Confirmed with Link: Penguins Sign Mark Eaton (1 year | $725,000)

[PensFan68]

Speaking of veterans who went to WBS on tryouts, do people who think the team needs some grit think Tom Kostopoulos would be worth signing?

Only reason I say no is because our 4th line is full and TK can't cut it on the 3rd anymore (i'd assume). If we needed some 4th line toughness I'd be all for it, but I'd rather see Adams and Glass (although, it may be VERY close between giving TK a shot and getting rid of Glass).

 

[Tender Rip]

I have no issues with Eaton being signed and playing for Wilkes Barre to be added to the increased playoff roster for emergency cover.
However, I have no idea what purpose he would serve on the NHL roster until then, and I sincerely hope it doesn't mean throwing an asset away.

Not hissifitting here.... just not sure about the contract consequences as regards one-way/two-way and roster limits here. Anyone?

 

[Tender Rip]

What am I missing about Despres? I think he's been fantastic and have no problem seeing him log heavier ES minutes w/ Letang.

You are not missing anything. It is just that jmelm deemed him 'not ready' prior to the season, so now that he had one less than stellar game against Tampa, there's a reason for that argument to be replayed (?) .

To my money it would be insane not to play Despres pretty much every game from now until the deadline. Then reconsider what our needs are, more needed of course if we trade a D-man to address the top6 weaknesses.

 

[shureshot66]

I have no issues with Eaton being signed and playing for Wilkes Barre to be added to the increased playoff roster for emergency cover.
However, I have no idea what purpose he would serve on the NHL roster until then, and I sincerely hope it doesn't mean throwing an asset away.

Not hissifitting here.... just not sure about the contract consequences as regards one-way/two-way and roster limits here. Anyone?

One-way/two-way only affects how much he gets paid in the AHL. I'd be surprised if a vet respected by the front office didn't receive a one-way deal.

Eaton would have to pass through waivers like anyone else if they try to send him down. That decision won't have to be made until Malkin comes off of IR, though. Barring a trade or another move, it seems most likely they'd either throw Eaton or Boychuck on waivers when that happens or reassign Despres.

 

[Tender Rip]

One-way/two-way only affects how much he gets paid in the AHL. I'd be surprised if a vet respected by the front office didn't receive a one-way deal.

Eaton would have to pass through waivers like anyone else if they try to send him down. That decision won't have to be made until Malkin comes off of IR, though. Barring a trade or another move, it seems most likely they'd either throw Eaton or Boychuck on waivers when that happens or reassign Despres.

Yeah, that's what I thought. Better they waive Eaton then. It is beyond me what needs his presence address - other than warm body.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Just like the Neal trade, teams are probably constantly bringing up Despres's name(like Gogo's). If RS wants to land who he wants, it may cost him Despres.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Yeah, that's what I thought. Better they waive Eaton then. It is beyond me what needs his presence address - other than warm body.

That's generally what an 8th defenseman is - a warm body.

 

[DreamBeaut]

Just like the Neal trade, teams are probably constantly bringing up Despres's name(like Gogo's). If RS wants to land who he wants, it may cost him Despres.

I tend to agree. Despres will likely come up around deadline day, possibly quite a bit. Whether Shero is able to find a deal that he likes (certainly not a Neal and Niskanen deal coming back...) or not is a better question...

 

[Captain Hook]

Despres would have to bring back a player on a sweet contract or an ELC for it to be worth it, imo. He's going to provide the Pens with a quality relatively cheap (1st and 2nd NHL deals) D-Man for years if he sticks around. Hard to want to trade that. Look at how long we've had Letang for below market value because we drafted and developed him. It can be similar with Despres and that can greatly help the cap situation going forward.

I know there's some ups and downs with Despres but that's the way it goes with a lot of players like him. There are a lot of ups and downs with Letang. He's the king of double and sometimes triple clutches. He's 8th in the league in turnovers this year but the good still far outweighs the bad. That's what you have to hope for with Despres and I think they've been getting that from him for the most part.

