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5 Worst Contracts in Pittsburgh Penguins History feat. Rob Scuderi
The Pittsburgh Penguins have a long history of savvy business decisions. The club has kept one of the best cores in NHL history together for more than a decade. But every now and again, the Penguins have slipped up, making less-than-smart decisions.
So, here’s a peek at the five worst contracts in Pittsburgh history.
The 5 Worst Contracts in Pittsburgh Penguins History
#5: David Perron
Perron has been a reliable player throughout his career. He’s played in over 1,100 NHL games. However, he hasn’t always lived up to expectations.
The St. Louis Blues drafted Perron in the first round of the 2007 draft. However, his potential as a first-rounder never fully materialized. Nevertheless, the Blues signed Perron to a four-year, $15.25 million deal after a 21-goal campaign.
However, Perron struggled the following season, netting just 10 goals. So, the Blues sent Perron to the Edmonton Oilers. In Edmonton, Perron had a 28-goal campaign before struggling once again. That situation prompted the Oilers to send Perron to Pittsburgh.
Unfortunately, Perron bombed in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Penguins dumped Perron on the Anaheim Ducs for two minor leaguers. Even though the Pens were able to correct the mistake, the club paid over $7 million for 16 goals and 38 points in two seasons.
#4: Zbynek Michalek
Michalek had been a steady blueliner for the then-Phoenix Coyotes. While not known for his scoring, Michalek rarely missed a game.
Despite seasons of minus-13 and minus-20 ratings, the Penguins felt Michalek would be a solid addition to their defensive corps. So, the Pens signed Michalek to a five-year, $20 million in 2010. The $4 million AAV was extremely high for a bottom-four D-man.
Michalek was inconsistent during his time in Pittsburgh. While he chipped in 19 and 13 points in two seasons, he didn’t provide the solid defensive play worthy of his contract. So, the Pens shipped him back to Phoenix in exchange for cap relief and two minor leaguers.
#3: Ryan Whitney
Whitney was the Pens’ fifth-overall pick in the 2002 draft. The club had high hopes for Whitney. At first, things seemed to go well for Whitney. He racked up 14 goals and 59 points in his second NHL season in 2006-07.
The performance prompted the Pens to give Whitney a six-year, $24 million deal. In short, the Penguins were playing Whitney to be their number-one defenseman of the future. However, things didn’t go that well.
Whitney’s point totals dropped the following year. He hit a low during the 2008-09 season, registering 13 points in 28 games. Fortunately, the Pens corrected the mistake by moving Whitney to the Anaheim Ducks for Chris Kunitz.
#2: Erik Karlsson
Karlsson is a three-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman. After a tremendous run as captain of the Ottawa Senators, the rebuilding Sens sent him to the San Jose Sharks in 2018. The Sharks were looking to win their first Cup but failed to do so.
By 2023, the Sharks were clearly entering a rebuild. Meanwhile, Karlsson had a 101-point season, earning him his third Norris Trophy. However, that season is an outlier in what has been an evident trend downward.
But that didn’t stop the Pittsburgh Penguins from trying to make a splash. The Pens traded for Karlsson and the remaining four years of his $92 million contract. Immediately, Karlsson regressed, looking more like the 22 and 35-point defenseman he was in San Jose.
While Karlsson is still on the Pens, the $11.5 million AAV is looking pretty bad on an aging Pens team that looks far from winning another Cup.
#1: Rob Scuderi
Scuderi was originally a fifth-round pick for the Penguins. He became a steady presence on the Pens’ blue line for several seasons before moving on to Los Angeles. In his last season, Scuderi played in all 48 games of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, scoring 12 points.
Inexplicably, the Pittsburgh Penguins brought Scuderi back on a four-year, $13 million deal. The $3.37 million cap hit was totally unreasonable for a bottom-pairing defenseman. In the end, the deal soured badly. Scuderi notched four points in 53 games in his first season back in Pittsburgh.
He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2015-16 season and back to Los Angeles, his third team of the season.
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