Penguins Update: Simon Signs with Calgary

Former Penguins forward Dominik Simon has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Calgary Flames for $700,000. A development that no doubt will bring a smile to the face of my esteemed colleague Other Rick.

Indeed, the signing closes the book on one of the more polarizing players to skate for the black and gold in recent years.

Pens fans either loved him or hated him. Ditto the blogs. While some like Pensburgh and Pittsburgh Hockey Now sang Simon’s praises…Dan Kingerski rated the Czech Republic native one of the five most underrated Penguins of all-time…others such as PenguinPoop were less enamored.

If ever a player seemed to underscore the dichotomy between fancy stats and rubber-meets-the-road production, it was Simon. A noted possession driver, he logged an impressive Corsi of 54.4 during his 173 regular-season games in the ‘Burgh. In 2018-19, he led the entire NHL in EVD GAR (even strength defense goals above replacement) which solidified his standing as a darling among metrics mavens.

Sidney Crosby loved playing with him. Teammates and coaches sang his praises, citing his skill, creativity and high hockey IQ.

Yet for all his positive attributes, Simon rarely seemed to make a difference where it mattered most…on the score sheet. Indeed, his traditional stat line paled in comparison to the lavish praise heaped upon him. In a shade over two full seasons, he tallied 19 goals and 64 points, an average of nine goals and 30 points over an 82-game slate.

Okay numbers for a third-liner perhaps. But not for a player who spent over 40 percent of his 5-vs-5 ice time skating on Crosby’s wing.

Which brings us to the crux of the conundrum that Simon posed. He was a decent little complementary player with a nice skill set who was cast (or miscast) in a first-line role. Point a finger at Crosby and coach Mike Sullivan for thinking he was more.