After days of rumors and speculation leading up to the NHL trade deadline, Pens General Manager Ray Shero was not able to pull of the big deal many had hoped would come. Like deals that brought players like Marian Hossa, James Neal and Jarome Ignila to the Pens in recent years, many Pens fans hoped that Shero would work his magic and land another big name at the deadline. The Canucks Ryan Kesler was the name Pens fans heard the most, but in the end, the deal was not to be.
That does not mean the Pens were left empty handed. In fact, though deals to acquire the Florida Panthers Marcel Goc and the Calgary Flames Lee Stempniak may not have the flash of acquiring a player like Kesler, they could indeed pay dividends come playoff time. Clearly, neither Goc or Stempniak are the caliber of player that Kesler is, but both players could fill important roles for the Pens and unlike Kesler, did not cost nearly as much in terms of players or future draft picks.
Unlike the prohibitive cost of acquiring Kesler, the Pens essentially did much to shore up one of their biggest weaknesses, bottom six forward talent/depth, for the price of two 3rd round picks, along with a 5th round pick. Again, though these deals are not “flashy,” they can be important in playoff match ups. Lets take a look at each player, and where they might fit with the Pens.
Goc is a physical, hard-nosed forward who can play a variety of roles for the Pens. With experience playing center and wing, Goc will be an excellent fit on the third line with Brandon Sutter. Known for his ability to play on the penalty kill and excellent on face offs, there is no question that Goc will be an immediate upgrade over the numerous players that have tried with little success to get the job done on the third line.
This is a smart acquisition by Shero. Goc may not be a household name or big-time scorer, but his ability to give the Pens a much needed boost on the third line could be a real key as the season progresses. Look for Goc to initially play on a wing with Sutter, something that should be a fairly easy adjustment for Goc, as he has experience playing on the wing in the past.
As for Stempniak, what role the veteran forward will play is not quite as clear. Certainly never known as a volume goal scorer, Stempniak adds a ton of versatility and experience to the Pens. There is speculation that Stempniak will get a chance to fill the long standing void at right wing on the Crosby line. One would think he will get a shot to prove whether he is capable of doing that while the Pens continue to try and get healthy.
Its possible the Pens will play Stempniak on the first line until both Jason Megna and Beau Bennett are healthy and ready to go. From there, the Pens would have options, they could move Bennett up to the first line and move Stempniak to the third, or vice versa.
With Stempniak potentially playing with Crosby and Kunitz, its not hard to believe that he could break out and be a productive goal scorer. One might remember that Pascal Dupuis was not a big-time goal scorer until he had the opportunity to play on a top line. There’s certainly reason to believe Stempniak could have success playing with arguably the best player in the world.
One thing is clear with the deal and that’s that the Pens just got a lot deeper at forward, and they have brought in two experienced, versatile players who can play a variety of roles the rest of the way. As the Penguins hopefully get healthier come playoff time, that depth will allow Dan Byslma to be creative with his third and fourth lines. This will also allow the team to give players defined roles at the Pens head toward the playoffs. If players have a sense of who their line mates will be from game to game, you would have to believe that will improve the Pens chances of making a deep run the playoffs.
Though the deal lack the flair of deadline deals of the past, there’s reason to believe these more subtle moves could reap substantial rewards on the quest for the Pens elusive fourth Stanley Cup. All while not having to give up valuable prospects or draft picks, something that will be very important no matter the results this season.
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