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2010 NHL Free Agency: What about ... Patrick O’Sullivan?

Patrick O'Sullivan, Alexander Edler

Edmonton Oilers’ Patrick O’Sullivan, left, checks Vancouver Canucks’ Alexander Edler, of Sweden, during first period NHL action in Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday Nov. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck)

AP

At this point in free agency, the focus shifts from the gems to flawed guys who can still bring some skill to the table. So, going forward, we’ll spotlight individual players who are flying under the radar.

Previous Entries: Slava Kozlov, Alex Frolov, Willie Mitchell, Lee Stempniak, Maxim Afinogenov

Today’s entry: Patrick O’Sullivan

Name: Patrick O’Sullivan
Height: 5-11 Weight: 190
Position: C
Strengths: Fairly versatile, not afraid to shoot, decent goal scorer
Weaknesses: Consistency, play without the puck, attitude, defensive indifference, size

Most of the people I’ve spotlighted in this feature are either approaching their 30’s are already there. After all, this is the period in NHL free agency in which general managers are more or less trying to decide if a dented but discounted can of green beans will go bad before they make dinner that night.

O’Sullivan is in some cases that dented can. He’s far from defensively adept, even if that cool looking photo up above might give that impression. While I’m not a huge proponent of the stat, it’s still telling that he had a minus rating in every season of his four year NHL career, including a horrific -35 last season and an ugly -55 overall. You won’t find him winning more battles than most (and not just because he’s small). There has been some talk that he might not be the best locker room guy, either.

Still, at 25, it’s surprising that some GM or coach hasn’t fallen into that “I can change him” trap at this point.

Patrick O'Sullivan, Marty Turco

The Edmonton Oilers win 3-2 as center Patrick O’Sullivan scores the first goal of the shootout against Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco in the overtime period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Ralph Lauer)

AP

He seems to have some skill, for one thing. You can understand why his agent’s phone isn’t ringing off the hook - his last two season totals for goals were 11 and 16 - but he’s already hit the 22-goal mark once in his career.

The way I see it, his agent should convince him to take a cheapo one-year contract with a contender and hypnotize him into being a team player. He might not ever challenge for the Selke, but if you put him in the right situation, he could be a good “bang for the buck” guy.

Take the Pittsburgh Penguins, for example. If GM Ray Shero thinks that their tight knit locker room would keep him in line, O’Sullivan could be a nice low-budget option along the lines of Petr Sykora. The one thing that stands out about O’Sullivan is that - while he doesn’t connect often - he’s not afraid to take shots. His 191 SOG was solid for 73 games last season, but in full years he shot an above-average 200, 259 and 220 times. Whether they line him up with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, he could be a good fit as an OK finisher running shotgun with a primer passer.

Would he be the perfect guy for the Penguins or anyone else? Absolutely not, but most teams waved goodbye to “perfect” long ago. He comes with some risks, but at the right price, I must ask ... what about Patrick O’Sullivan?