Former pen signs familiar contract

[shmenguin]

the other thing to note is that pro athletes don't owe anyone anything. not the fans. not the GM's. not the owners. these relationships are all symbiotic.

[skullman80]

the other thing to note is that pro athletes don't owe anyone anything. not the fans. not the GM's. not the owners. these relationships are all symbiotic.

So true.

[columbia]

the other thing to note is that pro athletes don't owe anyone anything. not the fans. not the GM's. not the owners. these relationships are all symbiotic.

Hopefully that will soften the blow for the bridge jumpers, when Parise signs with MIN.

[shmenguin]

the other thing to note is that pro athletes don't owe anyone anything. not the fans. not the GM's. not the owners. these relationships are all symbiotic.

Hopefully that will soften the blow for the bridge jumpers, when Parise signs with MIN.

parise doesn't owe us anything, but HOW DARE he do that to sid!!!

[André]

I think it was about his role, and his family. I'm honestly fine with it. The annual discussion about where he and/or Malkin should play was as much a distraction as a luxury. And in return PGH picks up a more natural 3rd line center, and a couple of top flight D prospects, which we all know Shero has had tremendous success in utilizing.

If ever there was a win-win-win, this is it.

[newarenanow]

I don't mind this one bit. He wanted a bigger role and to play with his brother. That wasn't happening in Pgh.

[astro4k]

I don't mind this one bit. He wanted a bigger role and to play with his brother. That wasn't happening in Pgh.

Let's not also forget that he (probably) took a worse chance of ever winning a Cup to play with his brother.

[booboo]

All is fine. Now Carolina only needs to trade Eric to Pittsburgh for Sutter and whats-his-name prospect to take
care of the 3rd line center duties.

[BurghersAndDogsSports]

I don't mind this one bit. He wanted a bigger role and to play with his brother. That wasn't happening in Pgh.

Let's not also forget that he (probably) took a worse chance of ever winning a Cup to play with his brother.

I disagree with this. I dont think (short of getting a chance to play with Sid everyday and boost your stats for a future contract) there is any reason to pick one team over the other based on chances of winning the cup (except Toronto of course). Its nice that we have Sid and Geno but the NHL has proven to have a lot of parity and I pretty much think its a crap shoot when selecting where to play if you want to win sans a few teams.

Will we be consistently good. Of course and some would say well there you go. But I wouldnt cry if we had Eric and Jordan Staal either. Every team in the league competes. Pick where you want to go. You have the same chance as anyplace else.

[pensfan16]

Jordan did not want to play here anymore. He was tired of playing 3rd fiddle to Sid and Geno. He wants to play with his brother.
Good Luck Jordan, thanks for all you did for the pens.

[bh]

Yeah, I respect Jordan for wanting to play with his bro. Family means something to him which is good to see. I like to see players give up money/greed for more noble endeavors. He still made bank, but maybe (depending on his performance this year) might have made a lot more as a UFA after this year. That shorthanded goal against the Wings is still the most awesome thing he did as a Pen. I really hope he does well there except against the Pens of course.

[Fire0nice228]

I don't mind this one bit. He wanted a bigger role and to play with his brother. That wasn't happening in Pgh.

Let's not also forget that he (probably) took a worse chance of ever winning a Cup to play with his brother.

I disagree with this. I dont think (short of getting a chance to play with Sid everyday and boost your stats for a future contract) there is any reason to pick one team over the other based on chances of winning the cup (except Toronto of course). Its nice that we have Sid and Geno but the NHL has proven to have a lot of parity and I pretty much think its a crap shoot when selecting where to play if you want to win sans a few teams.

Will we be consistently good. Of course and some would say well there you go. But I wouldnt cry if we had Eric and Jordan Staal either. Every team in the league competes. Pick where you want to go. You have the same chance as anyplace else.

I get what your saying with this but at the same time you can look at a handful of teams in this league and say to yourself they are going to be Cup favorite, spend to the cap, in win now mode teams for the next 10 years.. Pit/Phi/Van/LAK/CHI/DET and maybe a few others.. even the Devils who just made a Cup run was kinda a fluke and Marty is gone in 2 years and teams that are consistently nothing better than bubble teams like Dallas/Carolina or a team like Buffalo who made the playoffs last year then did not this year, you can look at their rosters and see the differences between the top echelon teams and the rest; you can look and say over the course of the next decade these select teams will consistently make the playoffs (where THEN it is a crapshoot sorta) over the rest.

[Digitalgypsy66]

Carolina has made the playoffs once since winning the Cup in 2006. Sutter said he's never played a playoff game in the NHL, despite being in the league for four seasons.

I'm glad Staal can play with his brother in an elevated role, in a nice area (with many non-hockey Canadians, too). I'm more than happy with the return Shero got for a player who may/may not have been on his game this year, had he stayed with the Pens.

Do you see the Canes making another Cup run anytime soon? I don't see it, with their self-imposed cap and constant player retreads. Joe Corvo? Ugh.

[Sarcastic]

What else is he supposed to say? "Hey fans, he doesnt want to sign here! I sure hope Shero can work out a trade because if not my client is going to get booooooooed all season long".

Yup. There have been other players who have requested a trade. Just were straight with the fans and their team. Look at Bobby Ryan. He says he's not happy with the way he's used and he wants a trade. That's it. I like honesty and a direct approach. I have a lot more respect for him than I do for Staal. I also don't think fans would have booed him, as he was well liked and most understand why he feels he wants a bigger role on a team.

It'd be somewhat better for me if he privately told Shero that he will not sign, and that he better trade him or lose him. I guess we'll never know if that happened.

[Sarcastic]

Yeah, I respect Jordan for wanting to play with his bro.

I think that's sentimental BS. If I were a hockey player, my priority would be to grab a hold of a top team and stick with it. It doesn't get better than Pittsburgh. I think this is a big downgrade for Staal and I don't necessarily feel it is better for him.

[shmenguin]

Yeah, I respect Jordan for wanting to play with his bro.

I think that's sentimental BS. If I were a hockey player, my priority would be to grab a hold of a top team and stick with it. It doesn't get better than Pittsburgh. I think this is a big downgrade for Staal and I don't necessarily feel it is better for him.

LA just won the cup from the 8 seed. and somehow even a crud team like carolina won the cup 6 years ago. latching on to the vegas favorite may be your best bet, but by a really slim margin.

[skullman80]

Yeah, I respect Jordan for wanting to play with his bro.

I think that's sentimental BS. If I were a hockey player, my priority would be to grab a hold of a top team and stick with it. It doesn't get better than Pittsburgh. I think this is a big downgrade for Staal and I don't necessarily feel it is better for him.

It doesn't matter what you think at all. It doesn't matter you think it's a downgrade. All that matters is what Staal thought, and he felt that playing with his brother in Carolina was a better fit then staying in Pittsburgh. He already has his cup, maybe he just wants to play with his brother and enjoy the rest of his career now.

So what you would do and your priorities as hockey player(if you were one) don't matter one iota in this case.

[Froggy]

If there were 2 people better than me at my job, and I wanted to move up in the company, I sure as hell wouldn't sign a 10 year deal to work behind them. I'd start looking at other companies. And if one of those companies employed one of my brothers, and could give me a more satisfying position, it would make sense to look in to it.