Welcome back, Rob Scuderi. So long, $3.8M annually for the next four years. Here's the pros and cons you need to know...
Why this is a good signing for the Pens:
For the lack of a better term, the Pens' defense collectively stunk last season. God bless Deryk Engelland, but he just isn't going to cut it as a #5/#6 defenseman. That was apparent during the conference finals when he appeared to be skating through cement. I'm confident that we've seen the last of him in a Pens uniform. While Scuderi wasn't signed to technically "replace" Engelland, somebody on the roster has to go. Scuds will fill that vacancy and play somewhere in the top two pairings. Something like Letang/Orpik, Martin/Scuderi, Niskanen/Despres sounds about right. Scuderi will play the PK and perhaps more importantly, be encouraged to step in front of shots on the regular. His positional defense is above average and come playoff time, his shot blocking ability will be PRICELESS. You need a guy like this to win a cup. And at less than $4 million per season, he has the potential to be a slight bargain as soon as next season.
Why this is a bad signing for the Pens:
How about that wealth of defenseman prospects hanging out in Wilkes-Barre? Well, it seems like they're going to be banished there at least for another season. With prospects like Pulliot and Matta nearly ready for big league action, they'll likely be subject to another season of AHL duty, while enduring callups for injuries only. Another season in the AHL won't hurt but you've got to wonder how much longer their arrival will be delayed. Then there's the Robert Bortuzzo; the 24-year old who was just resigned and played admirably during his brief stints with the big club. I'd argue that he's ready to be a steadying force on the blueline. He's spent three seasons in the AHL. He won't benefit from another. It's now or never for this guy. If the Pens want to transition their defense into a more responsible group, why not give Bortuzzo a look? We've got useful, home-grown components which could help our blue line, but they're toiling on the farm.
What this means:
It's likely that Ray Shero looks at these defense prospects as assets and nothing more. Everyone's aware of our distinct lack of talent when it comes to forward prospects. Beau Bennett was our last one in the pipeline, and he's (rightly) destined for a top-six role this Fall. Could we have used the almost $4 million per year to attract some forward talent on the open market? Absolutely. But that would have meant trusting at least the #5 and #6 defensive pairing to unproven NHL talent. Around here, we love to recycle veterans. Most of the time, it works. Sometimes, it doesn't. Scuderi will be another successful signing, for sure. But what about Bortuzzo? What about the other defenseman who were first-round selections? Unfortunately, they're a story for next season. Only time will tell if their story will come in the form of a lineup promotion or a trade.
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