Wednesday, June 30, 2010
As The 2010 Free Agency Clock Is About To Strike 12 ...
With just hours before the start of free agency 2010, the Pittsburgh Penguins are -- perhaps somewhat surprisingly -- facing significant change in several areas of their lineup.
First, it appears that the player who has led their defense and power play for the last 5 seasons coming out of the lockout -- Sergei Gonchar -- is about to test free agency.
There has been no progress on a deal between Gonchar's agent, J.P. Barry, and Pens' GM Ray Shero since about a week ago. More concerning is the fact that there hasn't been any meaningful discussions between the two sides over the last several days.
The sticking point(s) in the deal appear(s) fairly known at this juncture. First and foremost, Pittsburgh isn't prepared to go the 3 years Gonchar is looking for. They have extended a two year offer although, contrary to initial reports, it seems as if the annual salary they put on the table in the proposed deal is slightly less -- not more -- than the $5 million Gonchar made last year and is said to be seeking in his new deal.
Sources report Sarge has been torn on leaving Pittsburgh and, although he feels he has 4 good seasons left and would rather make one final big contractual splash in his career, he would consider a 2 year deal from the Penguins, just not with a salary reduction. Because the Penguins haven't budged from their position, they may very well be looking to replace their blueline leader within the next 12 hours. And make no mistake, teams are lining up to throw money at Gonchar as I write this.
#55 will probably give the Penguins a chance to match whatever offers he receives, but the odds of that happening and him returning to Pittsburgh are somewhere between a July blizzard in Brazil and the odds of my children being peaceful for 15 consecutive minutes.
Moving past Gonchar leads Penguin observers directly to Dan Hamhuis.
Hamhuis' camp and Shero have had several discussions over the last few days since the Penguins' acquired Hamhuis from the Philadelphia Flyers for a 3rd round pick in the 2011 entry draft last Friday night after the first round of this year's draft. However, I'm not certain numbers have been exchanged between the sides. I've been trying to find out over the last few days whether or not the Penguins have actually made a contract offer to Hamhuis and his agent, Wade Arnott, but that doesn't appear to be the case. At this point on the eve of free agency, with no contract offers being tossed back and forth, it's more and more likely that Hamhuis is likely to join Gonchar as another of the four most coveted defensemen on the free agent market tomorrow.
That said, I don't believe the picture is as bleak with regard to Hamhuis as it is for Gonchar. Hamhuis's camp is supposedly considering Pittsburgh as one of their top destinations, and seems more willing to at least consider certain sacrifices to play with the Pens. Gonchar doesn't appear willing to do that. Admittedly, Gonchar is 36 and looking for his last contract, while Hamhuis is only 27, but there definitely seems to be a difference in the approach of the two blueliners, even if it's not necessarily an overwhelming distinction.
Of course, putting Pittsburgh on the short list of potential playing destinations doesn't guarantee anything, and it's understandable that, no matter how much Hamhuis likes Pittsburgh, he's probably going to see what's out there for him, so only time will tell what happens. Frankly, at this point, with free agency so close, I understand a player wanting to test the market. That's why getting deals done sooner rather than later in June is the best free agency practice, all else being equal.
So, not only does it look like Gonchar and Hamhuis will hit the market and Hamhuis, it looks like the Penguins also may have a meaningful hole to fill in their lineup up front.
While free agent forward to-be Matt Cooke re-signed with the Penguins about 10 days ago, it appears the Penguins will not have similar luck getting #1 line RW Bill Guerin to sign on the dotted line.
Shero and Guerin's agent have touched base several times over the last week or thereabouts and the Penguins have extended an offer to Guerin's camp. However, as I indicated in this space a few days ago, that offer is an incentive-laden one, with a reduction in base salary of about $750,000K. Guerin would prefer to return to Pittsburgh, but isn't ready to make that move with that offer, so he too is expected to see what's out there starting tomorrow, before giving Pittsburgh a chance to match any offer he gets.
Meanwhile, Shero has opened up a bit more dialogue with free agent defenseman Mark Eaton and Jordan Leopold the last few days. Clearly, Shero has waited to see how things go with Gonchar and Hamhuis first, but with those talks coming into focus more on the eve of free agency, he's looking harder about whether to bring back one or both of #7 or #4.
Of the two, expect the Penguins to prioritize Leopold.
So, with Gonchar, Hamhuis, Guerin and Ponikarovsky expected to hit the market, with so many roster spots open, and with at least some cap space in free agency as a result (about $11 million to play with), what will the Penguins' approach be beginning at noon tomorrow?
If Hamhuis doesn't stay (and perhaps even if he does), I expect Shero to be aggressive in targeting other players, particularly blueliners. According to my sources, his shopping list could include New Jersey Devils' defenseman Paul Martin, Phoenix Coytoes' defenseman Zbynek Michalek, Buffalo Sabres' defenseman Henrik Tillander, and Ottawa Senators' defenseman Andy Sutton.
Martin, in particular, will probably be the Penguins' #1 target if Gonchar and Hamhuis are not retained.
Up front, the Penguins could look at Carolina Hurricanes' forward Ray Whitney, Ottawa Senators' forward Matt Cullen, and Phoenix Coyotes forward Matthew Lombardi. As I have said, the free agent forward crop is weak, so if the Penguins move beyond their number one free agency priority, upgrading their blueline, and choose to try and bloster their forward ranks, they may have to look at other options.
Like a trade, perhaps.
