"There's not much doubt that winger Matt Cooke took less money to stay with the Penguins last week than he could have found as a free agent on the open market this week. Good for him. Like teammates Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Brooks Orpik, he put a value on playing here in front of hockey's best fans, playing for owners Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux and playing for a Stanley Cup contender. Good for all those guys.

Defenseman Sergei Gonchar appears ready to take a different path if I'm reading the Penguins' trade Friday night for the negotiating rights to free agent-to-be defenseman Dan Hamhuis correctly. Although things could change, Gonchar seems ready to take a run at free agency and sell himself to the highest bidder, not necessarily for so much more money, but for more years in a guaranteed contract. Good for him. He has earned that right. He should not be condemned if he leaves.

Two players.

Two approaches.

One isn't more right than the other.

The Cooke re-signing is terrific for the Penguins. He is very good at what he does. Sure, he can be a dirty player at times. His shoulder-to-head hit on Boston's Marc Savard in March wasn't just brutal, it nudged the Neanderthal-like NHL officials to take a tougher stance against hits to the head.

But Cooke is so much more than just an agitator. He has hockey skills. He scored 15 goals during the past regular season and was a plus-17, and had four more goals in the playoffs. He is a splendid penalty-killer. He's also respected in the Penguins' room.

A three-year, $5.4 million contract seems like a bargain for Cooke, even if he will turn 32 Sept. 7. "I'm very comfortable with the length of the contract. His durability is good. He plays," Penguins general manager Ray Shero said.

Then, Shero added, "How much would it cost me to replace Matt Cooke? Who do I get to do it? ...

"In the end, maybe I paid a little more than I expected and he took a little less than he expected. But that's how you do a deal. We're both happy."

That's the key, especially in Cooke's case. He did a contract that was right for him even if he could have gotten a little more as a free agent."