Puck September: Pittsburgh Penguins
This past summer has been all about the money. There was the unrestricted free agent *frenzy.* That was around the same time the Phoenix Coyotes financial problems came into the spotlight, when BlackBerry billionaire Jim Balsillie threw his two cents into the fray and the league kept talking out of both sides of its mouth. You know, the place they seem reluctant to put their money in.
Screwed up contracts — both legitimate Chicago fuck-ups and the over-spending variety — became commonplace, and some players decided to gamble on the bigger payday in Russia. Terms like “escrow” and “cap numbers” came to be a part of the conversation, too. Then there was even more change — and even less sense — from Patrick Kane, who allegedly tag-teamed a Buffalo cab driver with his cousin over 20 cents.
It seems talk of climbing out of this recession has put money on the mind and our mind on the money, so in the spirit of cash, let’s take a look at all 21 teams 30 teams as training camps get set to fire up this month. Like most financial ventures, some teams will offer a greater return than others.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Atlantic Division
2008-09 record: 45-28-9, second in the division, fourth in the conference
Cap space: $1.812 million
Tip sheet:
Sidney Crosby will be insufferable now that he’s won a Stanley Cup…It will be interesting to see how the Penguins handle being ‘the team’ this season…Much like the Gretzky-Messier debate in the mid-’80s, there are large camps for both Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Call it sitting on the fence, but not much to choose between either player…When are the Pens getting a new building? Is it this year or next? I’d look it up but I’m getting sick of writing these. This is like writing about the weather every week…
Fun fact:
Mario Lemieux’s best move — and he’s had a few as a player and as a *hard-done-by* owner — was back in the day, when he got Dan Quinn to take all the heat for that incident in the Minneapolis hotel room. I think it was in the Twin Cities. Maybe there were been twins involved…
You should really invest in this club because…
The NHL marketing machine gives the hockey fan little choice. And Crosby’s wisps of masculinity. Look at those! Monsieur Crosby! I’m in love! He needs to sport that tiny junior high duster all year!!!
The bottom will fall out with…
Hate to say it, considering that he won Game 7 in Detroit and all that jazz, but Marc-Andre Fleury remains a pitfall. It’s like watching Chris Osgood play: Yeah, he’s got the resume now but every time a shot floats in there you’re not sure if the next face-off will be at one of the corner circles or the big one at centre.
Key acquisition:
Post season experience and a boatload of bandwagonners.
Bottom line:
Let the Pens be a lesson to all of you terrible teams: If you want to turn things around, put in a decade worth of losing, build up some high-draft talent, and go from there. The problem is getting through those 10 years….
