Pittsburgh Penguins: Arbitration and Potential Changes to Come

When the offseason began, the Pittsburgh Penguins anticipated there would be turnover from their championship roster.

Now, four weeks removed from winning the Stanley Cup, we can get a general sense of what the Pittsburgh Penguins roster could look like going into next season. However, two pieces of the puzzle remain unsigned.

Arbitration

Jim Rutherford was hoping to sign RFA’s Brian Dumoulin and (potentially) Conor Sheary to long-term contracts. Unfortunately, they were unable to come to terms and both have filed for arbitration. Now the Penguins will be forced to accept what is awarded in arbitration and determine if they will honor the negotiations for one or two years. Either that, or walk away and allow them to become unrestricted free agents. Contracts can still be signed at any time leading up to the hearings.

Based on his performance, Brian Dumoulin should be looking at a contract comparable to Olli Maatta’s. When he signed an extension during the 2015-16 season, Maatta tallied 6 goals and 13 assists in 67 games playing alongside Kris Letang. This year Dumoulin produced 1 goal and 14 assists in 70 games. This was while playing top-line minutes in the absence of Letang. He also handled opposing teams top lines during the playoffs, proving he could rise to the occasion when called upon.

One has to assume that Rutherford was trying to sign Sheary to a bridge deal following his first full season in the NHL. It is hard to gauge what he could fetch in arbitration. His numbers in the regular season are comparable to Jonathan Drouin. The biggest difference is that Sheary finished plus-24 compared to minus-13 for the former Tampa Bay Lightning star. While Sheary is less highly regarded around the league, Drouin’s contract could work against the Penguins during negotiations. One thing that will benefit them is his scoring slump at the end of the regular season that carried into and throughout the playoffs.

Potential Impact

With the need to find a third line center, GMJR will likely be selecting someone from his current roster to trade. Not only does he have to account for the cap this year, he also has to consider how to put his team in the best financial situation when players like Patric Hornqvist, Bryan Rust, and Ian Cole become free agents after next season.

The popular opinion in Pittsburgh calls for the Penguins to trade Maatta. This would be a foolish decision. There aren’t enough top-four defensemen to go around the league and the Penguins have no readily available prospects in their system. While I do believe Dumoulin is the better player right now, the Penguins still have the cap space to utilize both of their services for the upcoming year.

The Penguins have a surplus of talented young wingers. Because of this, Sheary and Rust seem to be likely candidates on the trading block. Both could bring in a decent return on their own. This could also allow the organization to hang onto their high draft picks.

Sheary is a quick skater and, most importantly, can put the puck in the net. He struggled when playing in the bottom-six role at times last season, fitting more comfortably on the Crosby line. Rust is much more versatile, able to slide anywhere up and down the lineup. While he doesn’t put up the numbers Sheary does, Rust has pure speed and has quickly made a name for himself as a clutch performer in the playoffs.

In my opinion, Sheary commands the better return. Rust may be a better fit for the Penguins long-term because of his versatility and probable lower future cap hit. Regardless of who goes, anticipate some new, young faces in the lineup again next season.