We’ve all heard the classic lines before that, “You never realize what you have until it’s gone” and “If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, then you know it was meant to be.” While these usually refer to material things or a significant other, they can be substituted for many things. After the Pittsburgh Penguins won their last cup, a crucial part of their team headed out to Los Angeles. Ask General Manager Ray Shero one of his biggest regrets in his tenure with the team, and he’ll say it was not re-signing Rob Scuderi due to cap issues.
Shero realized what he had when he lost Scuderi and to pretty much everyone’s surprise, he brought back the stay at home defenseman to the Penguins. Scuderi, who turns 35 in December, signed a four-year, $3.375 million deal last week. Scuderi instantly becomes a top-four defenseman for the Penguins. The importance of re-signing him goes beyond that.
With a vote of confidence in Marc-Andre Fleury, Scuderi will provide more support for the keeper around the net. His ability to block shots and clear pucks is unmatched by anyone else on the team. Also, pairing Scuderi with Krist Letang will help out the young defenseman. Letang played his best hockey last season when he was on the ice with Mark Eaton. Scuderi is a similar player to Eaton, but 10 times better.
While the Penguins may have to part ways with Brooks Orpik, Paul Martin or Matt Niskanen due to cap restrictions, bringing back Scuderi makes it all worth it.
