Spot open on defense

Thursday, August 28, 2003

By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The Penguins are engaged in talks to sign defenseman Patrick Boileau, but he might not represent the main free agent they are seeking at the position.

Boileau, 28, is an unrestricted free agent after having spent 2002-03 in the Detroit Red Wings' organization. He played 25 games in two call-up stints with the parent team, recording 2 goals, 6 assists, 14 penalty minutes and a plus-8 rating. He also played 23 games with the Red Wings' AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids, Mich., recording 2 goals, 11 assists, 39 penalty minutes and a plus-2 rating.

His NHL salary was $400,000 on a two-way contract last season, meaning he earned a fraction of that for time spent in the minor leagues. It's unlikely he would receive a significant raise.

That is one reason Boileau probably isn't the primary focus of Penguins General Manager Craig Patrick's search for a defenseman to fill out the NHL roster, declared a month ago. Another is that he does not appear to meet Patrick's criteria that the player be a physical presence and, preferably but not necessarily, right-handed. Boileau is right-handed, but he has averaged only a penalty minute per game in his eight-year professional career, almost all of it in the minors. More important, perhaps, he has appeared in only 32 NHL games, including two brief appearances with the Washington Capitals.

Although Boileau is not big by the standards of NHL defensemen at 6 feet, 200 pounds, he is solid offensively and has become increasingly reliable in the defensive zone. In 511 minor-league games, he has 73 goals, 167 assists, 429 penalty minutes and a plus-14 rating.

The Penguins are continuing to speak with Drake Berehowsky about their vacancy on defense. Berehowsky, who would cost roughly $600,000 on a one-way contract, is coming off major knee surgery. He and Boileau have the same agent, Pat Brisson, who has developed a good working relationship with Patrick over the years.

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