The Penguins had to replace the minutes left behind when Sergei Gonchar signed in Ottawa already today and they have seemingly done so with Zbynek Michalek, who couldn't reach a new agreement with the Phoenix Coyotes today, making him an unrestricted free agent. Michalek signed a new deal for 5 years worth $20 million, giving the Penguins a hefty, but not totally unwarranted, cap hit of $4 million per season.Michalek didn't exactly plaster his name all over the scoresheet every night in Phoenix, but he was a very steady defenseman that logged a fair bit of ice-time with the team. In 72 games with the Coyotes, Michalek only scored 3 goals and added 14 assists, which are not fantastic numbers, but with the Penguins, he'll likely log a lot of ice with the scoring units in even strength situations, increasing the chances of points.
This deal has now taken the Penguins up to 17 players signed on to their team table roster and gives them a salary cap number of $50.9 million, which is pretty reasonable going forward. They might not have the same kind of offense without Gonchar, but at least they will be a little tighter at the back in front of Marc-Andre Fleury.
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