Without speculating as to which players may be involved in any such deal, one that any such deal WON'T involve is Chicago Blackhawks' winger Kris Versteeg.
Certain sources had linked Versteeg to the Penguins' as a way of Chicago giving themselves more salary cap relief, but the Blackhawks traded Versteeg to the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, so that pretty much rules out Versteeg becoming a Penguin anytime soon.
I have to say, I'm surprsied at how much focus is going to be on Pittsburgh tomorrow. Going into free agency, I thought there was a chance Gonchar could walk, but expected them to retain Cooke and Guerin. In that scenario, what they did otherwise would have been the big story. But adding Hamhuis to the picture and possibly losing Guerin raises the stakes for the Penguins. Starting at noon, it's going to be interesting.
Very interesting.
Over the next 48-72 hours, I'll likely have quick hit posts when there's news to report, then a more detailed recap this weekend.
Stay close boys and girls. It's going to be one heck of a ride. I just hope it turns out good in the end.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Getting Defensive
With less than 48 hours until the start of free agency, Pittsburgh Penguins' GM Ray Shero is on the defense.
That is, he seems to be trying to transform his defensemen into the NHL's best unit.
All eyes are on his negotiations with star power play quarterback Sergei Gonchar and newly acquired two-way stalwart Dan Hamhuis -- both of whom will be unrestricted free agents starting at midnight on Thursday, July 1.
As of this morning, there's nothing new on the Gonchar front. The Penguins continue to wait for a response or decision from #55's camp as to whether he's willing to accept the Pens' 2-year deal around $11 million to stay with a perennial contender or whether he will test the market seeking to close his illustrious career on a higher paying 3-year deal somewhere else.
There were more happenings yesterday with regard to Hamhuis, however, as Shero and head coach Dan Bylsma had a 45 minute meeting with the defenseman and his agent, Wade Arnott, to express how much interest they had in the blueliner, sell him on the team, city and new building, and talk about his anticipated role and minutes with the club -- the latter of which seems to be of significant importance to Hamhuis, if what I've heard about his recent negotations with the Philadelphia Flyers is true.
In Pittsburgh, it's no stretch to say that Hamhuis would take on a role as either the #2 or #3 defenseman, depending on whether Gonchar returns. He would be used as a shutdown role first and foremost, but the 6' 1" rearguard also would likely earn some power play time, as the Penguins believe his offensive potential was a little bit untapped in Nashville, despite Hamhuis putting up around 30 points last year.
Undobutedly, Shero has identified Hamhuis as a long-term fit for the Penguins. If he and Gonchar both stay in town, they would join Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang and Alex Goligoskki to form one of the best groups of blueliners in the entire league.
It's also worth noting, however, that if both Gonchar and Hamhuis suit up for Pittsburgh next season, there will be little salary cap space to add another winger, which means the team will go into the upcoming year with the same supposed weakness so many have criticized them of having -- not enough support for their star centers.
Still, the Penguins scored the 5th most goals in the game in 2009/2010 with a below average crop of wings on their payroll, and there's no reason to believe that total will drop meaningfully in the coming season.
Meanwhile, there's no dispute they obviously weren't as good defensively in trying to defend the Stanley Cup -- finishing 20th overall in goals against. That, combined with a weak free agent forward class this year seems to have given Shero purpose to focus on his blueline.
Certainly, time will tell what happens. I know I'll be watching intently the next several days because, with each passing hour between now and Thursday, that's one less window Pittsburgh has to secure those guys -- and make decisions on their other free agents like Bill Guerin and Jordan Leopold, among others. Those guys have just been waiting for the big dominos to fall.
One thing is for sure. Whoever hits free agency is unlikely to return. Even Shero knows that, acknowledging yesterday that they've only had "one stroke of luck" getting a player to return after hitting the open market -- Brooks Orpik 2 years ago. I remember being as surprised about being able to bring #44 back as anyone.
It will be an interesting next 48 hours.
More soon.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Penguins 2010 Draft Recap; Free Agency Update and More
Sorry I've been silent the last few days over a busy draft weekend for the Penguins boys and girls. My family beach vacation has called, so it hasn't been as easy to get here. But here's a quick weekend recap of what's going on with our favorite hockey club.
In the first round of the 2010 NHL entry draft on Friday in Los Angeles -- after failing on their attempts to move up in round 1, then resisting some calls to trade their 20th overall selection -- the Penguins picked American-born and California native Beau Bennett of the Tier II, British Columbia Hockey League.
Bennett is a 6' 1", 175 pound winger who led that league in scoring last season with 41 goals, 79 assists and 120 points in 56 games. And he did that as a rookie.
North America Central Scouting had him ranked 32nd, so one could argue the Penguins reached a little for Bennett, but by all accounts, Bennett has great skill and offensive flair, and we all know the Penguins need prospects in their system like that.
According to Hockey's Future, Bennett "just dominated" the BCHL last season.
Bennett will attend the University of Denver this coming season. How he produces in his first year at the Division I level will be telling.
The Penguins didn't have a 2nd round pick in the draft, having traded it to the Florida Panthers last year at the trade deadline for Jordan Leopold. In the 3rd round on Saturday, they selected another American, forward Bryan Rust, from the U.S. Development Program.
Rust had 10 goals and 23 points in 27 games for that group last season, and added 4 goals and 6 points in 7 games at the World Junior Championships, where he played a key role in helping the U.S. upset Canada for the championshpi there. He's a solid all around forward who can play physical and score. Like Bennett, he'll be attending Division I college this fall -- at Notre Dame.
