Will They Stay Or Will They Go? Pens Free Agency Tracker

Heading into Wednesday, the Pens have about $51.2 million committed to their $56.8 million salary cap.

[nick]

the pens will find out later in season how important a penally killer and faceoff specialist is of mike zigomanis.I know they made a bad choice on letting him go.

[The Trout]

nick wrote:

the pens will find out later in season how important a penally killer and faceoff specialist is of mike zigomanis.I know they made a bad choice on letting him go.

Hallelujah, brother! I've been saying this forever. If he was completely healed, he provides not only the best face-off ability in the NHL, but a lot of the grit they were looking for when they signed Mike Rupp. The only silver lining here is that Sid seems to be developing into one hell of a face-off guy.

[Effigy of the Forgotten]

Remember 2 years ago and before that when Crosby and the Pens were one, if not the worst faceoff team in the league.

How often does Malkin play center? Looking at his faceoff wins, it seems like he's not really taking a lot of faceoffs compared to other top centers (like Crosby, Richards & Carter, Thornton, etc...)

[The Trout]

Effigy of the Forgotten wrote:

Remember 2 years ago and before that when Crosby and the Pens were one, if not the worst faceoff team in the league.
How often does Malkin play center? Looking at his faceoff wins, it seems like he's not really taking a lot of faceoffs compared to other top centers (like Crosby, Richards & Carter, Thornton, etc...)

Good observation. Malkin only does it when necessary--they've started putting Sid in there when it counts. Crosby WAS pretty putrid at it as recently as early last season, but he made it his offseason project, and now he's up to like 60-something percent. Staal has been getting better, too.