Atlantic Division Hopper Arron Asham Signs With The Penguins For 1 Year

Arron Asham (RW) is a very tough guy. Logging 126 penalty minutes (PIM) gives a guy that type of reputation around the league these days. He works hard on the fourth line and can even do some damage on the third line as he does have a scoring touch (72 games, 10 goals, 24 points last year).

These types of players seem like they're worth a dime a dozen. Too bad it's very hard to find players like Asham these days. Especially for the bargain contract he signed today with the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Asham signed a one-year contract that is worth $700,000. Although age is catching up to him, Asham will prove his worth this season.

Asham seems like a perfect fit for this Penguins team. He gets to stay in the same general area that he has been staying in for the past seven seasons in which he played for both the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Flyers. He also solidifies the Penguins' bottom-six with his veteran presence, grit, and offensive touch. Most importantly, he adds to the present toughness in the bottom-six which features the talents of Cooke (LW), Adams (C/RW), Rupp (C/LW), Godard (RW), and Talbot (LW).

However, there may be a few locker room problems. Here is a quote from Asham on now teammate Matt Cooke last January:

"There was a scrum, I grabbed him. There were two guys on Harts and my glove got tangled in his mouth and he bit me, so I lost it.

It’s not bad, but he’s a gutless guy. I have no respect for him at all. I lined up against him and asked him to fight and he didn’t want to. If you go and bite someone … I just have no use for him.

He does his job well. He’s an agitator. He’s garbage to me and I have no respect for him at all.

You should have a little more honor than that. Usually if you bite somebody you stick up for yourself and you fight the guy. Not this guy, he’s chicken and I have no respect for him. He plays the game hard and I respect him for that, but he yaps, he’s a dirty player. At least a guy like (Sean) Avery fights. This guy is just chicken (bleep) and I hate him.

It would have been better if he dropped the gloves with me, but he’s got no stones."

Penguins fans may be biting at their fingernails, but they should not be worried. Shero would not risk having any pandemonium in the locker room. After all, Asham is the key to the cup, right?