In the 4th round, the Penguins selected forward Tom Kuehnhackl from Landshut in Germany. Kuenhackle was Central Scouting's 8th ranked european skater, and had 12 goals and 21 points in 38 games last year. He will be playing for the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League this fall, and time will tell whether the Penguins got a bargain in him, or a player whose draft stock slid for a reason.
In the 5th round, Pittsburgh chose forward Kenneth Agostino from Delbarton High School in New Jersey, which may sound familiar to Penguins' fans, since their fifth round selection last year -- defenseman Alex Velischek -- is from the same school. Agostino tore up the league there with 50 goals and 83 points in only 27 games. He will be a freshman at Yale in August.
In the 6th round, the Penguins had 2 selections, choosing defensemen Joe Rogalski from Sarina in the OHL and Reid McNeill from London in the same league. Both are long term projects.
To wrap up the draft, the Penguins traded their 7th round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for their 7th round pick next season.
Kids and prospects aside, the Penguins made an interesting move at the end of the first day of the draft on Friday night.
Pens' GM Ray Shero acquired Philadelphia Flyers' and former Nashville Predators' shut-down defenseman Dan Hamuis for a 3rd round pick in next year's draft.
The Flyers had just acquired Hamhuis a little under a week ago from Nashville in exchange for defenseman Ryan Parent in the hope they could sign Hamhuis before he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, but found his contract demands -- said to be close to $5 million per season -- too high.
There's no word on whether the Penguins might get a better bargain from Hamhuis' camp, but for as great as he'd look in a Pittsburgh uniform, I'm not certain there's any shutdown defenseman in the league worth that much in the salary cap era. Even fellow stalwart free-agent to be defenseman Anton Volchenkov -- who will probably get that much money -- may not be worth that.
Moreover, I doubt the Penguins will pay anything close to that much coin for Hamhuis. I wouldn't be shocked to see them offer him Brooks Orpik-like money, but little more than that.
Shero -- who knows Hamhuis' from back in the days when he was an assistant GM with the Predators -- is going to begin negotiations with Hamhuis' agent, Wade Arnott, today, and obviously believes that Hamhuis would be a great addition to the Penguins' blueline.
"We're going to take a real good stab, because if we can add him, I think he can really improve our hockey team," Shero said.
Meanwhile, the biggest question surrounding the addition of Hamhuis' to the team is what impact it will have on the negotiations with star offensive defenseman Sergei Gonchar.
The Penguins made a strong, 2-year offer to Gonchar over the weekend, believed to be around $11 million dollars.
Sarge was hoping for a 3-year deal, but is mulling the Pens' offer seriously. He is expected to make a final decision today on whether he will accept it or hit unrestricted free agency.
Obviously, what happens on that front will go a long way towards deciding what the Penguins due in the next 3 days before free agency Thursday. It's no reach to suggest that Hamhuis' fate may be tied to that decision, and that the fate of fellow unrestricted free agent blueliners Leopold and Mark Eaton certainly are.
Up front, forward Alexei Ponikarovsky has informed the Penguins that he will test unrestricted free agency, which greatly diminishes the likelihood that we'll see him in Pittsbugh uniform again.
The Penguins hadn't ruled out retaining the big russian forward, despite his disappointing play since being acquired by Shero at the trade deadline for prospect Luca Caputi, but I don't think there will be a lot of tears around town if #23 doesn't return.
Finally, Shero also is talking and negotiating with RW Bill Guerin. They are focusing on an incentive laden 1-year contract, and -- for now anyway -- don't appear to be willing to pay quite up to the $2 million that Guerin made last season.
Guerin's first and plain preference is to play for the Penguins, so we'll see what happens on that front.
It's going to be an interesting week for sure, as the Pens have a lot of irons in the fire right now.
More later.
In the first round of the 2010 NHL entry draft on Friday in Los Angeles -- after failing on their attempts to move up in round 1, then resisting some calls to trade their 20th overall selection -- the Penguins picked American-born and California native Beau Bennett of the Tier II, British Columbia Hockey League.
Bennett is a 6' 1", 175 pound winger who led that league in scoring last season with 41 goals, 79 assists and 120 points in 56 games. And he did that as a rookie.
North America Central Scouting had him ranked 32nd, so one could argue the Penguins reached a little for Bennett, but by all accounts, Bennett has great skill and offensive flair, and we all know the Penguins need prospects in their system like that.
According to Hockey's Future, Bennett "just dominated" the BCHL last season.
Bennett will attend the University of Denver this coming season. How he produces in his first year at the Division I level will be telling.
The Penguins didn't have a 2nd round pick in the draft, having traded it to the Florida Panthers last year at the trade deadline for Jordan Leopold. In the 3rd round on Saturday, they selected another American, forward Bryan Rust, from the U.S. Development Program.
Rust had 10 goals and 23 points in 27 games for that group last season, and added 4 goals and 6 points in 7 games at the World Junior Championships, where he played a key role in helping the U.S. upset Canada for the championshpi there. He's a solid all around forward who can play physical and score. Like Bennett, he'll be attending Division I college this fall -- at Notre Dame.
In the 4th round, the Penguins selected forward Tom Kuehnhackl from Landshut in Germany. Kuenhackle was Central Scouting's 8th ranked european skater, and had 12 goals and 21 points in 38 games last year. He will be playing for the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League this fall, and time will tell whether the Penguins got a bargain in him, or a player whose draft stock slid for a reason.
