Pittsburgh Penguins Offseason Ramblings: Tom Fitzgerald, Franson Rumors, Semin, and More
By Mike Necciai
Well, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost yet another employee to the New Jersey Devils, as Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald has joined Ray Shero’s staff.
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According to Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Jim Rutherford stated that the Pens will likely restructure from within to replace Fitzgerald on the staff. Fitzgerald was hired as a member of Ray Shero’s staff in 2007.
Fitzgerald, a generally well-liked individual and large part of the Pittsburgh Penguins over the last eight years, was recently sighted yelling at Rutherford and pounding on the table in a heated discussion after the NHL Entry Draft in June. All other teams had left the floor, but the Pens continued discussions which led to an apparent disagreement between the two men.
I don’t necessarily think this is a major loss for the Pittsburgh Penguins, as they have a stable of Assistant GM’s that they’ve built since hiring Rutherford last summer. The biggest disappointment is that they don’t receive a draft pick in this instance.
An honest question regarding Fitzgerald…
Rumors of Semin to the Pittsburgh Penguins Can Now Cease
In a surprising turn of events, the Montreal Canadiens announced that they have signed UFA sniper Alexander Semin to a one-year deal worth $1.1 million. As you know if you follow me on Twitter at @Michael29Angelo or read my work here, I’ve been fairly high on the Pens giving Semin a chance if the cap hit made sense. Well, that cap hit makes a ton of sense.
The Pittsburgh Penguins could have afforded that salary, and should have taken this into serious consideration. Even if Semin ended up on the Pens’ fourth line, it’s added scoring depth at a very cheap price. Semin could very well shed his “lazy Russian” reputation this season in an attempt to prove himself to NHL teams that may want his services in 2016-17. If you’re already coming up with reasons why a player like Semin doesn’t fit the fourth line mold, remember Miroslav Satan played a similar role for the Pens in 2009 and that seemed to work out pretty well.
Despite his lack of production on the score sheet, Semin has been a solid possession player for the Hurricanes. If he can find chemistry in Montreal this could pay off in a big way.
Paging Cody Franson…
Obligatory “I can’t believe Cody Franson is still unsigned” tweet for the day.
— Mike Necciai (@Michael29Angelo) July 24, 2015
… But seriously. I can’t believe he’s still unsigned.
Cody Franson, in my opinion, is one of the more underrated and high-upside defensemen available this summer. He’s a big body, and although he isn’t the most physical defenseman he’ll still let you know when he catches you with your head down. He’s a very good puck-mover and skater as well.
The Pittsburgh Penguins simply can’t afford him unless they unload Rob Scuderi, Brandon Sutter, or Chris Kunitz. At this point in free agency, considering Franson is essentially the last man standing for impact defensemen, even shedding one of those contracts may not make enough room as someone else could offer more.
Recent rumors have him pegged to be a Boston Bruin in the very near future. Honestly, I think Boston is the best fit for him right now and can definitely see this happening. I’m actually surprised there wasn’t more discussion between him and the Nashville Predators considering their needs on defense.
Matt Murray Returning to the AHL with Zatkoff the Likely Backup for the Pittsburgh Penguins
Before departing for New Jersey, Tom Fitzgerald made it clear that Matt Murray would be returning to the AHL next season. This all but solidifies that Jeff Zatkoff will be the Pittsburgh Penguins backup goaltender for 2015-16.
The 28-year old goalie, originally drafted by L.A. with the 74th overall pick in 2006, played fairly well in a backup role for the Pens in 2013-14. He posted a 12-6-2 record with a .912 save-percentage and 2.61 goals-against average, which are very similar numbers to those of Thomas Greiss last season. The big difference is that Zatkoff only costs $600k. Great decision for the Pens.
I’m not extremely confident in Zatkoff carrying the load if Marc-Andre Fleury were to get hurt, but I wasn’t that confident in Greiss either so I’d rather save the $400k in salary.
Next: Higher Expectations and More Pressure for Mike Johnston in 2015-16