Should We Resign Bonino and At What Price?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Harvey Birdman

…Need some law books, with pictures this time…
Oct 21, 2008
9,145
2,234
Penguins Legal Office
Let him walk. He is far to inconsistent and even if he does turn on god mode in the playoffs again (doubtful) we will have to pay him for his playoff production only. And we have in house options we can pay like a 4th liner to play like a 4th liner then upgrade the position at the deadline cheaply if it calls for it. So no reason to sign him for 4C roll. We even possibly have an in house option for 3C in the AHL currently that may even get a chance to shine in this post season with the trade of Fehr.

Thanks Bones. Goodbye Bones.
 

Penske

Kunitz wasn't there
Jan 13, 2016
5,262
2
Playoffs. Repeat 2016, resign 2-2.5 ideally but no more than 3. Dud in playoffs, walk or $1.5-1.9.

Yeah this sums up what I'm thinking too although if he's a dud in the playoffs I'd let him go. We can try for a 3C in the offseason and if that doesn't happen starting with Sundqvist/Rowney as our bottom 6 centres is ok by me. If it doesn't work that well go the trade route.
 

Pens1566

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
18,377
7,216
WV
Really depends on a couple of things.

1) Does he turn it on in the playoffs again?
2) What other roster moves take place first? (who do we lose to expansion, MAF still around, etc.)
3) What does the FO think of Sundqvist going forward?

#2 is mostly about what our cap situation is like. I doubt he's in the top 3 as far as roster decisions for the off season. Dumo/Schultz and the expansion draft will all come first.
 

Peat

Registered User
Jun 14, 2016
29,292
25,206
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.

This is where I am. I'm willing to accept finding a 3C might be hard but Bonino pretty conclusively looks the wrong answer.
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
42,447
I let him walk. The only performance that would make me say yeah sign him is if we win another cup this year and he puts up a Smythe worthy performance in leading us to it.

Otherwise, no.
 

UnderratedBrooks44

Registered User
Sep 13, 2005
17,564
315
Miranda's house
A one year deal is just not happening one way or the other so that shouldn't really be a choice. Me personally I'd let him walk. Worst case we sign someone that's just as underwhelming but for less money.
 

ZeroPucksGiven

Registered User
Feb 28, 2017
6,338
4,275
I dont really care but please don´t let him play with Kessel ever again. Sully please...

What I don't understand is why he's been LOCKED IN at C this whole year. He's shown to be a capable WINGER when he was playing in Anaheim w/ Getzlaf/Perry.

That is what makes the Fehr situation so frustrating: had a guy who was playing great at C4 and the whole line was fine. And here was Bonino mucking everything up at C3.

Heck maybe Bones would be ok with Kessel if they are wingers, but the pivot impacts everything...
 

Sidney the Kidney

One last time
Jun 29, 2009
55,519
46,242
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.

Depends on salary. If he's making $4+ million per year on a new deal, you can't afford to have him be trash all regular season in hopes of him showing up in the playoffs. That's just way too much cap space to allocate to someone who *might* flip a switch.

As for the bolded, he was pretty bad last regular season too. So it's not like this season has been an anomaly for him. If anything, the strong playoffs might be the anomaly. We'll see in April.
 

DesertPenguin

Registered User
Apr 22, 2015
3,063
1,582
It depends what he does here down the stretch and in the playoffs, who we lose to expansion and whether we think Sundqvist and/or Guentzel is the answer at 3C. Also, I would take Cullen back again in an instant.

Does anyone think Guentzel can play C and Rust LW?

Sheary Crosby Hornqvist
Rust Malkin Kessel
Hags Guentzel Sprong
Kuhn Sundy Wilson
Optional: Cullen

I also wouldn't be surprised if we lost Rust in the expansion.
 

Penske

Kunitz wasn't there
Jan 13, 2016
5,262
2
It depends what he does here down the stretch and in the playoffs, who we lose to expansion and whether we think Sundqvist and/or Guentzel is the answer at 3C. Also, I would take Cullen back again in an instant.

Does anyone think Guentzel can play C and Rust LW?

Sheary Crosby Hornqvist
Rust Malkin Kessel
Hags Guentzel Sprong
Kuhn Sundy Wilson
Optional: Cullen

I also wouldn't be surprised if we lost Rust in the expansion.

They've both played those positions just not in the NHL. I'd say Rust would work but have no idea about Guentzel. The playmaking is no problem more the defence and face offs would be question marks for me. I think they want him as a LW though.

I'd say JR would bribe Vegas to take Hags (or Fleury if he waived #wishlist). I don't see him ok with losing Rust.
 

