Thrilled that we got Downie.
- lloyd095

Guy's school on Saturday. No class.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyZ8WBcHqII

He'll be James Neal, Matt Cooke'ing soon enough for us. UGH.

Tocchet's handiwork is all over this signing.

Cheap pickup, and a guy whose career goals per game (.17) isn't far behind Kulemin's (.19).

Kunitz/Crosby/Dupuis
Bennett/Malkin/Hornqvist
Spaling/Sutter/Downie
Comeau/Goc/Adams-Megna-whoever
- hardnosed

Looks about right.

Plus a deep defensive core.

JR said he wanted to get tougher. He delivered.

We have too many bottom six guys. Ott, at this juncture would be a dumb signing.
- Oneonta Penguin

Not to me. Upgrade on Adams and Megna.

another solid cheap signing by jr (or botterhill/fitzgerald/guerin, who the hell knows) Compare him to almost any other gm, exception maybe to Jim Nill, and he is hitting this off season out of the park!
- ChrisMS

Unless he makes a trade to free cap space to get a more legit top 6 forward... we are now going to have to hope Dupius hasn't lost too much from last year for the 1st line, and Beau doesn't get hurt this season.

But yes, value signing city... cannot complain about any of the deals he made.

It has to be said that the last time Downie was effective was when he was under Tocchet.....
- cap1681

If Tocchet can keep him motivated and somewhat in control, then it could be a good signing.

It is nice to have a guy like him who can play a few shiftzbwith Sid or Malkin when a game gets nutty.

why? Players see their max value at the deadline most of the time. gives pens time to evaluate puliot, see if matta was just exhausted at the end of last year and see if sammy, doumalin/harrington are legit players in the nhl.
- ChrisMS

Because if Martin has a huge season; the Pens do their thing in the regular season and puts themselves into a challenger for the East crown and a Cup and then you trade him, it ruins the D pairings and it could have a negative effect. Trade him now, or hold onto him and lose him for nothing. It would have more of a negative impact than a positive impact at the deadline. Just my opinion.

Guy's school on Saturday. No class.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyZ8WBcHqII

He'll be James Neal, Matt Cooke'ing soon enough for us. UGH.
- coohill

Don't forget his first-ever NHL preseason game :

Bargain signing of Downie IF he can stay healthy with the concussions.

Guy's school on Saturday. No class.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyZ8WBcHqII

He'll be James Neal, Matt Cooke'ing soon enough for us. UGH.
- coohill

He's a good nasty player and class is such BS in hockey. Every team has a guy that toes the line. That is hockey. People are just getting to soft about sports nowadays.

why? Players see their max value at the deadline most of the time. gives pens time to evaluate puliot, see if matta was just exhausted at the end of last year and see if sammy, doumalin/harrington are legit players in the nhl.
- ChrisMS

Moving Martin now brings back a piece that will help the team this season. He is more valuable to this team at the deadline then what he would bring back. At the deadline, he would return picks and/or prospects, which would not help this team in the stretch run/playoffs.

On a different note, forget about Pouliot. He will not sniff the Pens lineup this year. Without the luxury of a training camp, and with all the young depth the Pens have a defense, he will be better suited spending the year in WBS.

Not to me. Upgrade on Adams and Megna.
- lloyd095

We need a top six forward. It's not like Downie's 1M contract erases Megna or Adams entirely. They are still on the books regardless. We don't have room for a top six forward and add Ott. By the way, people are so play-off performance driven on this board. Ott's numbers in St. Louis sucked.

I am now the happiest man in this room, if Sutter gets traded I will go to the nearest bar and buy a round for everyone!!!

Don't how I feel about Downie. I want to like the signing because of what he can bring but the guy tends to lose his $#it time to time and take dumb penalties. JR's def made this team a pain in @$$ to play against.

Because if Martin has a huge season; the Pens do their thing in the regular season and puts themselves into a challenger for the East crown and a Cup and then you trade him, it ruins the D pairings and it could have a negative effect. Trade him now, or hold onto him and lose him for nothing. It would have more of a negative impact than a positive impact at the deadline. Just my opinion.
- Oneonta Penguin

Took the words right out of my mouth.

