The Pittsburgh Penguins decided to go for expensive defense over pricey wingers this summer. While I’m not sure Paul Martin is really a $5 million per year blueliner, I think Penguins GM Ray Shero went in a wiser direction given the superior supply of D-men and the shallow pool of UFA forwards.
That being said, someone needs to have the chance to hit the goal-scoring lottery by skating alongside Sidney Crosby and/or Evgeni Malkin.
It’s unclear that Brett Sterling could be the latest beneficiary, considering the fact that he’s a player who barely managed to play at the NHL level (19 GP with the Atlanta Thrashers, none last season). Still, he might get the chance, as the Penguins signed him to a two-way, one-year contract worth $500K if he sticks with the big club.
If he manages to stay at that level, the Penguins will have about $1.6 million in cap space with 13 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies under contract. That should cover 21 of 23 roster spots, so this doesn’t necessarily mean their moves are over. The team could probably still use a depth defenseman and maybe one more “rent-a-winger” since Sterling is far from a sure thing to even make the roster.