The Penguins have reportedly signed... Janne Pesonen (who)?

Question

Yeah, I didn't know who this dude was until I got some info from Pens fans.

Anyway, he's a former pick of the Anaheim Ducks (9th round, 269th overall in 2004's entry draft). He's been playing for Karpat of the SM-Liiga (top Finnish league). He had the most points in the SM-Liiga last year--- 78 points (34 of them goals) in 56 games played. He's 5'11", 180 lbs... not a big player. The word is that he's a bit of a sniper... and that while he'll go into corners, he gets a bit abused.

Thoughts? Comments?

...Ridicule? (I mean, he sounds like a poor man's Ville Leino, LOL.)

If you can't do any of that, reading this information was enough for you, here's a QUESTION: What late free agent signing do you see happening or would you like to see happen?

Answer 1

What position does he play? If we got another Center, I may shoot myself lol......I don't like looking at other League stats for a player, they're very misleading and different from the NHL, for example, Ovechkin, for Moscow in 02-03 he got 15 points in 40 games, now he's getting 112 points in 82......so I mean, I just don't like those stats lol

But 78 in 56 games isn't bad at all.....if he gets abused though then he may be injury-prone. We have too many injury-prone Penguin players. Ahh, but I'll take him!

I wonder where Brylin will end up....

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Ooo......if he's better than Fabian Brunnstrom then h**l yeah I'll take him! I'm sick of false rumors though lol.

NIPS - I know, it's great to have two Centers on a line in case of a faceoff switch up, but not if he's not comfortable there......like when Malkin played on Crosby's line for a little while, it didn't work out like we all wanted it to, because Malkin was a raised Center.....I know the Pens are the worst team in the League for faceoffs, but we had a lot of injured Centers too......I said about the Centers anyway because we have so many in W/B, though we did lose Adam Hall, who was our fourth line Center, and best for us in the playoffs for faceoffs.......ahh, and btw I'm a girl! lol

Answer 2

Another Tyler Kennedy? Me likey. =)

hmm... i wonder how tall Tyler is... i'm too lazy to look lol.

Answer 3

Looks like a decent pick up, a good 3rd or fourth liner but I still say our Pens are missing grit cause let's be honest Godard is not the answer to losing Ruutu and Laraque. So Far our team is shaping up to be this:

Fedotenko/Crosby/Satan

Staal/Malkin/Sykora

Pesonen/Talbot/Dupuis

Godard/?/Kennedy

That question mark will probably be filled with either Taffe (has to re-sign), Cooke, Isbister or I have heard Stone may get a shot at the fourth line. Btw, if anyone's wondeirng why I had Staal on that second unit, Rob Rossi reported in an off-season update that Staal is not happy about being the third line center and wants more ice-time and Shero said in his press conference two days ago that with Malone gone, Staal will take his ice time and he's ready for that step in his career.

But with Shanahan apparently approaching Shero about being interested to come here, I think Ray needs to pull the trigger because we need someone to step in and replace Scary Gary and Shanny would be perfect.

Answer 4

Tervetuloa Pittsburghiin

Answer 5

well, pens already have crosby and malkin, if this guy plays on their line, he'll be good no matter what. 78 pts is okay for something like a second line player.

Answer 6

he looks pretty d**n good to me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06b9ARRtu...

Answer 7

So is he suppose to come play with us next year or go down to WBS? I'm confused.............

Maybe Jarkko Ruutu knows something about him being Finnish and all......let's go ask. Oh wait. I forgot.....Ruutu left us for the Senators.

...Just kidding. Not meaning to pick on Ruutu or Shero there.

78 points in 56 games?????? How can anyone f'ing complaing about that? Hopefully he can play in the NHL....

Answer 8

It is an gap signing.  Cheap + talent=Good second line winger for at least 25 goals next season.  The pens have others who could be called up to play wing (such as James and stone) but they have limited scoring touch, which this guy doesn't seem to have. The only thing people will be saying next year is "why didn't we sign this dude?"...with prices going up for marginal players teams are going to start jumping into other leagues for players and rightfully so.  4 million a year for avery?  Madness.

Answer 9

I looked at the pens page and there is no word of this signing.  However when I looked up the name according to wikipedia it says the pens just signed him.

Answer 10

A girl who knows her stuff on hockey.

That's gold, baby. :)

Answer 11

Exactly, who is this guy?

Im upset, if this is officially true!

Answer 12

i have never heard of him, so he can't be that good. *coughs*-ignorant statement-

Answer 13

Decent. See if he can adjust to North America.

**To wonderful woman above....You can never have enough Centers... convert them to wingers.... having 2 guys that can take a draw on each line was a weakness of the PENS last playoffs!

Answer 14

Pesonen is a sniper with good touch.  Unsure of his speed and it seems like his strength could use some work.  He has a rifle shot and seems to find the twine with small flicks of the wrist.  I am not going to ever say Kovalev in the same paragraph as I don't think many wrist shots compare to Kovies nor to his puck handling and skating, but this guy can flatout shoot the puck.  If there is any team that will be able to offer him space in the offensive zone, it is the Pens.  I think his skill will be more apparent in the Pens transition game.  Don't know a lot about his backhand shot but his forehand is gold.  If he can adapt to the close quarters of the NHL, which is always the million dollar question (Failure at such is spelled M-O-R-O-Z-O-V), he may just be able to crack the 2nd line.  I do not see him on the top unit, especially with Satan in the fold who is clearly on his way down, but considering that defenses will be concerned with Crosby and Malkin and co. should have a solid (I hesitate to say career) year.  Supposedly the Pens are talkin to Isbister, who I could care less about.  Pesonen is a good addition, has great upside (especially in the fertile offense of the penguins), will be battling 2nd and 3rd defensive pairs, and given adequate space, a sniper does not forget how to snipe.  I am hoping that he hits the weight room and adds some pounds because the NHL is not like any elite league.  Talent is squished, smashed, boarded, and speared.

Answer 15

i didn't know who that was either..i've been watching the nhl network too see who's been getting signed & some of these names i'm thinking like who are they, i've never heard of them. well i guess we will have to wait & see what happens. hopefully he works out with the penguins for the new season coming up.

Answer 16

That actually sounds like a pretty good signing. That's a good league, and the numbers are pretty nice.

Also, sounds like he was drafted by never signed and became a free agent. And It sounds like he's developed pretty well since 2004.

Edit: Same league, and a higher scorer. Taller then Ray Whitney as well- and Samsonov, and Crosby (listed at 5'10")...