In the 5th round, Pittsburgh chose forward Kenneth Agostino from Delbarton High School in New Jersey, which may sound familiar to Penguins' fans, since their fifth round selection last year -- defenseman Alex Velischek -- is from the same school. Agostino tore up the league there with 50 goals and 83 points in only 27 games. He will be a freshman at Yale in August.
In the 6th round, the Penguins had 2 selections, choosing defensemen Joe Rogalski from Sarina in the OHL and Reid McNeill from London in the same league. Both are long term projects.
To wrap up the draft, the Penguins traded their 7th round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for their 7th round pick next season.
Kids and prospects aside, the Penguins made an interesting move at the end of the first day of the draft on Friday night.
Pens' GM Ray Shero acquired Philadelphia Flyers' and former Nashville Predators' shut-down defenseman Dan Hamuis for a 3rd round pick in next year's draft.
The Flyers had just acquired Hamhuis a little under a week ago from Nashville in exchange for defenseman Ryan Parent in the hope they could sign Hamhuis before he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, but found his contract demands -- said to be close to $5 million per season -- too high.
There's no word on whether the Penguins might get a better bargain from Hamhuis' camp, but for as great as he'd look in a Pittsburgh uniform, I'm not certain there's any shutdown defenseman in the league worth that much in the salary cap era. Even fellow stalwart free-agent to be defenseman Anton Volchenkov -- who will probably get that much money -- may not be worth that.
Moreover, I doubt the Penguins will pay anything close to that much coin for Hamhuis. I wouldn't be shocked to see them offer him Brooks Orpik-like money, but little more than that.
Shero -- who knows Hamhuis' from back in the days when he was an assistant GM with the Predators -- is going to begin negotiations with Hamhuis' agent, Wade Arnott, today, and obviously believes that Hamhuis would be a great addition to the Penguins' blueline.
"We're going to take a real good stab, because if we can add him, I think he can really improve our hockey team," Shero said.
Meanwhile, the biggest question surrounding the addition of Hamhuis' to the team is what impact it will have on the negotiations with star offensive defenseman Sergei Gonchar.
The Penguins made a strong, 2-year offer to Gonchar over the weekend, believed to be around $11 million dollars.
Sarge was hoping for a 3-year deal, but is mulling the Pens' offer seriously. He is expected to make a final decision today on whether he will accept it or hit unrestricted free agency.
Obviously, what happens on that front will go a long way towards deciding what the Penguins due in the next 3 days before free agency Thursday. It's no reach to suggest that Hamhuis' fate may be tied to that decision, and that the fate of fellow unrestricted free agent blueliners Leopold and Mark Eaton certainly are.
Up front, forward Alexei Ponikarovsky has informed the Penguins that he will test unrestricted free agency, which greatly diminishes the likelihood that we'll see him in Pittsbugh uniform again.
The Penguins hadn't ruled out retaining the big russian forward, despite his disappointing play since being acquired by Shero at the trade deadline for prospect Luca Caputi, but I don't think there will be a lot of tears around town if #23 doesn't return.
Finally, Shero also is talking and negotiating with RW Bill Guerin. They are focusing on an incentive laden 1-year contract, and -- for now anyway -- don't appear to be willing to pay quite up to the $2 million that Guerin made last season.
Guerin's first and plain preference is to play for the Penguins, so we'll see what happens on that front.
It's going to be an interesting week for sure, as the Pens have a lot of irons in the fire right now.
More later.
Friday, June 25, 2010
And With Their First Round Pick In The 2010 NHL Entry Draft, The Penguins Select ....
With things quiet on the free agent and trade front for the Pittsburgh Penguins overnight (but more on this below), focus moves squarely to tonight's first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles.
Pens' GM Ray Shero and Head Scouting Director Jay Heinbuck have traditionally looked at taking the best player available in the first round, partly because that's their shared philosophy and partly because, in picking so low in the draft -- as the Penguins have in recent seasons -- the ability to hand pick a sure-fire player at any particular position of need diminishes greatly.
After its regular season finish this last season, Pittsburgh will actually pick a bit higher than it has in recent seasons -- 20th overall -- and, in what is regarded as a fairly deep draft, should have an opportunity to get a player with a good chance of making an impact for the team in years to come.
Despite employing the 'best player available' philosophy, look for Shero and Heinbuck to resolve all doubts or ties in favor of going for a forward this evening. The Penguins have strong organizational depth on defense, with prospects Simon Despres, Robert Bortozzo, Brian Strait and Carl Sneep showing that not only are they likely to be NHL'ers at some point, they are likely to be meaningful contributors.
Couple that with the team's lack of good prospects up front -- particularly after dealing LW Luca Caputi to the Toronto Maple Leafs to acquire RW Alexei Ponikarovsky at the trade deadline -- and it's not hard to think the Pens won't look to bloster the flanks if they can.
With that in mind, here are some of the guys that the Penguins should be looking at -- and who may be available -- when their pick comes around:
1) RW Austin Watson -- Watson is a rangy 6' 3" RW from the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League. He can score and skates well. He finished with 20 goals and 54 points in 52 games played this past season. Because he's a winger who can do it all, he may not be around when Pittsburgh steps up to the podium.
2) W Emerson Etem -- The Penguins are said to be pretty high on Etem, and why not? He skates like the wind and has a great shot. He finished with 37 goals and 65 points in 72 games for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Ontario Hockey League -- a team with a history of producing good NHL players. If the California native is around when the Penguins pick, I'd be shocked if he was any longer.
