The one-year, $1 million pact between Steve Downie and the Pittsburgh Penguins is one of the most sensible deals of the offseason, one that makes exceptional sense for both parties.
For the Penguins, a top-heavy team in need of capable NHL forwards to round out its roster, it represents an opportunity to land such a player on the cheap. Given how close the team sits to the NHL's salary cap, the dollar figure on this deal was paramount.
For Downie, who has a long and deserved reputation as a talented but troubled player, it’s a chance to get his career back on track. He’s bounced between three teams in three seasons, his scoring has plummeted and, in the middle of it all, he lost virtually the entire 2012-13 campaign to a knee injury.
For him, the likelihood of sticking with one team—he has a modified no-trade clause—and playing with a quality pivot—Pittsburgh has a bunch of those—should represent a welcome change of pace.
On those factors alone, this was a sensible marriage between player and team, but there’s more.
After losing his way with his ...
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Article written by Jonathan Willis
Steve Downie Is the Type of Player the Pittsburgh Penguins Need in 2014-15
September 28th, 2014 by Jonathan Willis Leave a reply »
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