Confirmed with Link: Pens sign Eric Fehr (3 years, $2M per)

[Jaded-Fan]

No clue why some on the main boards made a big deal about him likely being unavailable until December.

Who the **** cares about that?

For a team like the Pens the regular season is an extended preseason. Even given the scare that they had last year with making the playoffs the last game of the year, this is not a team who is missing the playoffs.

So the only question is if this guy is healthy for the playoffs.

 

[IcedCapp]

just a reminder: Fehr's cap hit is lower than Spaling's.

 

[Pete Gas]

just a reminder: Fehr's cap hit is lower than Spaling's.

same thing with Bones too

 

[Freeptop]

just a reminder: Fehr's cap hit is lower than Spaling's.

Apparently old dogs like Rutherford can learn new tricks! (Or else Botteril finally escaped whatever prison he'd been hidden away in).

 

[SprootsMasterFlex]

This scares me... http://insidepittsburghsports.com/s...o-sign-fehr-pirates-steelers-talk-more/74369/

 

[Penguinator]

Botterill warned Rutherford not to sign Spaling so high, Pens got cap screwed, JR lost sleep over it, yes the old dog learned his lesson.

 

[gordie]

This scares me... http://insidepittsburghsports.com/s...o-sign-fehr-pirates-steelers-talk-more/74369/

Sounds like Letang and his problems but there is a big difference. Fehr is only getting $2 million a year and not $7.2 million like Letang.

 

[Penguinator]

This scares me... http://insidepittsburghsports.com/s...o-sign-fehr-pirates-steelers-talk-more/74369/

Well, that's why he has to play center, less risk for his elbow & shoulder.

Also, the article's title uses Fehr... i mean fear to sell itself. The rest is just meat on that bone.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

just a reminder: Fehr's cap hit is lower than Spaling's.

Sutter + Spaling = 5.5
Bonino + Fehr = 3.9

Step 3 = Profit

 

[IcedCapp]

Apparently old dogs like Rutherford can learn new tricks! (Or else Botteril finally escaped whatever prison he'd been hidden away in).

He probably got tired of reading all the old age jokes about him. Also don't doubt that Botteril's influence increased after last year's cap debacle.

Sutter + Spaling = 5.5
Bonino + Fehr = 3.9

Step 3 = Profit

Cheaper AND I'd argue both players are better.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

just a reminder: Fehr's cap hit is lower than Spaling's.

Spaling's cap hit was just stupid for a player of his ilk. IMO, you never, ever spend that much money on a vanilla player like that.

 

[billybudd]

He probably got tired of reading all the old age jokes about him. Also don't doubt that Botteril's influence increased after last year's cap debacle.

Does he do the negotiations? Fehr's contract strikes me as impossibly shrewd and not something I would have expected from JR in Carolina. Want to say I read that Shero had him handling the nuts and bolts of contract negotiations, but I'm not positive.

 

[drpepper]

I like the Fehr signing even though I think it is a year too long.

However, DK is claiming that the signing was made with an eye on playoff performance. He does realize that Fehr hasn't been effective in the playoffs recently, right?

 

[IcedCapp]

Does he do the negotiations? Fehr's contract strikes me as impossibly shrewd and not something I would have expected from JR in Carolina. Want to say I read that Shero had him handling the nuts and bolts of contract negotiations, but I'm not positive.

I've actually asked about this before (when I was determining who I was going to blame for the Despres trade) and they compile a list of targets as a group (heavily-influenced by Botteril's research). As a group, they come up with parameters they're comfortable with (I assume term was the main talking point with Fehr) and then Botteril handles the rest. That's my understanding anyhow.

 

[Jacob]

I like the Fehr signing even though I think it is a year too long.

However, DK is claiming that the signing was made with an eye on playoff performance. He does realize that Fehr hasn't been effective in the playoffs recently, right?

Neither has Hornqvist, technically. The idea is that they're playoff-caliber players.

Aside from his 2 Cup years Fedotenko was pretty mediocre in the playoffs as well.

 

[drpepper]

Neither has Hornqvist, technically. The idea is that they're playoff-caliber players.

Aside from his 2 Cup years Fedotenko was pretty mediocre in the playoffs as well.

That is a poor comparison *in terms of the past few seasons.

Hornqvist hadn't played in the playoffs.

Fehr has played in the playoffs and hasn't been effective.

 

[billybudd]

I've actually asked about this before (when I was determining who I was going to blame for the Despres trade) and they compile a list of targets as a group (heavily-influenced by Botteril's research). As a group, they come up with parameters they're comfortable with (I assume term was the main talking point with Fehr) and then Botteril handles the rest. That's my understanding anyhow.

K thanks.

 

[Jacob]

That is a poor comparison *in terms of the past few seasons.

Hornqvist hadn't played in the playoffs.

Fehr has played in the playoffs and hasn't been effective.

No it's a good comparison.

 

[JTG]

If Fehr can remain healthy, he brings a dynamic to the 3rd line we haven't had since Jordan left. Big rangy center who has some ability to add secondary scoring.

I just hope he can stay relatively healthy.

 

[Pete Gas]

Why would someone be worried about an article from the insideronpittsburghsports?

 

[Coach Travis]

Might be a good reason to, at least to start things off, put Fehr on the 4th Line. Along with Dupuis. Give them limited time until they can handle more minutes.

 

[clefty]

Singling out individual Capitals players for playoff failures is a useless endeavor.

They're the Washington Capitals. They've collectively sucked in the playoffs for forty years.

 

[66-30-33]

Bill Guerin was known for sucking in the playoffs, 2009 he was awesome for us. Just sayin'.

 

[Jacob]

Might be a good reason to, at least to start things off, put Fehr on the 4th Line. Along with Dupuis. Give them limited time until they can handle more minutes.

Especially since he'll be in the press box for the first month possibly, all the more reason to ease him in on the 4th. We have the rest of the regular season to experiment with him.

 

[jmelm]

1) While I'm as excited as anyone to see Sundqvist in a Pens' uniform, and that he'll get some games at the start of the season when Fehr is out, it really is for the best to let this kid play on the top-2 lines in WBS for 18 minutes/game, rather than centering our 4th line all year.


2) I wanted Brandon Sutter traded for a Dman, and that was even before we signed Fehr. So I have no problem parlaying Nick Bonino, who may very well not be that 20 goal guy every year, into a Dman. Best case scenario: Bonino plays well and ups his trade value, but Bennett and Plotnikov also play well, and we're set in our top-9. Bonino playing on our 4th line, as that article states, would be a waste given that he's at least a middle-6 forward on most teams, and given our relative weakness on the blueline. I'd happily add a 2nd and another piece (pick/prospect) to Bonino to get a really solid Dman.


3) If the right deal for a Bonino or Kunitz for a Dman isn't there, then Bonino and Fehr provide insurance for one another if the latter is injured/not healthy or the former doesn't perform particularly well. Odds are at least one of them will work out well. If Fehr ends up breaking down physically and can't play, we either won't be paying his salary because he'll be on IR, or we'll buy him out. Very manageable risk and positive contingencies all around. But we have to address our need on D.