3) D Jarred Tinordi -- Son of former NHL defenseman Mark Tinordi, it's hard to miss the young bloodlines here. Jarred is a 6' 6" beast of a specimen who's probably the toughest, most physical player in the draft. He captained the USA under-18 squad and will go to Notre Dame this fall. While the Penguins don't need another defenseman, Tinordi has so much to offer that it would be hard to pass him up if he's around and they don't like the forwards then on the board.
4) W Stanislav Gailev -- Some would say Gailev might be a bit of a reach for Pittsburgh at 20th overall, but Gailev is certainly no stranger to the Penguins, since he plays for a St. John Sea Dogs club in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League that currently hosts two other up-and comers in the organization, last year's #1 pick, defenseman Simon Despres, and 4th round selection Nicholas Petersen. Gailev is 6' 2", posted 15 goals and 45 assists for 60 points in 67 games last season, his first in the "Q", and has an attractive offensive repitroire. He may be the Russian player in the draft who has the least amount of question marks surrounding him.
Draft pick speculation aside, there may be just as much to watch on the trade front tonight as anything else. I certainly wouldn't rule out Shero making a move, and while I can't say my sources are reporting a whole lot that's new today, I can say that there now may be a surprise entry on the Penguins' trade radar.
While I think Shero's focus continues to be on Sergei Gonchar and a meeting scheduled today with Gonchar's agent, J.P. Barry, I think there's a chance that Pittsburgh has not just considered the potential for Gonchar's departure, but has already taken active steps to consider or lay the groundwork for a potential replacement in the form of Toronto Maple Leafs' offensive defenseman Tomas Kaberle.
Kaberle has been rumored to be on the move for about 18 months now, but I feel confident that Leafs' GM Brian Burke will actually (and finally) pull the trigger on Kaberle either at the draft or prior to free agency next week. Kaberle has had a no trade clause with various 'exception windows' during that time, and one of those starts today at 7 PM. Meanwhile, Burke was quoted yesterday as saying he had a number of firm offers for Kaberle on the table and that, while they weren't quite worth accepting, it seemed that they were approaching that level.
Now, I don't have any official confirmation that the Penguins are one of the teams who have made an offer, but Burke is frequently a willing trading partner, and one who consummated a deal with Shero just a few months ago, as I mentioned earlier.
Kaberle commands about a 4.5 million dollar cap hit, which -- coincidentally or not -- seems to be right about the level of compensation the Penguins are hoping to get Gonchar to take. Kaberle isn't quite as accomplished as Gonchar, but he's a pretty consistent 45-55 point per year offensive blueliner whose skills would fit in well with the Penguins' fleet forward group. He's not a stalwart in his own end by any means, but let's be honest --- that's not why you bring in a guy like Kaberle.
Again, time will tell whether there are any legs to this notion, but if it happened, I wouldn't be shocked. We'll see.
I also will be watching to see if the Penguins look to move up into the second round of the draft (where they currently do not have a selection), which is something I've heard they're looking at.
If there are any updates to post later today, they'll be here. Otherwise, it's on for tonight.
More soon.
Pens' GM Ray Shero and Head Scouting Director Jay Heinbuck have traditionally looked at taking the best player available in the first round, partly because that's their shared philosophy and partly because, in picking so low in the draft -- as the Penguins have in recent seasons -- the ability to hand pick a sure-fire player at any particular position of need diminishes greatly.
After its regular season finish this last season, Pittsburgh will actually pick a bit higher than it has in recent seasons -- 20th overall -- and, in what is regarded as a fairly deep draft, should have an opportunity to get a player with a good chance of making an impact for the team in years to come.
Despite employing the 'best player available' philosophy, look for Shero and Heinbuck to resolve all doubts or ties in favor of going for a forward this evening. The Penguins have strong organizational depth on defense, with prospects Simon Despres, Robert Bortozzo, Brian Strait and Carl Sneep showing that not only are they likely to be NHL'ers at some point, they are likely to be meaningful contributors.
Couple that with the team's lack of good prospects up front -- particularly after dealing LW Luca Caputi to the Toronto Maple Leafs to acquire RW Alexei Ponikarovsky at the trade deadline -- and it's not hard to think the Pens won't look to bloster the flanks if they can.
With that in mind, here are some of the guys that the Penguins should be looking at -- and who may be available -- when their pick comes around:
1) RW Austin Watson -- Watson is a rangy 6' 3" RW from the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League. He can score and skates well. He finished with 20 goals and 54 points in 52 games played this past season. Because he's a winger who can do it all, he may not be around when Pittsburgh steps up to the podium.
2) W Emerson Etem -- The Penguins are said to be pretty high on Etem, and why not? He skates like the wind and has a great shot. He finished with 37 goals and 65 points in 72 games for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Ontario Hockey League -- a team with a history of producing good NHL players. If the California native is around when the Penguins pick, I'd be shocked if he was any longer.
3) D Jarred Tinordi -- Son of former NHL defenseman Mark Tinordi, it's hard to miss the young bloodlines here. Jarred is a 6' 6" beast of a specimen who's probably the toughest, most physical player in the draft. He captained the USA under-18 squad and will go to Notre Dame this fall. While the Penguins don't need another defenseman, Tinordi has so much to offer that it would be hard to pass him up if he's around and they don't like the forwards then on the board.
