Quote the Janne...

From John Bombouile at the Penguins Insider, when asked about being a UFA Janne Pesonen stated...

"Pittsburgh is going to be the No. 1 option because I already know the organization and coaches and a lot of players. That would be the No. 1 option, but we’ll see."

Hope this is a good sign...

In addition, as per Dave Molonari at the Post-Gazette

"He [Pesonen] really adjusted well and, on top of that, is a great guy. He's really well liked by his teammates We'll talk [about bringing him back]. We're definitely not closing the door on it."

I'm sure this will be a hot topic in the Penguins organization up until Free Agency starts...

Kevin's take:

I'd like to add to this post, Vince and I have talked many times over the last year about Janne, calling for just a fair shot at making the team. Listening to "The Drive", ESPN's local show on the radio, hosts Paulson and Crow were discussing Janne wondering about why they know nothing about this guy as for coverage and basically what all the hoopla was about that came with his signing. 

long story short, upon not really knowing anything about him in a hockey sense outside of his numbers he posted this year in the AHL, the insinuated that he was just that an AHL player and nothing more.

One guy, who thinks a little different is WBS's hockey super announcer Scott Stuccio. Scott and I have exchanged a few emails during the year and I ask Scott what he thought of Janne, here is his answer...

"Janne is one special guy, let me tell you.  He is a warrior.  What a great attitude, and what a superb player.  He will do anything for anyone.  I’ll tell you, had it not been for his injury sidelining him for almost a month, we’d be in a much better spot right now.  We needed him in Games 1 & 2 in Hershey.  And that’s not to discredit the rest of our team… they all gave it their very best.  I love each and every one of them, and it’s times like these that I hate my job, when you don’t know if you’ll get to see somebody like Janne again.  Funny side story: I jumped into their pre-morning-skate soccer game in the Giant Center hallway yesterday morning… and Janne kept serving the ball to me.  I am proud to also have been a teammate of his on our bus-ride Nintendo DS Mario Kart games.

 

Overall, I’m just proud to say I got to know him."

So let us sign Janne, bring him to camp and give him a real chance before the Pens turn him loose. I'm sure that is all he would like too..