The Signing: Christian Ehrhoff, D, 31, signs with the Pittsburgh Penguins
The Deal: One year, $4 million
The Cap Hit: $4 million
Where he fits: Ehrhoff didn’t work as a No. 1 D-man in Buffalo, but he shouldn’t have to be that in Pittsburgh. With Kris Letang and Paul Martin locking down the top minutes, Erhoff can be effective on the second pairing and quarterbacking the second power play—both roles in which he has excelled in the past.
The Good: Christian Ehrhoff can move the puck. He’s a slick skater and a good passer and is definitely capable of playing a puck-possession style and influencing the offence from the back end. He’s cerebral on defence and uses his positioning rather than his strength to stymie opponents. He’s competent in his own end, but his real value comes in the transition game and on the power play. On a one-year deal, it’s hard to see much downside to the commitment. He should be a solid replacement for Matt Niskanen, who is done in Pittsburgh with this signing.
The Bad: Competent might be overly kind to Ehrhoff’s defensive game. While he might think of himself as a poor man’s Nick Lidstrom, deftly using his stick to break up two-on-ones, more impartial observers would say that he’s shied away from both contact and the corners in the past, and that he simply can’t be relied upon to shut down the other team’s top line. He played alongside Tyler Myers in Buffalo and wasn’t able to help the youngster develop at either end of the ice. The Penguins still lack a top-end shutdown defenceman, but that’s not Ehrhoff’s fault.
The Grade: B+. Ehrhoff’s style seems like a good fit in Pittsburgh, where he will be able to play to his strengths. The Penguins will still need some more physicality on defence, but on a one-year deal, it’s a solid win for the new penguins regime. But Pittsburgh got just $10 million left to fill out the roster. Was $4 million on one guy too much?