Should We Resign Bonino and At What Price?

[Ogrezilla]

Its ironic though that we would hate Neal for disappearing in PO and playing great in RS.

do we hate Neal?

 

[Ogrezilla]

I'd agree, but on this team is a 3rd line winger like Hagelin making 4 million better in the long term than a 3rd line center like Bonino making 3.5. I feel like you can fill in the left side with Kuhn, Wilson, Guentz and Sheary and let Hagelin go. Who exactly is filling our 3C or 4C, and you can go the UFA route, but the only centers I see are players like Boyle, Gagner, Greening, that are all basically worse versions of Bones.

Bones is playing really bad hockey. Like, really bad. I'd easily pay Boyle or Gagner whatever money Bones wants if Bones doesn't pick it up for the playoffs again.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Its ironic though that we would hate Neal for disappearing in PO and playing great in RS.

Who hates Neal?

 

[Night Shift]

do we hate Neal?

Maybe Poor choice of words but I know you get my drift

 

[Night Shift]

Who hates Neal?

See above

 

[Gurglesons]

Bones is playing really bad hockey. Like, really bad. I'd easily pay Boyle or Gagner whatever money Bones wants if Bones doesn't pick it up for the playoffs again.

Boyle at 32 for 3x3?

Gagner if he is available will probably want term given he's bounced around.

I don't know. I'm not disagreeing with how bad Bonino has been, it is just one of those situations where the other option isn't necessarily a great one.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Maybe Poor choice of words but I know you get my drift

the issue with Bonino is that its hard to trust that he's going to always be able to flip that switch. Right now, last year looks like a fluke to me.

 

[Zirakzigil]

I'm almost in favor of signing him in hopes that Vegas picks him up in the expansion draft. Otherwise wait and see how he does in the playoffs.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Boyle at 32 for 3x3?

Gagner if he is available will probably want term given he's bounced around.

I don't know. I'm not disagreeing with how bad Bonino has been, it is just one of those situations where the other option isn't necessarily a great one.

Those options aren't great, no. But better than this version of Bonino imo.

 

[Night Shift]

the issue with Bonino is that its hard to trust that he's going to always be able to flip that switch. Right now, last year looks like a fluke to me.

What's perplexing is IIRC Bonino was a decent regular season player before Pittsburgh. I know he killed it with Anaheim, they loved him and would welcome him back.. Not sure why he hasn't shown himself here (other than the playoffs)

 

[SirBrad]

I vote to let him walk. If he's awesome in the playoffs I will probably still think the same.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Nothing new to add.

Unless he goes full beast in the playoffs, "so long and thanks for all the fish."

 

[ericstrat1]

Depends on Bones' playoff performance. Before our cup run I felt like Bonino was absolutely terrible then he flipped a switch at some point and completely changed my mind.

 

[SirBrad]

Depends on Bones' playoff performance. Before our cup run I felt like Bonino was absolutely terrible then he flipped a switch at some point and completely changed my mind.

it's still hard to put good value on a guy that sleepwalks for most or all of the regular season and then turns it on. chances are he doesn't go full beast mode again though.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

He may look old with that hairline but I don't think it's time for him to resign yet.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

What's perplexing is IIRC Bonino was a decent regular season player before Pittsburgh. I know he killed it with Anaheim, they loved him and would welcome him back.. Not sure why he hasn't shown himself here (other than the playoffs)

Keep in mind the year Bonino did well in Anaheim, almost half of his points were on the PP (29 ES, 20 PP). I believe he was used on their top unit. He produced 26 at ES last year for the Pens, so the major difference in production is not playing on the top PP unit.

So I don't think he's ever been a big even strength scoring threat, even during his better years in Anaheim and Vancouver. But he's certainly fallen off a cliff this season even compared to that.

 

[BADoglick]

Playoff dependent but leaning towards walk seems to be the consensus, which also happens to be my opinion as well.

 

[Ziggyjoe21]

He's gone no matter what happens. If he blows up into last year's playoff Bonino then someone will overpay. If he continues struggling then the Pens won't want to keep him no matter the cost.

30 point 3rd line centers are a dime a dozen, IMO.

 

[Shrimper]

No, let him walk.

I see out centers next year being Crosby, Malkin, XX, Sundqvist.

There'll be people out there we can obtain for a 3C spot.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Keep in mind the year Bonino did well in Anaheim, almost half of his points were on the PP (29 ES, 20 PP). I believe he was used on their top unit. He produced 26 at ES last year for the Pens, so the major difference in production is not playing on the top PP unit.

So I don't think he's ever been a big even strength scoring threat, even during his better years in Anaheim and Vancouver. But he's certainly fallen off a cliff this season even compared to that.

Didn't he play the majority of the time on the wing, too?

I get that the team's center depth suddenly doesn't look too great with Fehr gone and Bonino potentially walking. But I'm not only confident that there are replacements for less out there but also that one or two options might already be playing in the organization.

Remember... the team, for years, said in words and actions that young players basically couldn't cut it, Until they did. Hell, I even said that they couldn't rely on the likes of Sheary and Rust but I was wrong. I'm not saying it always works out that way only that you have to trust these guys enough to give 'em a shot sometime. Especially when you start factoring in precious, precious cap space versus performance.

I don't think throwing zany money after Bonino is wise based on "depth." I think it's desperate, silly and more living in the past. Thanks for your service, Bones. Don't forget your autographed Shawn Michaels poster on your way out.

 

[m302291]

Guentzel - Sundqvist - Sprong could make a very nice third line.



Yes I know we can't pencil in Sundqvist to 3C or Sprong to NHL yet, but still.

 

[mgd525]

If Bones goes all Claude Lemieux being ppg and blocking the most shots in the playoffs again IDGAF what he does in the regular season. If he's average or god help us the same **** him. There really is no middle ground with how bad he's been this year.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Wait and see if he steps it up again come playoff time. If he does I'd keep him and sign him longterm

 

[Shady Machine]

What if he has a playoffs like last year and comes back with a 4.5-5M asking price? Which really isn't that far left field.

Would that really be OK? Because that seems like bat**** insane money for Nick Bonino, to me.

No it wouldn't be okay. I was in favor of re-signing him at 4MM on the assumption HBK magic was a long term thing. Right now he is next to useless and even with a strong playoffs, we can't cap strap this team for a player who is useless 90% of the time, even if the 10% is the most important time.

 

[Shady Machine]

Like has been said, wait for the playoffs. I don't mind him playing half assed in the year if he can be such an integral part of playoff runs annually.

I think people are quick to forget how ****ing awesome he was last spring. And he's only 28 years old.

Not to mention that players sometimes just have down years or periods. It happens to everyone.

Down periods happen to everyone, but he better be damn good in the playoffs to make up for it. We can afford a player to suck during the RS for 2MM, but not 4-5MM.