Latest Pens Buzz: Iginla has added an important dimension to the Penguins offense in one area they previously didn’t have

One reason to expect the Penguins to do what they can to resign Jarome Iginla this summer and make him one of their top priorities is the organization strongly feels Iginla can be pegged into a first or second line role with Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby for the next two-three years and remain an impact top-6 forward into his late 30’s, sources say.

Iginla might be regarded in league circles as a so called “fading superstar” but there’s one thing that isn’t fading and that’s Iginla’s booming shot.

If there’s one surprise about Iginla’s game is that his shot is as good as it was five to seven years ago. That’s really been evident in the past five to six games.

The critical dimension Iginla has added to the Penguins is a booming shot from the left side of the power play. The issue for the Penguins in the past has been having too many lefties on their No. 1 power play. It’s led to someone being out place from James Neal earlier in the year, Evgeni Malkin prior to Sidney Crosby getting hurt to Sidney Crosby in the past.

The Penguins for the first time since probably Mario Lemieux, have an extremely dangerous right handed shot to place on the left side of the power play in that critical one-timer spot.

Bylsma was asked last night about Iginla being such a dangerous player in that spot.

“{Where} our power play was 20 games ago, talking about Geno in that spot an awful lot with Chris in the middle,” Bylsma said of the Penguins previous personnel alignment prior to the Iginla trade. “What he offers Jarome there is we don’t have that in anybody else, that one-time shot.” Him getting his stick ready has been a staple for us last four games or so and has been big factor in way he shoots puck.

“As our team gets healthy, going to have make adjustments on what we do put out there. With him shooting puck like that, certainly makes for something you’d like to see. It’s a blast from there,” Bylsma said.

*Bylsma explained last night he wasn’t confident in Steve Ott’s goal being reversed because of the initial call on the ice. “The call on the ice means a lot, especially when it comes to a high stick,” Bylsma said. “You can’t really tell the angles on the replays in a lot of cases. Immediately he called it a goal on the ice, and I thought it was going to have to be a pretty drastic view to change it.”

*Buzz among scouts is that while Dan Bylsma might have his most talented group he has ever coached, we’re seeing him become a better coach in how he’s adjusting to players strength’s, something some around the league have been critical of Bylsma in the past. “I had concerns about {Douglas} Murray fitting in to what they want to do, {but} what you see is them {coaching staff} adjusting to the player,” the scout said via phone, indicating system wise the Penguins have made adjustments to suit Murray. “That’s what good coaches do.”

*Speaking of Murray, he’s a player along with Brenden Morrow who league sources feel getting traded to Pittsburgh will become a blessing for them financially as they went from players on the downside of their careers to now likely being coveted players in free agency on two-three year deals.