Penguins Go All In For 2014-2015 Season

[doniceage]

With the disappointment from last season’s playoffs still fresh in the minds of the Pittsburgh Penguins management, the organization is getting an early start at building the team to be a contender for the Cup next season.

The Penguins are switching up their offseason strategy this year, and instead of spending the remainder of their salary cap on their top six, the players that will support both Crosby and Malkin, the team is focusing on building a stronger base, starting with their bottom six. Over the first two days of free agency the Penguins managed to sign seven players to one year contracts; among the seven signed were Defensemen Christian Ehrhoff and Taylor Chorney, Forwards Blake Comeau, Nick Drazenovic, and Steve Downie, as well as goaltender Thomas Greiss. In addition to Nick Spaling, one of the players acquired from the Nashville Predators in the James Neal trade, the Penguins have a solid start to reinforcing their defense pairings, as well as building up their bottom two lines.

Acquiring Ehroff wasn’t a part of the Penguin’s original plan; however, once the Buffalo Sabres bought out the remainder of Ehrhoff’s contract, Rutherford saw an opportunity he could not pass up. Although Ehrhoff had a rough season with the Sabres, Rutherford sees immense potential in the defensemen, considering he was able to post a few points despite working with a team that was shaky at best.

http://www.hockeyworldblog.com/2014/...4-2015-season/

[flemingc04]

Don't know who this writer is but I'm not sure how losing a lot of key players and then signing Erhoff and Downie is considered as going "all in". Let's face it, this year will be very difficult for the Penguins since they have little cap room to maintain a quality of rister they have had in the past few years. With the little cap room they have, they still need to sign RFAs Sutter, Despres, and Spaling. Of their UFAs I would like to see Stempniak back but I have my doubts that it will happen.

Going "all in" typically means that you plan to go deep and are making every effort to get to the end and win. As far as I'm concerned the Penguins roster (so far) has regressed from last season.