…just when you thought the off-season plight of our Penguins couldn’t get any worse, it did.
The team has signed erstwhile Islanders fringe defenseman Sebastian Aho (not to be confused with the ‘Canes scoring star of the same name) to a two-year deal with an AAV of $775K, the team announced today.
The 28-year-old native of Umea, Sweden, is a left-handed shot who stands all of 5’10” and tips the scales at a less-than-robust 186 pounds. He can skate and move the puck, but isn’t physical (only 42 hits last season). Nor is he an especially accomplished shot blocker.
Gee, where have I heard that description before?
I’m being sarcastic, of course. See recent signee Grzelcyk, Matt.
Dear Lord, is Kyle Dubas trying to corner the market on soft, undersized defensemen?
Apparently so.
He must be drinking coach Mike Sullivan’s Kool-Aid, again.
Or perhaps Dubas really did get the Ahos mixed up. Back in the day, then-Pens GM Baz Bastien thought he’d acquired 60-goal scorer Steve Shutt from the Canadiens. The player he actually received, Rod Schutt, turned out to be something less.
Again, I’m being facetious.
With the signing, by my rough estimation that leaves only two of our projected top eight rearguards (Marcus Pettersson and Jack St. Ivany) who can actually play defense.
Yeah, that’s gonna work.
At this point, I’m thoroughly disgusted with Dubas and his retool, no matter what the end game is. We’re simply going to get sledgehammered into the ice, physically, stylistically and otherwise.
I truly feel for Sid and Geno and Tanger.
Oh, and we lost announcer Steve Mears to the CBJ, where he’ll work the TV side after a season in the radio booth next to the ‘Ol Two-Niner, Phil Bourque.
The hits just keep on comin.’
Good luck, Mearsy!
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By the far the best move the Pen's made this year was letting Steve Mears go. He might be the worst play-by-play in Pittsburgh sports history, talk about vanilla!
Hey Rick - 100% agreed.
For you other readers, I was a bit out of touch when this news hit the wire. I didn't even know that I had been sent a text about this latest gaffe until the ink was dried solid. When I walked into Wright's gym, before I had time to read Rick's post, he confronted me, asking if I had heard about the ever shrinking Penguins Defense (sounds like a good B Sci-Fi film from the 50s). My response was almost verbatim what Rick wrote.
We may have just past that sign post into the twilight zone.