Every year in the offseason there are players you fear your team will acquire. If you’re a Penguins fan this usually comes true as recent years have shown. The inner monologue starts with “we couldn’t possibly be in on that player”. Then “the best writers are bringing up their name quite a bit, but it is free agency season a lot of names come up”. Ultimately “$*!+, it happened”. This year the Penguins signed Cody Ceci and while it isn’t a good signing it isn’t as damning as things could have been. It is only a one-year deal for a low dollar amount and it seems likely he will be in an appropriate bottom-pairing role. Things could have been worse…

The player that could have been brought in to play a similar role and I’m glad was not is, Chris Tanev. I’m not thrilled about Ceci, but Tanev would have been painful.




For a long time Chris Tanev was a very good defensive defenseman. The good kind of defensive defenseman. Not the I only block shots and hit people type that is overrated. Those days are long gone and Tanev is a declining asset and was still looking for considerable mid-tier contract money and got it.

It was a good thing the Penguins didn’t shift assets and money around to acquire him because it would have been another one of those self-inflicted errors closing the door on any posssiblity of being a contender. It didn’t happen and it is why it is the one move I’m glad didn’t happen this offseason.

What player are you glad your team stayed away from this free agency season?

Thanks for reading!

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