4) W Stanislav Gailev -- Some would say Gailev might be a bit of a reach for Pittsburgh at 20th overall, but Gailev is certainly no stranger to the Penguins, since he plays for a St. John Sea Dogs club in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League that currently hosts two other up-and comers in the organization, last year's #1 pick, defenseman Simon Despres, and 4th round selection Nicholas Petersen. Gailev is 6' 2", posted 15 goals and 45 assists for 60 points in 67 games last season, his first in the "Q", and has an attractive offensive repitroire. He may be the Russian player in the draft who has the least amount of question marks surrounding him.
Draft pick speculation aside, there may be just as much to watch on the trade front tonight as anything else. I certainly wouldn't rule out Shero making a move, and while I can't say my sources are reporting a whole lot that's new today, I can say that there now may be a surprise entry on the Penguins' trade radar.
While I think Shero's focus continues to be on Sergei Gonchar and a meeting scheduled today with Gonchar's agent, J.P. Barry, I think there's a chance that Pittsburgh has not just considered the potential for Gonchar's departure, but has already taken active steps to consider or lay the groundwork for a potential replacement in the form of Toronto Maple Leafs' offensive defenseman Tomas Kaberle.
Kaberle has been rumored to be on the move for about 18 months now, but I feel confident that Leafs' GM Brian Burke will actually (and finally) pull the trigger on Kaberle either at the draft or prior to free agency next week. Kaberle has had a no trade clause with various 'exception windows' during that time, and one of those starts today at 7 PM. Meanwhile, Burke was quoted yesterday as saying he had a number of firm offers for Kaberle on the table and that, while they weren't quite worth accepting, it seemed that they were approaching that level.
Now, I don't have any official confirmation that the Penguins are one of the teams who have made an offer, but Burke is frequently a willing trading partner, and one who consummated a deal with Shero just a few months ago, as I mentioned earlier.
Kaberle commands about a 4.5 million dollar cap hit, which -- coincidentally or not -- seems to be right about the level of compensation the Penguins are hoping to get Gonchar to take. Kaberle isn't quite as accomplished as Gonchar, but he's a pretty consistent 45-55 point per year offensive blueliner whose skills would fit in well with the Penguins' fleet forward group. He's not a stalwart in his own end by any means, but let's be honest --- that's not why you bring in a guy like Kaberle.
Again, time will tell whether there are any legs to this notion, but if it happened, I wouldn't be shocked. We'll see.
I also will be watching to see if the Penguins look to move up into the second round of the draft (where they currently do not have a selection), which is something I've heard they're looking at.
If there are any updates to post later today, they'll be here. Otherwise, it's on for tonight.
More soon.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Penguins Come Up Empty In Vegas; Free Agency/Trade Update
Last night's NHL awards ceremony at The Palms hotel in Las Vegas Nevada was certainly anything but a watershed showing for the Pittsburgh Penguin players in the house.
While both Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal were finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy as League MVP and Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward, respectively, netiher walked into the Playboy Club later that night with any hardware.
Crosby finished 3rd in the Hart balloting while watching Vancouver Canucks' center Henrik Sedin take home that trophy, and Staal similarly finished 3rd in voting for the Selke as that award was given to Detriot Red Wings' forward Pavel Datsyuk for the third consecutive season.
Strangely, despite leading the league in goals and finishing just a few points behind Sedin in the NHL scoring race, the Professional Hockey Writers' Association (who vote for the Hart) must not think quite as highly of the Pens' Captain anymore, as evidenced by Sid finishing with only 20 first place votes (out of 106) and even falling well short of the 2nd place finisher, rival Alexander Ovechkin with the Washington Capitals.
Worse, Crosby also didn't measure up in the eyes of his peers, either, since he lost the Ted Lindsay Award (formerly the Lester B. Pearson Award) -- given to the MVP as voted on by the players -- to Ovechkin, too.
As a final ignomity, Sedin beat him out for the center spot on the first all-star squad.
Crosby did, however, win the Mark Messier leadership award for the first time last night, an honor which Crosby accepted graciously as a still-young Captain in this league. Still, Messier's award pales in comparison to the other big-name hardware he missed out on last night.
No matter. I'll take Crosby's Stanley Cup, 2 Final appearances, and 8 playoff series wins over the last 3 years any day of the week.
For his part, Staal really didn't have much of a shot of winning the Selke this year. The Selke is typically awarded to veterans who have established defensive excellence over a period of years. Staal is getting there, but as his distant 3rd place finish and only 24 first place votes (out of 97) attest, he has a ways to go yet. Datsyuk -- and even Canucks' forward Ryan Kessler -- posed tough competition for him.
Interestingly, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported yesterday that Staal showed up in Las Vegas with crutches and a walking boot on the foot he injured in the 2nd round of the post-season. It seems that Staal had a second, minor procedure to go in and deal with that lacerated tendon on the top of his foot. No long-term effects are expected, though, and that's good news.
It still amazes me that Gronk only missed 2 games for that. Pens' GM Ray Shero was quoted yesterday in similar amazement, saying that he, too, couldn't believe an injury of that magnitude only shelved #11 for two games, adding that Staal wasn't too happy to have missed that second game, either.
Speaking of Shero, there's nothing new to report on his negotiations with defenseman Sergei Gonchar. Today could be a watershed day in those talks, however. Within 24-48 hours, we should know more about whether the Penguins are likely to retain #55, or will instead be evaluating whether they want to bring back fellow rearguards Mark Eaton or Jordan Leopold (or both) or look to the open market.
