salamander
07-08-2010, 09:34 AM
(I know this doesn't deal directly with the Pittsburgh Pens, but I thought I'd put it in here.)
Recent signings show Penguins taking direct aim at champion Bears
By Jonathan Bombulie (Staff Writer)
Published: July 8, 2010
The signings of forwards Brett Sterling and Ryan Craig last week were a real strong clue. The addition of defenseman Andrew Hutchinson on Wednesday made the message perfectly clear.
When the puck drops in October, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins mean business.
"The goal hasn't changed. The goal is always to win the Stanley Cup," coach Todd Reirden said Wednesday. "But when you have the opportunity to add the right kind of depth - scoring in Sterling, two-way play and leadership with Craig, an offensive element from the back end with Hutchinson - you don't want to pass that up."
Hutchinson, 30, has been one of the premier offensive defensemen in the AHL over the last eight seasons.
He won a Calder Cup with Milwaukee in 2004 and played in the league finals two other times in the last six years. In 2008, he was named AHL defenseman of the year after an 18-goal season with Hartford.
He agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with Pittsburgh on Wednesday that will pay him $500,000 in the NHL and a fraction of that when he's in the AHL. His minor-league salary wasn't immediately available.
A 6-foot-2, 198-pound Michigan State grad, Hutchinson also has 135 career NHL games with Nashville, Carolina, Tampa Bay and Dallas on his resume.
"His stats and his play speaks for itself, but throughout his career, he's done a really good job of making the players around him better," Reirden said. "He didn't get a ton of opportunities with Dallas and he was looking for an opportunity where if he's the best player in Wilkes-Barre, he's going up."
While the Penguins have been loading up with key free agents like Hutchinson since July 1, the two-time defending league champion Hershey Bears have been losing important pieces from their roster.
The Bears have seen 50-goal scorer Alexandre Giroux sign with Edmonton, four-time 20-goal man Kyle Wilson leave for Columbus, playoff MVP Chris Bourque reportedly sign with a Russian club and veteran defenseman Greg Amadio head to Grand Rapids, in addition to the likely graduation of defensemen John Carlson and Karl Alzner to Washington.
Hershey will undoubtedly reload - they've already begun that process by adding goalie Dany Sabourin, sniper Kyle Greentree and offensive defenseman Brian Fahey - but the Penguins have a better chance to knock off the Bears now than they did the last two years.
"If you don't have veteran players in those roles, you're going to struggle to win games, and I think the best environment for everyone to learn is one where you're winning," Reirden said. "From my end, in what I'm trying to sell to the players, it's important to have results."
http://citizensvoice.com/sports/recent-signings-show-penguins-taking-direct-aim-at-champion-bears-1.881123
(Anyone who follows the AHL at all knows the Hershey Bears have recently been a juggernaut, especially after putting up 60 wins this season. I follow the AHL very closely and these signings by the Baby Pens really shows that they're out for blood this season. These were some of the top AHL free agents and I can't wait to see what they bring to Wilkes-Barre. As the article states, Hershey has lost some of it's key players. I have a very good feeling about the 2010-11 season for the Baby Pens.)
Recent signings show Penguins taking direct aim at champion Bears
By Jonathan Bombulie (Staff Writer)
Published: July 8, 2010
The signings of forwards Brett Sterling and Ryan Craig last week were a real strong clue. The addition of defenseman Andrew Hutchinson on Wednesday made the message perfectly clear.
When the puck drops in October, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins mean business.
"The goal hasn't changed. The goal is always to win the Stanley Cup," coach Todd Reirden said Wednesday. "But when you have the opportunity to add the right kind of depth - scoring in Sterling, two-way play and leadership with Craig, an offensive element from the back end with Hutchinson - you don't want to pass that up."
Hutchinson, 30, has been one of the premier offensive defensemen in the AHL over the last eight seasons.
He won a Calder Cup with Milwaukee in 2004 and played in the league finals two other times in the last six years. In 2008, he was named AHL defenseman of the year after an 18-goal season with Hartford.
He agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with Pittsburgh on Wednesday that will pay him $500,000 in the NHL and a fraction of that when he's in the AHL. His minor-league salary wasn't immediately available.
A 6-foot-2, 198-pound Michigan State grad, Hutchinson also has 135 career NHL games with Nashville, Carolina, Tampa Bay and Dallas on his resume.
"His stats and his play speaks for itself, but throughout his career, he's done a really good job of making the players around him better," Reirden said. "He didn't get a ton of opportunities with Dallas and he was looking for an opportunity where if he's the best player in Wilkes-Barre, he's going up."
While the Penguins have been loading up with key free agents like Hutchinson since July 1, the two-time defending league champion Hershey Bears have been losing important pieces from their roster.
The Bears have seen 50-goal scorer Alexandre Giroux sign with Edmonton, four-time 20-goal man Kyle Wilson leave for Columbus, playoff MVP Chris Bourque reportedly sign with a Russian club and veteran defenseman Greg Amadio head to Grand Rapids, in addition to the likely graduation of defensemen John Carlson and Karl Alzner to Washington.
Hershey will undoubtedly reload - they've already begun that process by adding goalie Dany Sabourin, sniper Kyle Greentree and offensive defenseman Brian Fahey - but the Penguins have a better chance to knock off the Bears now than they did the last two years.
"If you don't have veteran players in those roles, you're going to struggle to win games, and I think the best environment for everyone to learn is one where you're winning," Reirden said. "From my end, in what I'm trying to sell to the players, it's important to have results."
http://citizensvoice.com/sports/recent-signings-show-penguins-taking-direct-aim-at-champion-bears-1.881123
(Anyone who follows the AHL at all knows the Hershey Bears have recently been a juggernaut, especially after putting up 60 wins this season. I follow the AHL very closely and these signings by the Baby Pens really shows that they're out for blood this season. These were some of the top AHL free agents and I can't wait to see what they bring to Wilkes-Barre. As the article states, Hershey has lost some of it's key players. I have a very good feeling about the 2010-11 season for the Baby Pens.)