Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins appeared to have figured out their woes and were playing good hockey when the NHL shutdown occurred. They had also just brought a beloved player and former Toronto Maple Leafs player into the fold.
Patrick Marleau
Patrick Marleau returned to his second home and re-signed to a league minimum contract this season with the Sharks.
Ahead of the trade deadline, their GM, Doug Wilson, did Marleau a favor and moved him to a contender. Marleau was hoping to capture his first Stanley Cup with the Pens.
Marleau, who is now 40 years old, will have a giant decision ahead of him. Some believe that he is ready to hang up his skates.
If that’s not the case, perhaps he’ll want to once again join the Toronto Maple Leafs to play with his buddies Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. .
Conor Sheary
The American winger who spent his first three seasons with the Penguins found himself being moved back there on trade deadline day. Conor Sheary was in his second season with the Buffalo Sabres when they shipped him back to Pittsburgh.
It was a good move for Sheary who was inserted onto the Pens top line to play with one of the best in the game, Sidney Crosby.
At age 27, Sheary may try to once again find a hockey path outside of Pennsylvania but it appears that he’s at his best with the Pens.
Sheary will be coming off a $9 million three-year contract that paid him $3 million annually. He will likely be trying to secure a similar contract with as much term as possible this offseason.
Justin Schultz
Justin Schultz is also coming off a three-year deal. It paid him $16.5 million with an AAV of $5.5 million. It was a good signing for both the Penguins and Schultz who were a great match.
Schultz, who is an offensive defenseman shined brightest on the powerplay. During five-on-five play he was often relegated to the third pairing. Averaging 19:53 minutes of ice time per game, he gave Pittsburgh exactly what they expected from him.
Unfortunately, some of his defensive deficiencies began to be exposed this season and was used as a turnstile more than once. Schultz’s next contract is likely to drop in value but he should still earn significant money on his next deal.
Check back here tomorrow for part two of this series where we will provide the breakdown of every UFA in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division.