 

[deakka]

Despres for Coyle or Connolly makes too much sense to happen

 

[Shwag33]

Despres for Coyle or Connolly makes too much sense to happen

Are you suggesting a trade despres for tim connoly?



The softest player in the NHL?

 

[JTG]

Are you suggesting a trade despres for tim connoly?



The softest player in the NHL?

Brett...guy in Tampa, I'd assume

I'm curious as to why he isn't with the big club as of right now though.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I'm not sure why we're all that worried about Despres getting traded for scraps. I mean, if there's one thing Shero's done pretty well at, it's trading. The worst trades that he had (that I can think of):

Michalek (who was performing badly and is still performing badly) for Ruopp (who I haven't seen) and cap space
Ponikarovsky for Caputi and Skoula (which was a total wash)
Boucher for Sydor (another wash)

I dunno. I get being worried about trades, but I really don't see Despres being traded for anything that isn't a good return.

As for Eaton on a contract, he's a known commodity, he knows the system and organization. He's an ideal 8th defenceman, and if he gets snatched up by waivers, boo hoo. No big deal.

 

[Bar Down]

Despres gets sent down simply because Bortuzzo would have to clear. Call him up when needed.



Bylsma's trying to add a veteran piece for a cup run (see Satan/Geurin), but honestly I don't see it. Unless Eaton finds the fountain of youth, this won't be pretty.


I'd love to be wrong though...

 

[Lamar Latrell]

What's missing is what I said above. I love Despres' game. But part of why he is great is because he is a bit of a high-risk player who loves to have the puck on his stick and make things happen. After watching him play so much in the 'Q', I have to say that I am THRILLED to see how much of the good things and types of plays he was doing there seem to be translating to his game at the NHL level.


But that said, it appears it is still going to take Simon a bit of time to be able to be able to do this in a more confident, mistake-free fashion at the NHL level. Perhaps that could be this season if it was a normal 82 game season. But in 48 games, I think the learning curve is too steep for him to perfect his game enough by the time the playoffs roll around.

"Perfect his game"? I think you are holding him to a ridiculous standard. The standard is whether he's better than the guys who would be on the ice instead of him? Despres is a top 4 defenseman right now, his play backs that up. Just b/c he hasn't reached his ceiling doesn't change that. He'll make mistakes but the rest of his quality will compensate for that. Yes, it's a 48 game season, but this team looks solidly en route to a playoff spot, a great time for him to iron out those mistakes (which are not particularly egregious or frequent) while being an above-the-line contributor (sorry Tomlin).

 

[Crafton]

some fear-abatement for those that need it:

Dave Molinari ‏@MolinariPG
Bylsma, on when Eaton might crack Penguins' lineup: “I don’t think there’s a rush at this point to get Mark in today or the next game.”

but then Eaton proceeds the scare the bejesus out of the masses by talking about how he needs playing-time:

Dave Molinari ‏@MolinariPG
Penguins D Mark Eaton, on his conditioning: "You’re not going to be comfortable or get in NHL game shape until you actually play in a game."

this is edge-of-the-seat drama right here.

 

[jmelm]

You are not missing anything. It is just that jmelm deemed him 'not ready' prior to the season, so now that he had one less than stellar game against Tampa, there's a reason for that argument to be replayed (?) .

To my money it would be insane not to play Despres pretty much every game from now until the deadline. Then reconsider what our needs are, more needed of course if we trade a D-man to address the top6 weaknesses.

Unless we trade one of Orpik/Niskanen, playing Despres "pretty much every game" means we're sitting Bortuzzo in the pressbox "pretty much every game". That is what I call a lose/lose situation. Bortuzzo isn't some fringe prospect. This guy is future top-4 material, and is frankly more consistent than Despres right now. Given Bort is on a one-way deal, and also because he is out-performing Despres in the "mistakes" department, I do not want Bortuzzo to sit. He's our next Hall Gill, like it or not -- and that's a very valuable player.