If Gonchar will not return, it's possible Shero will ask Sarge to waive his existing no-trade clause so the Penguins can obtain something for his rights. There were some reports in the last 36 hours that his rights had already been traded to the San Jose Sharks, but those accounts were grossly premature, if not flat out inaccurate.
I know Shero still believes Gonchar can be a very effective and productive NHL player. He said as much yesterday in an extensive, 20-minute radio interview I heard, so it will be interesting to see where things go.
Meanwhile, there's currently A LOT of trade talk going on throughout the league -- much more than usual at this time of year, according to most sources. Some of those discussions have led to notable trades just in the last week alone, with Florida Panthers' forward Nathan Horton moving to the Boston Bruins in a package that landed them defenseman Dennis Wideman, and the Chicago Blackhawks starting to break their salary cap jam by trading playoff hero and giant power forward Dustin Byfuglien to the Atlanta Thrashers in a multi-player deal that saw the 1st and 2nd round picks Atlanta had obtained in the Ilya Kovalchuk deal go to the Hawks in exchange.
And those trades may be just the tip of the iceberg, because there are a lot of other notable names in play leading into the NHL draft this weekend. Names that have frequently been volleyed around are starting to pop up again (Jeff Carter, Tim Thomas), and a lot of unexpected names are being discussed, too (Marc Savard, Mike Fisher).
For their part, the Penguins have been reported to have engaged in some trade discussions with the still cap-tight Blackhawks centered around young, 23-old winger Kris Versteeg, and have at least inquired about what it would take to obtain Carolina Hurricanes veteran forward Ray Whitney.
Whitney, of course, was a player the Penguins looked at before the trade deadline, but they weren't prepared to meet the high asking price of Carolina GM Jim Rutherford at the time.
Now, with Whitney set to walk as an unrestricted free agent in 6 days, Rutherford's bargaining power is way down, so the asking price to get Whitney has correspondingly dropped.
Certainly, making a deal at this point is essentially equivalent to obtaining a player's negotiating rights. That can be a precursor to getting that player under contract, but it doesn't always work out that way. If Pittsburgh were to swing a deal for Whitney, though, I think they'd stand a good chance to sign him because, from what my sources say, Whitney's first choice is to play in Pittsburgh. Moreover, while Whitney was at one point hoping for a 3-year contract -- even at 38 -- I bet the productive winger and power-play man would go for 2 years if it landed him in a Penguin sweater.
Dollars would remain a factor with Whitney, too, but one thing is highly likely as far as money goes --- the Penguins probably not liking the dollars they are presented with if they wait to try and sign Whiteny once he's an unrestricted free agent.
I'll have more tomorrow, incluing an update on any contract talks, as well as analysis on how the first round of the draft might shake out for the local hockey club. And, if something breaks sooner, I'll have it here.
While both Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal were finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy as League MVP and Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward, respectively, netiher walked into the Playboy Club later that night with any hardware.
Crosby finished 3rd in the Hart balloting while watching Vancouver Canucks' center Henrik Sedin take home that trophy, and Staal similarly finished 3rd in voting for the Selke as that award was given to Detriot Red Wings' forward Pavel Datsyuk for the third consecutive season.
Strangely, despite leading the league in goals and finishing just a few points behind Sedin in the NHL scoring race, the Professional Hockey Writers' Association (who vote for the Hart) must not think quite as highly of the Pens' Captain anymore, as evidenced by Sid finishing with only 20 first place votes (out of 106) and even falling well short of the 2nd place finisher, rival Alexander Ovechkin with the Washington Capitals.
Worse, Crosby also didn't measure up in the eyes of his peers, either, since he lost the Ted Lindsay Award (formerly the Lester B. Pearson Award) -- given to the MVP as voted on by the players -- to Ovechkin, too.
As a final ignomity, Sedin beat him out for the center spot on the first all-star squad.
Crosby did, however, win the Mark Messier leadership award for the first time last night, an honor which Crosby accepted graciously as a still-young Captain in this league. Still, Messier's award pales in comparison to the other big-name hardware he missed out on last night.
No matter. I'll take Crosby's Stanley Cup, 2 Final appearances, and 8 playoff series wins over the last 3 years any day of the week.
For his part, Staal really didn't have much of a shot of winning the Selke this year. The Selke is typically awarded to veterans who have established defensive excellence over a period of years. Staal is getting there, but as his distant 3rd place finish and only 24 first place votes (out of 97) attest, he has a ways to go yet. Datsyuk -- and even Canucks' forward Ryan Kessler -- posed tough competition for him.
Interestingly, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported yesterday that Staal showed up in Las Vegas with crutches and a walking boot on the foot he injured in the 2nd round of the post-season. It seems that Staal had a second, minor procedure to go in and deal with that lacerated tendon on the top of his foot. No long-term effects are expected, though, and that's good news.
It still amazes me that Gronk only missed 2 games for that. Pens' GM Ray Shero was quoted yesterday in similar amazement, saying that he, too, couldn't believe an injury of that magnitude only shelved #11 for two games, adding that Staal wasn't too happy to have missed that second game, either.
Speaking of Shero, there's nothing new to report on his negotiations with defenseman Sergei Gonchar. Today could be a watershed day in those talks, however. Within 24-48 hours, we should know more about whether the Penguins are likely to retain #55, or will instead be evaluating whether they want to bring back fellow rearguards Mark Eaton or Jordan Leopold (or both) or look to the open market.
If Gonchar will not return, it's possible Shero will ask Sarge to waive his existing no-trade clause so the Penguins can obtain something for his rights. There were some reports in the last 36 hours that his rights had already been traded to the San Jose Sharks, but those accounts were grossly premature, if not flat out inaccurate.
