but rather the team that missed the playoffs seven out of the last eight seasons under JR’s watch.
Throw me a bone…sign Kyle Clifford…or somebody. ANYBODY that might be able to bang a little and stick up for the team. But, no, we’ve got to sign the most passive 6’4″ guy in hockey.
I’m just shaking my head. And I agree…it’s going to be a long season (and a short postseason…if we make it).
Rick
You vastly overrate Hornqvist physical presence. One the pp perhaps. But at even strength he was not especially physical. They will problem miss Jack Johnson more, especially on the pk.
But your point is valid. The team has no bite and with the rest of the metro improving. The odds of making the playoffs have dropped to maybe 50/50. I’d really like to get a hold of the happy juice that makes the Penguins management think that they are anywhere near a cup team.
I keep hearing the same refrain over and over: Ruhwedel can’t be an 82 game regular. Really? Based on what? He’s always been adequate when he played. Why can’t he be adequate for 82 games? Nevertheless, they definitely need another defenseman since injuries are a certainty.