And come on: you really think the Tampa game is the first game Despres has made mistakes this year? My comments are not based on that one game. Other people here will confirm that Despres makes mistakes. That's fine long term, but may not serve us so great THIS season, especially come the playoffs. That's why I continue to make this argument, even though I am very excited about Despres for the future.

"Perfect his game"? I think you are holding him to a ridiculous standard. The standard is whether he's better than the guys who would be on the ice instead of him? Despres is a top 4 defenseman right now, his play backs that up. Just b/c he hasn't reached his ceiling doesn't change that. He'll make mistakes but the rest of his quality will compensate for that. Yes, it's a 48 game season, but this team looks solidly en route to a playoff spot, a great time for him to iron out those mistakes (which are not particularly egregious or frequent) while being an above-the-line contributor (sorry Tomlin).

Please understand my phrase: when someone says they're trying to "perfect their game" or "perfect their craft" or anything of that sort, that doesn't mean they are PERFECT in the perfectionistic sense of the term. It is a colloquial phrase to describe that someone is trying to get as good as they can. "Master" their game/craft would be another way to say it. Let's not get too semantical.


My argument about Despres isn't only about Despres. It's about the context of the team, the context of the season, and which player(s) would have to sit to make room for them. I LOVE the way Despres is looking right now, but I DO NOT like the way that his partners on the ice are (sometimes) looking when they play with him.

 

[IcedCapp]

some fear-abatement for those that need it:

Dave Molinari ‏@MolinariPG
Bylsma, on when Eaton might crack Penguins' lineup: “I don’t think there’s a rush at this point to get Mark in today or the next game.â€

Actually, without context, i hate this quote. "Wait until he gets some time really practicing with us"

 

[Bennett Brauer]

Yeah. Eaton will be playing Montreal

 

[Lamar Latrell]

Why does it have to be either Despres or Bortuzzo who sits? Right now, there's a pretty clear separation of Letang and Martin by Letang and Martin as our top 2 D. The next 5 are pretty closely bunched. I wouldn't mind seeing Engelland, Niskanen, and even Orpik get a night off. Many other sports use squad rotation and rest their top players during the season. I know it might be a tough sell in the locker room but if there's ever been a time to use it, it's when you have a surplus of NHL capable defensemen and a couple of them are pretty tightly bunched during a condensed season.

And I don't agree that Despres' partners have looked particularly poor when paired w/ him.

 

[PensFan68]

As much as I don't want Eaton taking time away from Despres/Bort, he is going to have to get a game or two here and there to get back into game shape. Just expect it to happen, so you all don't have a heart attack when it does.

 

[#66]

IMO Despres isn't ready for huge NHL mins with letang. He's been good during his call up but has some rough edges.

I think a huge hole for this teams is Letangs partner. That pairing would have to get huge mins and I'm hoping Eaton is up to the task. With Letang covering so much ground he wouldn't even have to play like he did in 07, 08 or 09 but just be more of a solid mistake free Dman. If he can be "effectively unseen" it will be a great pick up by Shero.

Plus he'll be gone within a year or two so he won't block any of the prospects coming up.

 

[Jacob]

IMO Despres isn't ready for huge NHL mins with letang. He's been good during his call up but has some rough edges.

I think a huge hole for this teams is Letangs partner. That pairing would have to get huge mins and I'm hoping Eaton is up to the task. With Letang covering so much ground he wouldn't even have to play like he did in 07, 08 or 09 but just be more of a solid mistake free Dman. If he can be "effectively unseen" it will be a great pick up by Shero.

Plus he'll be gone within a year or two so he won't block any of the prospects coming up.

Eaton on the top pairing? I don't know about that. He was essentially the #7 guy on the island last season.

Perhaps Edmonton would be up for a Niskanen-for-Nick-Schultz swap. He's a bit bigger and better defensively than Niskanen and he's a lefty.

 

[JTG]

I dig Schultz

 

[mpp9]

Wanted us inquiring about Schultz when he was moved from Minny. He's a solid defender. Stays healthy as well.