Tasser’s Take: Shero begins Penguins’ roster transformation ahead of new season

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ray Shero controversially and significantly altered his… Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ray Shero controversially and significantly altered his team’s roster late last week.

The Steel City hosted the NHL Entry Draft June 22-23, at which Shero made headlines by trading center Jordan Staal to begin transforming the team after a disappointing 2011-2012 campaign that ended with a disastrous first-round playoff exit.

The main question in the back of every Pens fan’s mind heading into the draft was the future logjam at the center position and what Shero was going to do about it.

Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Staal had previously given Pittsburgh the most skill down the middle of any team in the league, but everyone knew that because of salary cap restrictions, there would be no way for the Penguins to keep all three.

So after Staal, 23, turned down a 10-year contract extension last week, it became evident that it was only a matter of time before he left town.

When it came time for the Carolina Hurricanes to announce their first-round choice last Friday at the draft, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman shocked a crowd comprised mostly of Penguins fans by announcing that the Pens had traded Staal to the Hurricanes for center Brandon Sutter, defenseman Brian Dumoulin and Carolina’s first-round pick.

Raucous applause followed the announcement at the Consol Energy Center, and it only continued when the Pens announced they used the pick to draft defenseman Derrick Pouliot.

But Shero wasn’t done altering the Penguins’ roster.

Later that day, he sent defenseman Zbynek Michalek to Phoenix for a third-round selection and two prospects, giving the Penguins $4 million more in salary-cap space in the process.

Then, the Pens used their other first-round choice — 22nd overall — to draft rugged Finnish defenseman Olli Maatta.

While a majority of fans were upset about seeing the popular Staal go — and many more were upset that it was Michalek, not defensive counterpart Paul Martin, who was traded — both trades made perfect sense for the Penguins.

Sutter is a young, defensive-minded center, just like Staal, and is expected to fill the latter’s role on the third line nicely. Staal, coming off a breakout season, had expressed interest in a larger role in the offense, which was impossible for the Penguins to promise with Crosby and Malkin rightfully ahead of him on the depth chart.

The trade also made sense for Staal, who will get to play alongside his older brother Eric in Carolina. Carolina also has Staal’s younger brother Jared in its minor league system. Jordan had previously expressed a desire to play with his brothers (he has another brother, Marc, who plays for the New York Rangers) at some point in his career.

And it’s no surprise that Shero seems to be stockpiling young, talented defensemen after the disastrous postseason performance by the defense against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Following Michalek’s exit, the Pens will likely be aggressors on the free agency scene, which begins on July 1.

The two names that have been linked to the Pens also happen to be two of the biggest names on the free agent market — former New Jersey Devils captain Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter, formerly of the Nashville Predators.

Parise is known to be a good friend of Crosby’s, and the Penguins’ captain said he would do everything in his power to try and convince the diminutive forward to pass up more money elsewhere to become his linemate in Pittsburgh.

Suter, however, figures to be the Penguins’ top priority. The Pens need a top-flight defenseman to pair with Kris Letang, and Suter would be a perfect fit.

To sign both marquee free agents, the Pens would likely have to clear more cap room, which could be done by trading or releasing the underachieving and mistake-prone Martin. While a solid player in New Jersey, Martin has not lived up to expectations or his $5 million cap hit in his two years with Pittsburgh. Still, he is drawing some interest, as teams believe that Martin is simply not a good fit for the Penguins’ system.

Earlier this month, Shero also traded for veteran goalie Tomas Vokoun, sending a seventh-round pick to the Washington Capitals. Vokoun has plenty of experience, and he is expected to back up starter Marc-Andre Fleury, giving Fleury more rest than in past seasons to keep him fresh for the playoffs.

Going forward, look for Crosby to sign a contract extension with the Penguins soon, and don’t be surprised if Martin isn’t here for much longer.

The Penguins’ roster may change a lot more this offseason — it’s no secret that Ray Shero wasn’t happy with the way last season ended, and he isn’t going to let it happen again.