Pittsburgh Penguins: Who should stay and who should go

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Like the famous song from The Clash, the Pittsburgh Penguins have to decide who stays and who goes this summer. Joking aside, it’s not an easy task at all.

This offseason will be no joke for the Pittsburgh Penguins back-office staff. They will need to debate and decide on a total of 11 different players with options to leave. Complicating the matter, even more, is the new plan for the playoffs, the draft, and the free agency period all being shuffled around like a bad deck of cards.

Of the 11 total, only 3 of them are unrestricted free agents. Meaning the option to chose who stays and grows the franchise is even more critical. In somewhat reverse fashion, we are going to talk about the elephant in the room and get it out of the way. That elephant is the Penguins 2 netminders who both are UFA’s this summer.

From fan to GM alike, we all knew this was coming at some point. The battle between the pipes for Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry has gone on basically since the beginning of the season. Murray’s missed opportunities and Jarry’s ability to take them have now made the decision even harder going forward.

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We could sit here and debate all day about how Murray’s lousy year shouldn’t outweigh his 2 Stanley Cup Championships, or how Jarry’s good season doesn’t have longevity, and never get a definitive answer. The truth is, this decision is going to be the hardest and most scrutinized going forward. The only strong point is that you aren’t going just to let either of them just leave.

Murray still has Fleury to thank for never really getting into the hearts of the fans. He will be worth more to resign and will probably get more bang for his buck in the trading market. With all of that in mind, selling Matt Murray and re-signing the young and honestly future of the franchise in Tristan Jarry is the hard yet desired choice for this battle.

Conor Sheary #43 of the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

The unrestricted free agent list for the Pittsburgh Penguins isn’t very long, but at least 1 player will bring up some sleep free nights for the Penguins brass. The 3 players in question are Justin Schultz, Conor Sheary, and the veteran Patrick Marleau. All 3 come with substantial marks, but also, all 3 come with question marks and gaping holes.

Starting with Schultz, we find a defender that has lost his job and never got it back. If he wants the same deal of just over $5 million, he needs to be traded to the first suitor that comes around. The Pens defense has been in question at times, and typically when he has been on the ice. There comes a time when everyone must say goodbye, and unfortunately for him, that time is now.

Up next, Conor Sheary. The long time Penguin took a short vacation before coming back this winter. Now, he needs to square up the same deal that was made for him the last time he was here. Sheary is the type of player you either love or hate. He’s a grinder that doesn’t play pretty but next to Sid on line 1, has gotten the job done.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Who should stay and who should go

He is now 28 years old but still has a few hockey years left in him. If the Penguins can get him for something under $3 million, I say do it. After all, you don’t trade a top winger for an old friend just to let him go. Finally, that leads up to one of the NHL’s iron men, Patrick Marleau.

Once you’ve gotten to the stage in life where Marleau is, you can somewhat choose what you want to do. Right now, he’s playing on a league-minimum deal and will most likely get that same deal offered back. It’s 100% unlikely that he gets more than another 1-year contract, and if he wants to stay in Pittsburgh, then the Penguins should let him.

Jared McCann #19 of the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

Now that we’ve taken care of the UFA’s, it’s time to move on to the remainder of the RFA’s. Remember, we already decided Pittsburgh should keep Jarry and sell Murray, cap space, and more in return. The Pittsburgh Penguins have 6 remaining players that they will need to determine the fate of the franchise. Let’s break them down by position and see who stays and who goes.

Out of the Penguins 17 forwards, 5 of them are RFA’s. Rodrigues, McCann, Angello, Lafferty, and Simon are all up for contract renewal. The 2 young emergency loan forwards, Angello and Lafferty, are somewhat in a Murray/Jarry predicament. The only glaring difference is that with Anthony Angello, there’s still growth to be found and unknowns to see. Sam Lafferty has had that chance.

He is seemly a dime a dozen type of forward, and with a projected value of over $1.2 million, he’s just not worth the cost. Up next, are the more “seasoned” forwards, seasoned as in well, more than those two. Rodrigues, McCann, and Simon all have a few NHL seasons under their belts and have more to prove if given a chance.

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Jared McCann was initially rushed into the NHL, but by the time he got to Pittsburgh, it suited both parties well. He is 24 and considered a considerable part of the team. His speed and skill make him a valued asset on the wing or in the face-off circle. Valued just over $3 million, he will be worth all that and more. With his age and skill set, McCann should be seeing a long term deal, think 5 years.

Evan Rodrigues has a suitcase full of potential; he just hasn’t been able to fly yet. With all of that being said, if everyone is healthy, he falls to about the 13th best forward just ahead of Lafferty. Projected to sign for around $1.5 million, he might be a safe bet to give at least 2 years too. If the Penguins are afraid of commitment on this one, give him a year to prove his worth.

The last of the forwards is Dominik Simon. The 25-year-old has come onto hard times with the Penguins and can’t get healthy. When he is fit, you won’t find a better passer on the team, and Sid loves him. Resigning him might hold up a prospects spot, but the pros still outweigh the cons. Give him 2 years to get right and healthy and see if the old Dominik Simon can return to the top of his game.

Finally, we have the Penguins cough drop, Juuso Riikola. In his 2nd full NHL season, Riikola has shown improvement. However, something is off because he has played in roughly the same amount of games, yet well over 100 minutes less. That equates to the staff not trusting him. With a solid defensive core ahead of him, there’s nowhere for him to go but out.

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So, that all leads us to this; the Penguins should look to resign Jarry, Sheary, Marleau, Angello, McCann, Rodrigues, and Simon. That means that either by trade or free agency, they should say goodbye Murray, Schultz, Lafferty, and Riikola. Not resigning Murray and Schultz will free up needed cap room for any new hires the Pens want to make or just safely to re-sign who they have.

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