Sullivan feels he can add a “power play quarterback” dimension to Pens

Newly signed winger Steve Sullivan has arrived in town this week and met with the media today at the Consol Energy Center.

Sullivan who is going house hunting in the next couple days, see’s a great opportunity for himself in Pittsburgh as he’s chasing a Stanley Cup at age 37.

“Look at the talent from top to bottom, ” Sullivan said on the Penguins. “Way their built. Longevity to be a winner for a long-time.

“Don’t know how much time I have left, so for my self, this time around was all about winning. Chance to win Stanley Cup, No. 1 choice was here and thankfully I got the phone call, ” Sullivan said on signing with the Penguins.

Sullivan projects to go into training camp in a top-9 role but he hasn’t had any conversations with the Penguins about where he fits exactly on the depth chart.

The Penguins are intrigued about Sullivan as a right handed shooter, most notably on the power play, although Sullivan only has 8 power play goals in his last 126 games and hasn’t scored more than 6 power play goals since 2005-2006.

Sullivan talked today about an area on the power play he feels he can be an asset at and a spot he had the most success at in his career, more than 5 years ago.

“Our conservations have been just about my self and they enjoy the fact that I’m a right handed shot, ” Sullivan said on where he fits in the lineup. “I can come in here, have some play power time. I’ve been able to quarterback the power play in Nashville for the last few years, ” Sullivan said.

While Sullivan doesn’t figure to play the left point, he’s likely to the play the left side {half wall}, which is the spot he’s been at for the past couple years.

“I was the carry the puck in zone guy and trying to set up on the flat side, ” Sullivan said on his power play position in Nashville.
“We’ve had brief discussions about it and I can play anywhere on that { Left} side.

An interesting tidbit is that a spot where Sullivan had the most success in his career was playing down low but that was all the way back in 2005-2006 when he scored 13 power play goals. Down low in around the net hasn’t been a spot he’s accustomed to of late.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been there {goal line}… I do like to play behind the goal line, on the goal line and around the net. I like little plays, little tap in goals, little back door plays. My best year in Nashville would have been when Paul Kariya and I were playing goal lines, 5-3 and power plays, cross ice passes….probably where we had the most fun and success.

Working the puck down low more like the Tampa Bay Lightning do is something the Penguins could explore.

On Pittsburgh’s early interest on July 1:“We found out very early that Pittsburgh was interested, my agent and I said that’s definitely a place I’d love to play.”

On relationship with Ray Shero: “My relationship with Ray, we’ve had to negotiate two or three contracts in Nashville and he was the main man there for doing so. Ray and I have had a lot of discussions in the past.” Our relationship was solid. When I got the call from him early afternoon on the first and it just seemed like a good fit. Obviously when your going into free agency, your look at teams where you’d love to play and where you think you would fit and Pittsburgh was definitely on that list.”

On his injuries: “The back hasn’t been an issue at all. Ever since I’ve come back after the two surgeries and all of the rehab we did and 11 months of rehab that it took to come back. From the moment I stepped on the ice when I came back and it’s been an absolute non-issue. The issue I had last season was sports hernia and strain knee….back has been healthy since I’ve come back.

“Training is going extremely well, ” Sullivan said.

On whetjer he’s a scorer or playmaker:“A little bit of both. I enjoy scoring, think I can make some plays. Little bit of both would be the answer.