Pittsburgh Penguins Offseason Ramblings: Rumors, News, Thoughts, and More
By Mike Necciai
Considering it’s Mid-July, the past few days have been pretty stacked with Pittsburgh Penguins news and rumors.
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The Pens kicked off their prospect development camp this week, and so far their injury woes have picked up right where they left off last season. Coming into camp it was known that Scott Wilson and Tyler Biggs would not participate due to various ailments, but they’ve also added Oskar Sunqvist to the list of inactive players due to a hamstring injury.
While the Pens did attempt to address these problems going forward, it seems that the new staff is already getting a taste of what it’s like to deal with the injuries in Pittsburgh. Lets hope for better luck as we approach the regular season.
Without Sundqvist in the mix, the excitement around the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect scrimmage on Saturday dwindles a bit. However, Daniel Sprong seems to be worth the price of admission (which is free, but you get the point). He has looked very good in camp so far and will surely provide entertainment this weekend. Also, Jean-Sebastien Dea has been outstanding. Dea was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and impressed last season in the AHL with 21 points in 43 games. Many have seen him as the best player in camp thus far.
The biggest news in the rumor mill is that the Pittsburgh Penguins are still interested in Cody Franson.
Source tells me #Pens, #Sabres & #NHLBruins pursuing UFA D Cody Franson the hardest. No offer yet.
— Dhiren Mahiban (@dcmahiban) July 15, 2015
It’s mind-boggling that Franson is still sitting on the UFA market with very little talk of where he’s headed. Especially considering the defensive dominos that have already fallen, including Johnny Oduya‘s recent deal with the Dallas Stars. What’s the holdup?
Cody Franson signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins seems extremely unlikely at this point given the Pens’ salary cap situation. Of course, I said the same thing about acquiring Phil Kessel, and we all know how that worked out. Still, there would have to be a salary dump in this situation, and at this point there doesn’t seem to be a lot of interest from around the league in the players that Pittsburgh would like to move.
The Boston Bruins make a lot of sense for Franson. They have holes to fill, especially after trading Dougie Hamilton, and Cody Franson can help. They also have the cap room necessary to pull the trigger on a long-term deal with guys like Loui Erikkson coming off the books next summer.
Despite having little to no chance of signing Franson, the Pittsburgh Penguins got a glimpse of their most important defensive acquisition this summer, which is a healthy Olli Maatta.
After a long season of injury, Maatta is back on the ice & is hoping to earn a top-pair role: http://t.co/GTob7GDAV1 pic.twitter.com/hKGA6koqZb
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 16, 2015
Seeing Maatta back on the ice is a sight for sore eyes in Pittsburgh. Though he’s likely a shoo-in for a top-pair role and won’t have to earn it, it’ll be interesting to see how well he recovers from surgery on that troublesome shoulder. When it comes to discussing the Pens’ defensive corps, it seems that many underestimate exactly how good Maatta is. If he can’t stay healthy the Pens will be in trouble on the blue line.
Other news this week came in the form of contract extensions for Brian Dumoulin and Beau Bennett. Both signed extremely cap-friendly deals, and with Bennett’s one-year term it’s clear that the Pens are giving him one last chance to prove himself.
There is no offseason for us, so give me a follow on Twitter at @Michael29Angelo and keep it here for hockey talk all summer long. Thanks for reading.
Next: Low-Cost UFA Options for the Pens Bottom-Six