Recalled/Assigned: Penguins recall Beau Bennett; Re-assign Chris Conner and Harrison Ruopp

[Vujtek]

The Pittsburgh Penguins have made the following roster moves, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero.

Forward Beau Bennett was recalled from Wheeling of the ECHL. Forward Chris Conner and defenseman Harrison Ruopp have been re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL).

The Penguins have also placed forward Matt D’Agostini on injured reserve.

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=685089&navid=DL|PIT|home

In case anyone considers this as news.

Click to read more...

 

[Captain Hook]

The D’Agostini part is interesting. The other moves were expected.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

What? Who is this ECHL scrap player?

 

[Cardboard Orpik]

And the cap dance continues.

 

[doob]

With theese moves the pens have about $584,000 in cap space. Is that enough to sign Kobasew?

 

[Vujtek]

With theese moves the pens have about $584,000 in cap space. Is that enough to sign Kobasew?

I don't think Pens have that much cap room. I think the correct number is slightly under $300k. Since the league minimum salary is $550k, no there's not enough room to sign Kobasew.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Kobachoo must sign. So let it be written, so let it be done.

 

[Vujtek]

I guess there's enough cap space after all since they just signed him.

 

[radapex]

I guess there's enough cap space after all since they just signed him.

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=685088&cmpid=pit-twt-penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Chuck Kobasew to a one-year contract, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero.

The deal has an average annual value of $550,000.

 

[NMK11]

So if Dags is out, and they don't have enough money for Kobasew, that means DJ is the 12th forward. Bennett-Sutter-Jeffrey is a third line I could get behind. Here's hoping that's what actually pans out.

 

[Darth Vitale]

To repeat, they DO have enough money, because they just signed him.

IMO Jeffrey will be traded this year barring injury problems. He's another Letestu. Decent player but not likely to ever get a full shot here and needs to be sent somewhere where he can play regularly. Would I prefer him on the 4th line to Glass? Yep, but seems they don't want to play him at LW even though he did OK in that spot a couple years ago during our injury barrage.

 

[Vujtek]

I wonder if D'Agostini went on LTIR or if there was just enough cap room somehow to sign Kobasew.

Because Pens had about $10k after Vokoun went on LTIR. Bennett has a higher salary than Ruopp (whose bonuses didn't count as far as I know). Kobasew got what Conner was making. To my understanding that would then require D'Agostini to go on LTIR to create the cap room to sign Kobasew.

 

[MonsterSurge]

What? Who is this ECHL scrap player?

This organization is going downhill. Calling up ECHL players to the NHL?!??!!??

 

[#1GuinFan]

This organization is going downhill. Calling up ECHL players to the NHL?!??!!??

This, and another vet signed to take away space from the young uns is more fuel to the fire for the Byslma/Shero haters......

 

[shureshot66]

All of this maneuvering the past few days got the Pens nearly the full $2M in cap relief for Vokoun. So yes, there was plenty of room to sign Kobasew after that.

The tricky part will be eventually bringing Vokoun back to the active roster. That's going to require a salary-dump trade, most likely.

 

[MonsterSurge]

All of this maneuvering the past few days got the Pens nearly the full $2M in cap relief for Vokoun. So yes, there was plenty of room to sign Kobasew after that.

The tricky part will be eventually bringing Vokoun back to the active roster. That's going to require a salary-dump trade, most likely.

I think there is more to this Vokoun deal. I think he's going to be longer than they say he will...

 

[Jag68Sid87]

It truly boggles my mind how one organization can go out of its way to maneuver around the salary cap in order to maintain middling, replaceable assets such as Matt Niskanen, Jussi Jokinen and especially Tanner Glass.

It's as if they truly believe this is a Cup contender or something.

 

[Vujtek]

All of this maneuvering the past few days got the Pens nearly the full $2M in cap relief for Vokoun. So yes, there was plenty of room to sign Kobasew after that.

Yes the Pens got nearly the full $2M in LTIR cap relief for Vokoun with the moves they made. That was with Ruopp ($0.6425M) and Conner ($0.55) on the books and with practically zero cap space. Those two compined made $1.1925M and they recalled Bennett who makes $0.9M. I really can't see how there was plenty of room to sign Kobasew after those moves.

The way I see this working is if D'Agostini went on LTIR. Or Letang but nobody wants that.

 

[Vujtek]

It truly boggles my mind how one organization can go out of its way to maneuver around the salary cap in order to maintain middling, replaceable assets such as Matt Niskanen, Jussi Jokinen and especially Tanner Glass.

It's as if they truly believe this is a Cup contender or something.

Jokinen is not replaceable. Not on this team with the personnel available.

With Glass and Niskanen you have more than fair point.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Jokinen is not replaceable. Not on this team with the personnel available.

With Glass and Niskanen you have more than fair point.

Yah not sure why Jokinen was in that list. He's going to be streaky at times, but he's still a lot more valuable in relative terms than Glass or Niskanen / is capable of contributing more on a regular basis. Skill plays, scoring, faceoffs... can play any line. For now, Juice is a good guy to have on this team.

 

[Captain Hook]

Jokinen is not replaceable. Not on this team with the personnel available.

With Glass and Niskanen you have more than fair point.

Agreed.

I like Jokinen for a lot of reasons. He's good at faceoffs, shootouts, can play any forward position. He's capable of playing PK or PP. He even showed he was a decent fill in as a top two line center when Sid went down last year. That's big when you have two injury prone star centers.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Jokinen is on that list because the organization is stubborn and totally blind when it comes to players like Fleury, Glass and Niskanen. So at least move out a player that isn't a Bylsma apologist.

Without Jokinen, we'd be fine. Give Bennett the roster spot he deserves (in the top six), play Jeffrey more and see what you have in this guy, and fill Jokinen's roster spot with a legitimate physical winger that can bring something to the table.

I realize you guys want to get rid of Niskanen and Glass first, but I don't see management going in that direction. So, the next replaceable guy is Jokinen. Unless you prefer Sutter. I don't have a preference. Either could go.

 

[Bennett Brauer]

I really don't know why Niskanen is on that list also. We talk about Jokinen being versatile and helpful for an injury replacement. So is Niskanen, he can play LD or RD, and is a decent replacement for Letang, who is also injury prone.

Tanner Glass, I agree with. But Jokinen and Niskanen help the Penguins.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Niskanen I think you can put on the list because of our depth on D and the fact that he's offensively not that great. He is a decent 4/5 type D but you can argue that his salary and what he brings, make him a candidate for a trade in this cap climate. Now if it goes back up 4M next summer... you have an argument, assuming one of the younger guys isn't ready to step in and do just as well at half the cost.

 

[Jacob]

I'm glad Beau Bennett took his demotion seriously and shaped up that California-surfer-attitude of his.