The signing of veteran defenseman Jay McKee to a one year deal rounds out the Penguins top 6, following the losses of Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi to free agency.
McKee a shot blocker who prides himself on clearing the front of the net, toughness, will be a perfect compliment to young defenseman Alex Goligoski, who still has a ways to go when it comes to his play in the defensive zone.
The subtractions of Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi and the additions of Goligoski, McKee, give the Penguins a strong mix on their blueline.
Penguins general manager Ray Shero is a believer in having three puck moving defensemen in his lineup and the Penguins will have that for the upcoming season in Sergei Gonchar, Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski.
Gonchar at age 35, still has some good hockey left in him, scoring 19 points in 25 regular season games and is among the most under-rated defenseman in the game.
As with any young defenseman, Kris Letang still has consistency problems but the sky is the limit for the talented blueliner and he appears to be on the verge of breaking out offensively and posting a 45-50 point season.
Alex Goligoski is regarded by some scouts as being the best puck moving defenseman on the team. Offensively he doesn’t look out of place. Defensively that is a different story as he struggles clearing the front of the net,
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