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Penguins news, views and assorted what-have-you’s
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Prospect Development Camp
The Penguins hosted their annual Prospect Development Camp last week. If what we read is to be believed, Beau Bennett has nasty mitts, Joe Morrow and Simon Despres are men among boys within the NHL’s deepest defense pool and Teddy Blueger is shades of Pavel Datsyuk.
If you missed any of the news regarding the team’s prospects (like we did), catch up on great work by Andy Hughes and Nick Richter at thepensnation, Mike Colligan at THW, Ian Altenbaugh of Hockey’s Future and Eric Majeski at LGP.
Pens re-sign RFA Brian Strait
Pittsburgh re-signed RFA defenseman Brian Strait to a one-year, two-way deal, announced Monday. Strait, 24, is an elder among Pittsburgh’s class of defensive prospects and should compete for a top-seven NHL role in training camp.
From Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
Defenseman Brian Strait has accepted the Penguins’ qualifying offer of a one-year, two-way contract worth $605,000 at the NHL level.
Strait, 24, a stay-at-home defenseman, has played in 12 NHL games over the past two seasons and is part of a mix expected to vie for a roster spot in training camp. He had been a restricted free agent.
That leaves winger Eric Tangradi and defensemen Robert Bortuzzo and Alex Grant as restricted free agents. We’re trying to find out whether they accepted their offers before Sunday’s deadline or had their deadline extended. From what we understand, getting them wrapped up is primarily a formality.
CapGeek.com has listed Strait amongst the team’s top-seven defensemen and places the total NHL-roster salary at 22 players and $60.263 million, with $9.936 million in remaining cap space under a Collective Bargaining Agreement that appears to be on the fast track to a dumpster fire.
Among the listed non-roster players who will be battling Strait for a place in the top-seven? Simon Despres, Robert Bortuzzo, Joe Morrow, Brian Dumoulin and Dylan Reese, with Scott Harrington, Philip Samuelsson , Carl Sneep and Alex Grant also available for a cup of NHL coffee.
Pens Sign F Benn Ferriero from Sharks
Pittsburgh acquired former Sharks forward Benn Ferriero last Friday, signing the versatile winger to a one-year, two-way offer worth $700,000 at the NHL level. Ferriero is the latest in a string of signings that has addressed the Penguins’ depth on the fourth line and in AHL Wilkes-Barre Scranton.
Will he play wing for Sidney Crosby this season? Why not.
Ferriero, 25, has spent parts of the last three seasons playing for the San Jose Sharks, including 35 games in 2011-12, when he tallied seven goals and eight points. Ferriero also appeared in 20 games last year with Worcester, the Sharks’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. Ferriero amassed 20 points (9G-11A) in 20 games with Worcester.
A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Ferriero played in 92 career NHL regular-season games with San Jose, totaling 14 goals, eight assists and 22 points. Ferriero, who stands 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, also played in eight NHL playoff games – with his lone point the overtime game-winning goal in Game 1 of the 2011 Western Conference semifinals against Detroit.
Originally drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the seventh round (196th overall) of the 2006 NHL Draft, Ferriero has appeared in 121 career regular-season AHL contests, notching 44 goals, 59 assists and 103 points. Ferriero has added seven points (5G-2A) in 19 postseason games.
Ferriero joins Tanner Glass, Steve MacIntyre, Warren Peters, Philippe Dupuis, Dylan Reese and other bubble-NHLers who’ve been signed this summer.
Pens Make Official Offer to UFA F Shane Doan
The Penguins were among the 30 or so NHL teams who have been tied to UFA Shane Doan this summer, but the PG’s Shelly Anderson tweeted early Monday that the Penguins have made an “official” offer to the veteran forward.
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Terms of the offer haven’t been released, and unless Doan signs in Pittsburgh may never be revealed. However, it’s interesting to note that the Pens are in on a 35-year-old who has reportedly received a 4-year, $30 million offer from an anonymous Eastern Conference team.
The veteran winger and Jets-Coyotes franchise lifer has appeared in 1198 NHL games, scoring 318 goals and 470 assists with 1071 PIM.
Should the Pens land Doan, they’ll have secured the oft-vacant Winger for Sidney Crosby—at least until 2008 first-rounder Beau Bennett is ready to step into the role.
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