The Pittsburgh Penguins and GM Ray Shero have done what many thought impossible: upgrade on defense despite losing Sergei Gonchar.
We don’t have the financial terms just yet, but ESPN and multiple sources have reported that the Pittsburgh Penguins have signed Paul Martin, right after signing Zbynek Michalek.
[Update:] Martin signed a five-year, $25 million contract, which is right around what we expected after Gonchar signed with Ottawa.
So now the Penguins have signed two of the top four defensemen on the open market today, and they have definitely upgraded on the blueline now.
It doesn’t even really depend on exactly what the financials for Martin are, as at his age his of much better long-term value than Gonchar. The Penguins have improved on defense and will once again be a dangerous team next season. The Penguins will be a bit tight against the cap again, but it looks like they have their team for season just about ready to go.