Penguins Add Paul Martin To The Mix

 

When Sergei Gonchar bolted from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a $16.5 million deal with the Ottawa Senators, General Manager Ray Shero turned around and inked Zbynek Michalek previously with the Phoenix Coyotes to a five-year, $20 million deal. And while Michalek is a solid, young defenseman, he is no Gonchar in the puck-moving, power play quarterbacking, offense producing department.

It turns out, he wasn't exactly the substitute Shero had in mind for Gonchar. Instead, the real replacement is 29-year old Paul Martin, who signed on for the next five seasons and will earn $5 million in each of them.

Martin is a good player and did receive plenty of interest from teams around the NHL. But this does beg the question of why Shero didn't just tack on an extra $500,000 per year and give Gonchar what he'll be earning in Ottawa for two less years. Gonchar is one of the best offensive forces from the blue line and is basically a 50- to 60-point threat with a true effectiveness in running the power play. Martin, on the other hand, was pretty much a 30-point generator in New Jersey and never topped the six-goal mark. He is basically half a Gonchar at virtually the same price.

Perhaps Martin's numbers were just a product of the Devils' stifling defensive system and he will have greater opportunity to spread his wings in a more open game with the Penguins. And being six years younger than Gonchar doesn't hurt. But it just seems like a panic move. The Michalek/Martin combination is nowhere near the Gonchar/Dan Hamhuis duo Shero was ultimately hoping for.