Pens sign Staal to a 4 year deal!!!

[Corvidae]

What a HORRIBLE contract. For goodness sake, I'd rather have Malone at $4 million.

[Samsdog]

What does everyone think about the Pens making the deal with Staal to make him more marketable for a trade. If he is already signed to a 4 year deal if they trade him he has x number of years left on his contract instead of him going and becoming an RFA next year. There is a risk involved if he goes to a team where he doesn't want to be and he chooses to test Free Agency, his value can be pushed up by other teams.

Doesn't make sense. Signing guys cheaply and then trading them away is a risky strategy, especially now, when Letang and Goligoski would see it and demand the money so that they don't take a paycut for a team with which they aren't going to play. NTC's can't be given to players in restricted free agency.

Besides, if a team wanted Staal badly enough they'd trade for him regardless because he's an RFA. Take a look at Edmonton two years ago with the offer sheets; they want the player regardless, pay is almost a nonfactor to them so they'll match offer sheets - especially in a Toronto or a similar place. Those are the places that would likely want him anyway: he's a young building block, not an immediate difference maker.

[KG]

Wow I just got back into the office to see the news...17 pages and counting? wow...

I don't think anyone should be surprised that Shero re-signed Staal. He has man-love for him (maybe young-man love)...

4 for $16MM is overpayment now, but hopefully wont be in a year or two...

It doesn't seem very hard to negotiate a contract with Shero...CP was a big time penny pincher = )

[Scott]

And I never said they grew on trees. You have to go after them tho. We cant be content to just have good centers. We need players to finish for us. Having 3 good centers is a waste. 2 good lines and 2 average lines is good enough to win in the NHL.

As Mark Madden said, Staal is simply a luxury and its going to kill us keeping him.

Madden says a lot doesn't he.

And nobody ever said that we shouldnt go after wingers. It is a matter of being ABLE to get the type of player you and everyone else would love to have. As I stated before look at how much Ryan Malone signed for.
Now exactly how much do you think we can sign a PREMIER winger for looking at Malone's salary?

I don't believe Staal will be playing center on the third line. I think he will play wing with Crosby or be the second line center.

[Daniel87]

I'm disappointed. With Malkin and Crosby both making 8.7 million, 4 million is too much to spend on a 3rd line center. Sure he'd have made much more on the market, but with all the high paid players we have I don't think we can afford to spend that much. He has all the potential, but he doesn't deserve that much money based on his play this year and last. I stiill would have rather traded him and spend 2-3 mil more for a top tier winger.

[Scott]

so your saying trade staal for a winger to make our top two lines better. So then we put Talbot or someone as the third line center. So right there the third line is not as strong as it was with Staal because they center replacing staal on the third line is not as good as staal. Having three good centers will lead to three solid lines. When we started off great we where rolling three solid lines with a 4th line that was doing its job. Then injuries and slumps crept in. The staal-cooke-kennedy line was better then most third lines in the leauge.

That line actually kept the puck in the zone longer than Malkin's or Crosby's.

[shmenguin]

is it right to keep calling him a 3rd line center even though he's a top-line wing tonight?

[PenguinSteve-o]

Staal is not strong on the boards. he gets pushed to the ice almost every single time. He makes quick turns/moves once in a while and trys to get loose. The other team just pinches him off of the puck on the boards and all is lost. Get him to keep on his feet more often.

[KG]

If Staal develops chemistry and sticks with Sid on the first line I think the negativity of this thread would turn around quickly...

[pcm]

This thread is full of, as yall say, lolz. Who are you people? And what did you do with reality?

How many 3rd line centers score 25 goals a year, play 20 minutes a game against the top line, PK, and PP, and are 20 years old with Stanley Cup Finals experience?

[Scott]

If Staal develops chemistry and sticks with Sid on the first line I think the negativity of this thread would turn around quickly...

No kidding. If something clicks with Sid, holy geez lookout. Shero will be the genius once again but I think a lot will then start complaining that lines 3 and 4 are now weak with Staal's move up. It won't ever stop. Staal teased everyone his rookie year so now there are people that like him and are patient and there are people that are mad he hasnt put #'s up like he did his first year.

