Eaton comes aboard as free agent

The free-agent defenseman the Penguins signed Monday is not to be confused with the 7-foot-3 former NBA player of the same name.

Still, this Mark Eaton -- the one who stands 6-foot-2 before he laces his skates -- might be just as good a shot blocker.

Last year, Eaton led the Nashville Predators with 170 blocked shots while serving as the top penalty-killing defenseman on a unit that ranked fifth in the NHL. He also logged the seventh-most short-handed ice time among all NHL players, averaging 5.22 minutes a game.

"He's not an overly physical player, but he's willing to do the dirty work," first-year general manager Ray Shero said. "He brings a lot of experience, and we think he'll solidify our defense."

Eaton's traits were sorely needed by the Penguins, who allowed the most goals in the league and were particularly negligent when the other team was on the power play.

With defensemen Ryan Whitney, Josef Melichar and Rob Scuderi logging much of the ice time in penalty-killing situations, the Penguins allowed 113 power-play goals, second-most in the league. The Penguins' 78.8 percent efficiency in killing penalties ranked 29th among the 30 teams.

As he showed last season, when he and Danny Markov faced the top lines on opposing teams, Eaton isn't afraid to give up his body to keep the puck out of the net.

"You do what you have to do," Eaton said. "That kind of comes with the territory. You do what it takes for the good of the team. If it means blocking shots, I'm all for it."

Eaton, 29, signed a two-year contract that is worth $1.6 million per season. He earned $700,000 last year, his fifth with the Predators, when he had three goals, one assist and 44 penalty minutes in 69 games.

Considering Shero's background with the Predators -- he spent eight years with Nashville as its assistant GM -- it's not surprising Eaton was his first free-agent signing.

"Ray showed a lot of confidence in me bringing me to Pittsburgh, and he knows the kind of player I am," Eaton said. "He wanted me in Pittsburgh to help the team, and I take that as a big compliment. Now, it's my turn to prove that Ray made the right decision."

To this point in his career, Eaton hasn't shown much offense, tallying 16 goals and 31 assists in 313 games for the Predators and Philadelphia Flyers, with whom he spent one season.

Shero thinks that could change.

"In Nashville, we were fortunate to have two very offensive-minded defensemen, so he and Markov took care of the defensive side," Shero said. "But Mark skates well, and he can get up into the play if needed."

Eaton isn't averse to filling a larger role with the Penguins.

"I take pride in, No. 1, playing good defense and shutting down whoever I'm playing against," he said. "I have a good grasp of the defensive game, but I'm willing and able to do more. Offensively, I think there's still a lot more for me to contribute. I plan to get better at that aspect, as well."

With Eaton signed, Shero will turn his attention to adding depth at forward. His efforts will be aided once Russian Federation officials hammer out a transfer agreement that would enable Evgeni Malkin to sign with the Penguins.

"I don't want to rush into anything else too quickly," Shero said.

Still, Shero plans to survey the rest of the free-agent market for players who will fit within the Penguins budget.

"I'm not interested in longer term deals," he said. "I'm comfortable with the contract we gave Eaton. But if it's longer than two or three years, it had better be a special player. And I'm not sure we're in that category ."

Eaton's career

Free-agent defenseman Mark Eaton signed with the Penguins on Monday. Here's a look at his career statistics: