Knowing how good Alex Goligoski (AKA Go-Go) is the Penguins this week resigned the defenseman who has split time over the past two seasons between the NHL Penguins and the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Penguins. The deals is for three years and $5.5 million and comes just prior to this season’s free agency free for all where the Penguins may loose key blue liner Rob Scuderi as teams are often want to throw large sums of money at players coming off a championship.

Goligoski is a fine young blue liner with some offensive talent but is very good at moving the puck and running the offense akin to a Sergei Gonchar. He has proven he can play at the NHL level and Goligoski has had nothing but good things to say about the Penguins and his desire to stay with the Penguins. “The way they treat you here and with this group of guys here, I think we can be a contender every year. I want to be a winner so it was an easy decision. I’m glad we were able to get (the contract) done early. It’s just really exciting right now,” Goligoski said.

The Penguins may indeed be getting a little tougher come Tuesday when the team host the Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins. The Tribune-Review reports that Hal Gill is eying a chance to return to the lineup after missing several games and the Penguins sorely missing his physical presence:

With any luck — and the injury-plagued Penguins have experienced little of that this season — defenseman Hal Gill will play Tuesday against the Boston Bruins at Mellon Arena.

“I hope so,” Gill said Saturday prior to the Penguins home game against the Montreal Canadiens. “I don’t want to keep doing (hard) skates out there.”

Gill has missed 10 consecutive games since his left shoulder was injured Oct. 6 in a loss at Ottawa. He recently returned to practice and has participated in limited contact drills.

The return of Gill to the blue line would mean another defenseman would be getting sat to make room for his presence. My money would be on Mark Eaton being the odd man out. Goligoski has been strong as have Orpik and Scuderi for most of the month of December. Boucher has been reliable and Ryan Whitney has been hoping since his return a few games ago and helping to generate chances.