Son Goku

henlo u stinky egg
Mar 8, 2014
11,884
2,171
The World Of Void
Honestly I'd rather test free agency. Let Sundqvist play 4 C, sign someone on the cheap to play 3 C and if Sundqvist improves enough to take on the 3C then it's even better.
 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Registered User
Sep 5, 2008
28,726
2,346
Barring an absurd 180 in the playoffs from the pile of puke he's been playing like all season, absolutely not.
 

MetalheadPenguinsFan

Registered User
Sep 17, 2009
63,702
16,749
Canada
Let him walk.

He peaked for us during last year's playoffs, scored a timely goal, had his playoff career "moment" due to that goal, and got a Cup because of it.

We won't see that from him again.
 

JTG

Registered User
Sep 30, 2007
50,369
5,670
I'll wait for playoff Bonino to show up before I make a decision.
 

HandshakeLine

A real jerk thing
Nov 9, 2005
47,761
31,604
Praha, CZ
Gambler's fallacy would be paying him 4 million even if he turns it on again in the playoffs. Let him walk, trade his rights, whatever, but it seems like most of this board is chomping at the bit to give him a Fluery-esque contract and that boggles my mind.

Am I missing something?
 
Last edited:

pistolpete11

Registered User
Apr 27, 2013
11,592
10,401
No matter what you think of him, I think everybody should be thankful he wasn't a FA after last season. He would have been crazy expensive. If he repeats that playoffs again this year, you have to consider it, but you'll at least know not to expect that in the regular season.
 

Jag68Sid87

Sullivan gots to go!
Oct 1, 2003
35,575
1,249
Montreal, QC
If he comes up big in the playoffs again, hopefully it is in a back-to-back championship effort. We can thank Bonino for his efforts and move on. Because if he comes up big again in the spring, he will price himself out of Pittsburgh. The last thing we should be thinking of doing is re-signing him a la Dupuis and Kunitz that summer when we all knew it was a mistake.

I think we have handled the 3C situation rather well during the 87-71 era, and we have also gotten lucky. Keeping the revolving door approach is the way to go for me, ESPECIALLY since if the hole still exists a year from now, we can address it at the trade deadline (or sooner).
 

Koempel

Registered User
Mar 8, 2010
1,593
0
Leuven
Playoffs. Repeat 2016, resign 2-2.5 ideally but no more than 3. Dud in playoffs, walk or $1.5-1.9.

Agree with this. If he would repeat his playoffs performance I would go up to 3.5x3yrs. I don't expect him to do that, though. However, Kessel will flip the switch no doubt, and Bonino might benefit the most from that.
 

Ogrezilla

Nerf Herder
Jul 5, 2009
75,534
22,049
Pittsburgh
No matter what you think of him, I think everybody should be thankful he wasn't a FA after last season. He would have been crazy expensive. If he repeats that playoffs again this year, you have to consider it, but you'll at least know not to expect that in the regular season.

for sure
 

Cherpak

Registered User
Jan 1, 2014
5,059
3
He would have to have a hell of a playoffs again for me to consider a 1 yr deal.
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
42,447
I'll wait for playoff Bonino to show up before I make a decision.

He's such an odd case. He's at 23pts in 61 games this year where as he was 29pts in 63 games last year and it was because he caught fire with HBK being a thing that his numbers even got to that and then there's the playoffs. But he's matched his 9 goals in 2 less games.

There are 20 games left, unless he goes even 0.8ppg, I don't see him suddenly turning his talent on in the playoffs.
 

ColePens

RIP Fugu Buffaloed & parabola
Mar 27, 2008
107,022
67,647
Pittsburgh
He would have to have a hell of a playoffs again for me to consider a 1 yr deal.

If he has a hell of a playoffs, he will get paiiiiid. And I really hope it's by a team in the metro because he's not going to be playing with a Phil Kessel like player.

There is a reason why Bones is moved off teams after a couple years. He's showing us exactly why. He was miserable from October to February last year. He's done the same again. HBK caught fire. He will need to spark some more magic, too.

But what people don't see is that he missed a lot of point blank chances that he flubbed that could have put a few games away. I remember him even saying after a game "I'm just glad the flubbed chance didn't cost us the game."

Let the guy go to a new team and hopefully he gets a 5 year 20 mil deal.
 

Cherpak

Registered User
Jan 1, 2014
5,059
3
If he has a hell of a playoffs, he will get paiiiiid. And I really hope it's by a team in the metro because he's not going to be playing with a Phil Kessel like player.

There is a reason why Bones is moved off teams after a couple years. He's showing us exactly why. He was miserable from October to February last year. He's done the same again. HBK caught fire. He will need to spark some more magic, too.

But what people don't see is that he missed a lot of point blank chances that he flubbed that could have put a few games away. I remember him even saying after a game "I'm just glad the flubbed chance didn't cost us the game."

Let the guy go to a new team and hopefully he gets a 5 year 20 mil deal.

Yeah he really is the player version of coaches in the league. He has a short shelf life with any team he plays for and eventually moves on.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->