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Is Bonino becoming the most valuable UFA 2B?Tonight's Picks,Thur's Buzzcast

March 9, 2017, 11:16 AM ET [70 Comments]
Eklund
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There are some who may be surprised by this, but you really shouldn't be. Nick Bonino has seen his value skyrocket since joining the Penguins. He does not have the cache of a TJ Oshie or Kevin Shattenkirk, but in many ways Bonino may be the best UFA a team can sign.

He can score big goals, play big minutes and is great on the penalty kill....and he has shown a propensity for being able to play almost any role the Penguins give him. Pittsburgh fans know how valuable he is for sure, but they also know that Nick will be able to find more money elsewhere.

Also, Bonino has been almost as big of a part of the Penguins rebirth as a powerhouse as Mike Sullivan has. Many feel his arrival in Pittsburgh was GM Jim Rutherford's most sneaky move last year...and it was Bonino that made the RBK line into a force.

There was great irony to the fact that Phil Kessel struggled with Crosby and Malkin but thrived with Bonino.

Last night, the pending UFA scored a hat trick in the 6-3 victory over Winnipeg and there aren't many free agents-to-be putting up hat tricks right now.

And the full story isn't yet written.. Bonino could very easily have another long, high-profile playoff run in front of him with the Penguins. By the time we get to July 1, it may be a lot more obvious that the Penguins will not be able to accommodate Bonino's salary demands.

What's the buzz?

How much do you think Bonino is worth?
Do the Penguins find a way to keep him?
Who else could be interested?

Predictions, projections...

As promised, here are the hockeybuzz computer's projections for the ten HUGE games coming up this evening...

CHI ROW over ANA
OTT ROW over AZ
MTL ROW over CGY
NYR ROW over CAR
NASH OTW over LA
COL ROW over NJ
TOR OTW over PHL
NYI OTW over VAN
SJ ROW over WAS
MIN ROW over TB

1pm Buzzcast:




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