All fits under the cap with some leftover for deadline and injuries.

Team is deeper and should be tougher to play against.

I'd rather have Downie at 1/$1 mill than Kulemin for 3/$10 mill.

On paper. not too bad JR.

CAPGEEK.COM ARMCHAIR GM ROSTER
CapGeek Armchair GM Roster
FORWARDS
Chris Kunitz ($3.850m) / Sidney Crosby ($8.700m) / Pascal Dupuis ($3.750m)
Beau Bennett ($0.900m) / Evgeni Malkin ($9.500m) / Patric Hornqvist ($4.250m)
Nick Spaling ($2.000m) / Brandon Sutter ($2.700m) / Steve Downie ($1.000m)
Blake Comeau ($0.700m) / Marcel Goc ($1.200m) / Craig Adams ($0.700m)
Jayson Megna ($0.874m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Kris Letang ($7.250m) / Paul Martin ($5.000m)
Christian Ehrhoff ($4.000m) / Rob Scuderi ($3.375m)
Olli Maatta ($0.894m) / Robert Bortuzzo ($0.600m)
Simon Despres ($1.000m) /
GOALTENDERS
Marc-Andre Fleury ($5.000m)
Thomas Greiss ($1.000m)
BONUS OVERAGE
$0
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $69,000,000; CAP PAYROLL: $68,243,292; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $756,708

Grim Rutherford on twitter is worth following just for these images.

Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie 2m
Steve Downie agrees to terms on one-year, $1M deal with PIT. #TSN
- Conse

For all the idiotic things I say finally something I hoped would happen did, good god im thrilled.

Don't how I feel about Downie. I want to like the signing because of what he can bring but the guy tends to lose his $#it time to time and take dumb penalties. JR's def made this team a pain in @$$ to play against.
- Incredible Malk

Isn't that what everybody was clamoring for during the stretch run last year???

Because if Martin has a huge season; the Pens do their thing in the regular season and puts themselves into a challenger for the East crown and a Cup and then you trade him, it ruins the D pairings and it could have a negative effect. Trade him now, or hold onto him and lose him for nothing. It would have more of a negative impact than a positive impact at the deadline. Just my opinion.
- Oneonta Penguin

If he was having a huge season and the Penguins are contenders, just don't trade him?!? Seems pretty simple.

It's just the fact that issuing ultimatums like trade him now or never don't make sense, because why don't know what the deadline is going to be like at this point.

There are multiple scenarios where not trading him now, but trading him at the deadline makes sense.

I am now the happiest man in this room, if Sutter gets traded I will go to the nearest bar and buy a round for everyone!!!
- nbartley9

Where is the nearest bar to you, because I have a strong feeling that this will actually happen?

I am now the happiest man in this room, if Sutter gets traded I will go to the nearest bar and buy a round for everyone!!!
- nbartley9

Ill take that beer now. Nice to have someone that will make you think twice about taking liberties

Isn't that what everybody was clamoring for during the stretch run last year???
- cap1681

Losing their poop and taking bad penalties (while being a liability in all 3 zones)?

We need a top six forward. It's not like Downie's 1M contract erases Megna or Adams entirely. They are still on the books regardless. We don't have room for a top six forward and add Ott. By the way, people are so play-off performance driven on this board. Ott's numbers in St. Louis sucked.
- Oneonta Penguin

We are in the same situation as yesterday. That million isn't stopping us from a top 6!!! Erhoff is. I'm OK with that because I believe Bennett is going to be that guy. Top 6 only coming if trade clears cap room.

Yea and Jokinen sucked in Carolina that they gave him away.

I am now the happiest man in this room, if Sutter gets traded I will go to the nearest bar and buy a round for everyone!!!
- nbartley9

So... you actually did bust a nut in joy?

Martin and Sutter aside, if the Pens could simply free themselves of Adams(replaced by gibby/megna) and Scuds while signing 1 more winger then this will be as clean a turnaround on paper as anybody could ask for in 1 offseason. Lots of fresh blood and guys who should have something to prove. Hard to believe that a lot of the problems that dogged the team in recent playoffs could be dealt with so quickly and efficiently.