• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Advanced Stats

Re-signing RFA Ian Cole a Priority for the Pittsburgh Penguins

By Will Tomer June 13th, 2015

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp
Robert Bortuzzo

Robert Bortuzzo was sent to the St. Louis Blues for Ian Cole in a steal of a deal for the Penguins.  (Tom Turk/THW)

As the Pittsburgh Penguins’ offseason, having been underway for nearly two months now, marches steadily along, a litany of the team’s potential free agents are being sorted through carefully. For folks like Craig Adams, Paul Martin, and Christian Ehrhoff, the news has already trickled down that they will not be returning (though there have been some questions has to the validity of these reports). But as general manager Jim Rutherford has assessed the remaining candidates for new contracts, one has stood out as significant priority: Ian Cole.

Acquired in a trade deadline deal with the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh swapped the intimidatingly big Robert Bortuzzo, who stands at 6-foot-4, for the more slight, but swift defenseman Ian Cole, who is 6-foot-1. Large and physical benefited the Blues while possession-orientated and quick helped the Penguins. But to fans of both teams, the deal largely appeared to be a wash. But because Bortuzzo was cheaper and packaged with a seventh round draft pick in 2016, it initially appeared that the Blues had come out on top.

Cole proves his worth

The former first round pick out of Notre Dame quickly showed that he was an astonishing steal for the Penguins. An initial comparison of the HERO charts of both Cole and Bortuzzo reveals that Cole, for just $250,000 more, provides top-four caliber play while Bortuzzo typically clocked in as a bottom pairing defenseman.

Ian Cole

Ian Cole’s HERO Chart. (Own The Puck)

Diving even further into the advanced statistics for the previous season reveals a startling disparity in the play of the two players. A look at the CorsiAgainst per 60 minutes of ice time (CA60) for defensemen during five-on-five situations shows that Cole was twentieth in the league and first on the Penguins. His 47.69 CA/60  was good enough to best the likes of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (49.32 CA/60) and the Chicago Blackhawks’ blueliner and undeniable Conn Smythe candidate, Duncan Keith (51.64 CA/60).

Bortuzzo, admittedly, was not far behind Cole at 47.87 CA/60. However, for his career versus teammates and opposition, his CorsiAgainst and FenwickAgainst per 60 minutes of ice time, as well as his CorsiFor and FenwickFor per 60 minutes, both lag far behind that of Cole.

Robert Bortuzzo's HERO Chart. (Own The Puck)

Robert Bortuzzo’s HERO Chart. (Own The Puck)

Furthermore, when looking at the players’ surface level statistics, Cole stands above Bortuzzo as well. Scoring five goals and 12 assists for a total of 17 points nearly gave Cole a double-digit advantage over Bortuzzo, who could only muster three goals and five assists for eight points on the season. Additionally, Cole’s 51 penalty minutes are more than two periods fewer than Bortuzzo’s 93.

Come playoff time, Cole was tremendous bright spot for a struggling Penguins squad, as he helped steady an injury-rattled defense. He averaged 23 minutes of ice time a game and tallied two assists en route to getting his play noticed by the press, fans, coaches, and team management. Bortuzzo, meanwhile, was a healthy scratch and received no ice time during his team’s six game series defeat to the Minnesota Wild.

Now what is he worth?

Josh Yohe reportedly recently for DKOnPittsburghSports.com that contract negotiations had officially begun between Cole, a restricted free agent, and the Penguins. Cole intimated his desire to stay in Pittsburgh and head coach Mike Johnston apparently wants the same, as he has marveled over the surprising play of the trade deadline steal.

“Man,” Johnston told Yohe. “This guy Ian Cole, he’s a good player. I didn’t realize we were getting that good of a player.”

(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

Re-signing defenseman Ian Cole should be a major priority for the Pittsburgh Penguins during this offeseason.(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

So, with all of that praise and his ever-improving play, what sort of qualifying offer should Cole expect the Penguins to extend his way? Per the rules of restricted free agency, the Penguins will be required to, at minimum, offer Cole 105 percent of his previous salary, which was $900,000. This would make the smallest potential offer worth $945,000 and one year. Because Cole is only 26 and has not yet logged seven year of NHL service, the Penguins will have to wait until next offseason to offer him a more sizable deal as an unrestricted free agent..

Given that Cole has expressed his interest in playing for Pittsburgh, which makes sense considering the success he had and the meshing of his play style with the team’s, it would be hard to imagine that he would demand a more substantial pay bump until the Penguins could re-sign him the following season.

This also offers the Penguins an out. If Cole struggles mightily or is injured, the team will always have the option to walk away from him after the season is over. If he builds upon the success of his 2014-2015 season, they will have a previously-undervalued defenseman who has publicly stated how much he wants to play for their team. It seems to be a win-win.

The Penguins have a lot on their plate this offseason, but re-signing Ian Cole should be a task they facilitate as soon as possible.

  • Tags
  • Ian Cole
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 20th 6:10 PM
Column

Red Wings News & Rumors: Protocol, Rasmussen, Howard & More

Jan 20th 6:00 PM
Nashville Predators

Predators’ Forward Depth Leading to Wins

Jan 20th 5:35 PM
Column

Islanders Weekly: Shutouts, Injury Scares & Scoring Concerns

Jan 20th 4:33 PM
Archives

2010 NHL Entry Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks

Jan 20th 4:15 PM
Vegas Golden Knights

3 Pros and 3 Cons to Golden Knights’ Goalie Split

Jan 20th 4:05 PM
Florida Panthers

Panthers Offense Flourishes but Goaltending & Special Teams Need Work

Jan 20th 3:15 PM
Column

Red Wings Wednesday Weekly: Hockey is Back Everyone!

Jan 20th 2:35 PM
Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks Seeing Hot Starts From Some but Serious Concerns Linger

Jan 20th 2:20 PM
NHL Entry Draft

2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini’s Top 75 Rankings

Jan 20th 1:50 PM
Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers’ Goaltending & Defense Among Standouts Through Week 1

Editor’s Picks
World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information