[Dr. J]

Great stick handling skills!? What game are you watching?? Everytime the puck gets passed to him it explodes off of his stick!

3rd best forward? Forgetting Syko? Fedotenko? Dupuis? IMO they are ALL better than Staal.

No I'm not forgetting any of them. Did you seriously say that Fedetenko and Dupuis are better than Staal? We are talking about the Pens right?? And if you would rather keep and old Sykora than a young Staal, well then that's why Shero is running the team

you said "right now". right now, staal is playing horribly. certainly worse than those 3. he might be our 3rd best forward, but he's playing as the 6th or 7th best.

Except for a game here or there, he has been playing horribly since his rookie year.

You're right. We should get rid of Staal just like we did Markus Naslund. Maybe we can get someone in return like Alek Stojanov, we know how well this trade worked out.

[DelPen]

is it right to keep calling him a 3rd line center even though he's a top-line wing tonight?

No. Jordan Staal is our #1 LW. Live in the now people.

[purelebo84]

This is not a good thing.

[AlexPKeaton]

is it right to keep calling him a 3rd line center even though he's a top-line wing tonight?

No. Jordan Staal is our #1 LW. Live in the now people.

For about 1 period lol.

[André]

If Staal develops chemistry and sticks with Sid on the first line I think the negativity of this thread would turn around quickly...

No kidding. If something clicks with Sid, holy geez lookout. Shero will be the genius once again but I think a lot will then start complaining that lines 3 and 4 are now weak with Staal's move up. It won't ever stop. Staal teased everyone his rookie year so now there are people that like him and are patient and there are people that are mad he hasnt put #'s up like he did his first year.

That'd be so sweet. Imagine the perfect winger for Sid looked up for 4 years at 4 mil per. One can hope

[Kicksave]

is it right to keep calling him a 3rd line center even though he's a top-line wing tonight?

No. Jordan Staal is our #1 LW. Live in the now people.

Jordan Staal will be playing RW.

Staal is expected to play right wing alongside Sidney Crosby and Tyler Kennedy. The trio had a brief union at the end of Pittsburgh's 3-1 victory over Atlanta on Tuesday.

[2headedmonster8771]

Has Staal been a better center or winger in his tenure as a Penguin??? A CENTER.
He looks lost out there at wing. Its not his position.
Whatever, a couple games from now you guys will see it too that there will be yet another failure on attempting to turn a player into something he isnt.

[czwalga]

is it right to keep calling him a 3rd line center even though he's a top-line wing tonight?

No. Jordan Staal is our #1 LW. Live in the now people.

Honeslty i've wanted to dtrade staal for over a year and i'd be fine if he's our #1 left winger. I just don't want to see him playing center.

[Corvidae]

If Staal develops chemistry and sticks with Sid on the first line I think the negativity of this thread would turn around quickly...

Yeah, and if Satan starting crashing the net he'd be quite a player. Oh "if," you have so many possibilities.

[seth]

i hate jordan staal.... shero better get his $16 mil worth or it's going to be a long 5 years

[KG]

If Staal develops chemistry and sticks with Sid on the first line I think the negativity of this thread would turn around quickly...

Yeah, and if Satan starting crashing the net he'd be quite a player. Oh "if," you have so many possibilities.

Agreed. There is a lot of risks involved, especially in the cap era...

[pulp22]

WAAAA!!! WAAA!!! BTW it is Staal not Stall for crying out loud

[KG]

Another thought...I'm not sure if I would have locked up Staal yet. He has been average this year. We still don't know what we have with Staal yet. Maybe let the year play out a little more and see how his offensive game comes around?

If his long term role here is top line wing, then I think we should put him there first before we lock him up for 4 years. Because if he can't handle it, then it is overpayment...It's a very tough call. He is not worth $4MM right now, he may be or he may not be...Glad it's not my money...

[wallflower]

This thread has disintegrated into absolute ridiculousness. How sad.