After moving to Plan B, Shero ecstatic about signings of Martin, Michalek

I trust Penguins General Manager Ray Shero. How couldn’t I? He’s an elite executive in this league. Think of all the good moves he’s made since taking over that position with the Penguins.

Alexei Ponikarovsky aside, of course.

So I trust Shero’s instincts. And it’s because I DO trust Shero so much that I’m a little hesitant to embrace his signings on day one of free agency.

You see, it was Shero’s instinct to acquire Dan Hamhuis. That’s why he gave the hated Flyers a third round pick to get him. It was also Shero’s instinct to keep Sergei Gonchar. That’s why he made such an impassioned and public pitch to retain his services on my radio program. It’s also why Shero allegedly made a two year offer to Gonchar in the rage on $4.5 million per year to keep him in Pittsburgh.

So if Shero is making an offer to Gonchar and acquiring the rights for Hamhuis, that must mean he would’ve preferred having that tandem heading into 2010-2011 as opposed to his newly re-shaped blue line which features former New Jersey Devil Paul Martin and former Phoenix Coyote Zbynek Michalek.

“I made it clear that we wanted to sign Sergei Gonchar and Dan Hamhuis. That didn’t happen,“ admitted Shero. “But I think we are ecstatic to have Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek.“

Martin is about a half million dollars cheaper per season and seven years younger than Gonchar. Gonchar signed a three-year $16.5 million deal in Ottawa. Martin is also better defensively than Gonchar, but not the power play ace that #55 has been.

Michalek is also a half million dollars cheaper than Hamhuis (who went to Vancouver for six years and $4.5 million per season). And his contract is a year less. Shero is making it sound like the Martin/Michalek combo is better than just a Plan-B that was necessitated by the departures of Hamhuis and Gonchar.

“Paul Martin is a real good defenseman. Good stick. Good defensively. Probably better offensively than his numbers (Martin was hurt much of last year). Effortless skater. Lots of minutes,” raved Shero.