#Jagrwatch and Pens Free Agency With Brian Peters

We all know about #JagrWatch, and his agent Petr Svoboda just announced that the decision could be made in “the next few days” and I don’t know about you, but to me …. That doesn’t sound good for the chances of Jagr signing on to be a Penguin. Then the big question is who do you hate more, Jagr, or Hossa? These situations are very similar, they both love playing in Pittsburgh, the city of Pittsburgh loves them back, then … BOOM they’re gone. We don’t know this for sure about Jagr yet, but we will find out.

So, with free agency starting, let’s check out some of the other free agents the Pens have. I do like the signing of Arron Asham, Big time performer in the playoff, plus he’s got a grit to his game that I like. Kind of like a bigger, more productive Talbot.

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1.) Tyler Kennedy …. Kennedy

- Ok, so this is a tough one. TK is one of those guys it is easy to hate on, and I’ll admit I’ve done it a thousand times. When he is heading down the ice you just know what is going to happen, he is going to shoot (good thing) it either right into the glass behind the goalie or right into the goalies chest (both bad) Don’t get me wrong I love that TK shoots the puck especially when they have someone driving the net, but I just wish he would shoot low into the goalie’s pads and create a possible rebound.

But also, it is hard to name players that work harder than TK, you know if he’s down along the boards in the offensive zone he is going to come out with that puck. Then he is going to step up in the slot and shoot the thing.

- So here is the big question, do the Pens keep TK? The answer, I don’t know. I believe the Pens are waiting for the conclusion of #Jagrwatch to decide on how much to give Kennedy. In my opinion, if they keep him they will be overpaying him. I know he had an ok season this year, but if we go back in time look how often people play their heads off in a contract year for that big money contract then suck after it has been signed … Ryan Malone anyone?


2.) Alex Kovalev
- Gone, trying to replace this old Penguin with another … next

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3.) Mike Rupp

- I really don’t understand what all the fuss is about with Mike Rupp, great guy, awesome for the community, but there is a lot out there that’s missing on the ice. I hate watching a game and you see a puck and you know if the Penguin (you can’t really tell who it is yet) puts some pep in his step he’d be gone on a breakaway. ….. Then you realize its Mike Rupp, quite possibly the slowest human on skates. That breakaway is not going to happen, and if it did puck isn’t going in the net anyway.

- You can’t argue the man’s toughness though. That man will step up to the plate and go toe to toe with anyone, which is very commendable. My only worry with Rupp, as with any player during free agency is that the Pens don’t overpay. There are many slow, tough guys out there that can’t score. Just ask Eric Godard.




4.) Speaking of Godard
]- Gone, no need for a goon on this team, they have Deryk Engelland, a fighter who actually brings something else to the table because in my opinion he is a pretty solid defenseman.



5.) Maxime Talbot



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- Sweet, sweet Talbo, a fan favorite. The ladies love him (and he loves the ladies). A Stanley Cup Game 7 Hero. It really stinks that you know he is chasing a big money contract, rumors are out that he is worried about a. Winning b. Length of contract and finally c. money. Looking at Shero’s track record at the Pen’s GM Talbot is only really guaranteed one of those winning.

- My only request to you, as a Pens fan, yes you can cheer the man when he returns to Pittsburgh next season. But please, oh please, oh please, drop him after that. Ladies don’t make this another Colby Armstrong deal, you know even as of last year there were still girls showing up to Pens games in Armstrong swag. You want to know the kicker though? It was Maple Leaf and Thrashers swag!! Drop it he’s not coming back, and if Talbot leaves, he probably won’t come back. So ladies if you have a Talbot jersey/t-shirt/infatuation with Talbot if he drops you, you need to drop him and obsess over, I don’t know, how does Letang sound?


Let the free agency begin, and thus begins the start towards a new Penguins season.

In Shero we trust, right?

Let’s Go Pens!"

written by Brian Peters

Follow Brian on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/BEPeters