Pittsburgh Penguins: Who should stay and who should go
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.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Who should stay and who should go
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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.