There is no questioning how important Matt Niskanen was to this team this year. He played in 81 games and the only game he missed was the coach's decision to rest him at the end of the year. He scored 10 goals, had 36 assists and 46 total points. All were career highs. He also set career highs in plus-minus, PP goals, PP assists, PP points and average ice time. His playoffs were just as stellar. Posting 11 points in 13 games. All in all, Matt Niskanen had a career year, and proved to be a better defenseman than he's been given credit for all these years in Pittsburgh, or Dallas for that matter.
As I stated earlier, the 27 year old defenseman is an unrestricted free agent July 1st. Many teams will be vying for his services. They will be willing to pay big money for the guy who has often been an afterthought. If the deal that Andrew McDonald got from Philly is any example, Niskanen could expect to make between 5 and 6.5 million dollars annually. If the Pens let him get to July 1st, it would be pretty safe to assume that number 2 won't be worn by Niskanen next season.
So, should the Pens pay Niskanen anywhere near the kind of money he is going to get on the open market? If you had asked me that question a week ago I would have told you absolutely not. But a week changes a lot. Going into next season the Pens have 5 defensemen under contract. Two of them will be over 33 years old. One of them will be coming off a season that saw a significant knee injury, a broken hand, possibly a broken foot and a stroke. One will be expected to go from spot player to full time and fill the role of a Pens blue line legend with his physical presence and "stay-at-home" style. And one will be a 20 year old kid, who will be coming off major shoulder surgery and may not be ready for the start of the year. Then you have the question of the kids from the system who may find themselves in the NHL for the first time to stay. So, should the Pens find a way to sign Matt Niskanen? Yes, they have to at least try.
There are a lot of questions on that blue line. Who will be healthy, who won't? Who will still be there, who won't? I think it is very important that the Pens look into keeping Matt Niskanen. Is he worth 5+ million annually? No, the Pens can't afford that and they shouldn't try to make that work. But the Pens need Matt Niskanen.
They saw what they finally had in him this year. A steady two-way defenseman, who can run the point on the powerpoint and play well over 20 minutes a night consistently. He emerged as a leader in the locker room, which will be an important role to fill especially with Brooks Orpik likely moving on. Finally, Matt Niskanen loves Pittsburgh. He wants to be back and he wants to be a Pittsburgh Penguin. In an era where money talks, I like to see someone show such passion for a team and a city.
I think Niskanen would be willing to take a portion of what he would get on the market to stay here, a move Orpik did following 2008. I think he understands the opportunity that will be presented him on the market, but I think he understands that he may need the Penguins more than he needs the extra million or two. So should the Pens try to sign Matt Niskanen? The answer is a resounding yes!
Photo courtesy of Yahoo! Sports.com.