I know Shero still believes Gonchar can be a very effective and productive NHL player. He said as much yesterday in an extensive, 20-minute radio interview I heard, so it will be interesting to see where things go.
Meanwhile, there's currently A LOT of trade talk going on throughout the league -- much more than usual at this time of year, according to most sources. Some of those discussions have led to notable trades just in the last week alone, with Florida Panthers' forward Nathan Horton moving to the Boston Bruins in a package that landed them defenseman Dennis Wideman, and the Chicago Blackhawks starting to break their salary cap jam by trading playoff hero and giant power forward Dustin Byfuglien to the Atlanta Thrashers in a multi-player deal that saw the 1st and 2nd round picks Atlanta had obtained in the Ilya Kovalchuk deal go to the Hawks in exchange.
And those trades may be just the tip of the iceberg, because there are a lot of other notable names in play leading into the NHL draft this weekend. Names that have frequently been volleyed around are starting to pop up again (Jeff Carter, Tim Thomas), and a lot of unexpected names are being discussed, too (Marc Savard, Mike Fisher).
For their part, the Penguins have been reported to have engaged in some trade discussions with the still cap-tight Blackhawks centered around young, 23-old winger Kris Versteeg, and have at least inquired about what it would take to obtain Carolina Hurricanes veteran forward Ray Whitney.
Whitney, of course, was a player the Penguins looked at before the trade deadline, but they weren't prepared to meet the high asking price of Carolina GM Jim Rutherford at the time.
Now, with Whitney set to walk as an unrestricted free agent in 6 days, Rutherford's bargaining power is way down, so the asking price to get Whitney has correspondingly dropped.
Certainly, making a deal at this point is essentially equivalent to obtaining a player's negotiating rights. That can be a precursor to getting that player under contract, but it doesn't always work out that way. If Pittsburgh were to swing a deal for Whitney, though, I think they'd stand a good chance to sign him because, from what my sources say, Whitney's first choice is to play in Pittsburgh. Moreover, while Whitney was at one point hoping for a 3-year contract -- even at 38 -- I bet the productive winger and power-play man would go for 2 years if it landed him in a Penguin sweater.
Dollars would remain a factor with Whitney, too, but one thing is highly likely as far as money goes --- the Penguins probably not liking the dollars they are presented with if they wait to try and sign Whiteny once he's an unrestricted free agent.
I'll have more tomorrow, incluing an update on any contract talks, as well as analysis on how the first round of the draft might shake out for the local hockey club. And, if something breaks sooner, I'll have it here.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Should Gonchar Stay Or Should He Go?
With the Pens' signing of free-agent forward Matt Cooke yesterday, all the focus in Penguin Nation now turns squarely to their power play quarterback, Sergei Gonchar.
Penguins' GM Ray Shero remains enagaged in contract negotiations with the camp for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent, but a deal remains 50/50 at this point in time.
Which makes it no better moment than to answer the question -- should Gonchar be re-signed, or should the Penguins cut him loose?
There's no right answer to this question, frankly, mainly because there are too many variables which might tilt the response one way or the other.
Put in plain english -- it's all about dollars and term.
Before going there, though, it's worth examining what the Penguins are getting if they keep the 36-year old Gonchar. Coincidentally, that would be the same thing they'd be losing if they don't re-sign him.
That is, a player with the 2nd best points per game among blueliners the last three seasons -- and a player who has missed 77 games the last 2 years because of injury.
A player at the fulcrum of a power play that has finished with an underachieving ranking -- but that clicked well above average when he actually was in the lineup to quarterback it.
A player who is a steadying veteran force on the ice and in the locker room, but who's 5-on-5 play took a notable step back last season.
All of these things are what make the call so hard on Gonchar. In a salary cap era, difficult decisions need to be made. Teams can't afford to tie up money in players on long-term contracts that exceed the useful life of a player's talent on the ice. That's why I was in favor of actually trading Gonchar before the trading deadline in 2009 -- yes, the year Pittsburgh ended up winning the Stanley Cup -- because I thought that was when he'd have the most value. Obviously, dealing him then would have been a mistake since Gonchar was a playoff force that post-season and it turned out that questions remain even 18 months later about whether young offensive defenseman Alex Goligoski and Kris Letang are ready to step into even part of Gonchar's shoes, but now the Penguins are faced with a quandry of perhaps losing Sarge for nothing, and that's also often a big no-no in a cap system.
Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review did a piece on Gonchar in today's edition. That piece can be found here:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_687228.html
In that article, Rossi smartly recognizes that, if there's a year to try and fill #55's shoes in free-agency, this is the year, when the free-agent defensemen class is generally regarded as plentiful, what with the likes of Anton Volchenkov, Paul Martin and -- perhaps -- Dan Hamhuis, if the Philadelphia Flyers don't sign him after just dealing for his rights, among others, slated to start marketing their services starting in 8 days.
Rossi also mentions that, if the Penguins don't put as much money in a free-agent blueliner, they could use those dollars to fill a long-standing hole or two up front on the wing. Fans shouldn't get excited about this year's free agent forward class, though, because Rossi is right in pointing out that, while the free-agent defensemen soon to hit the market are good quality, the wingers are just as correspondingly poor. Still, having the money on hand certainly wouldn't help the Penguins' chances at perhaps acquiring one by trade. With several trades occuring around the league already in the last week and more expected in the coming days, I think there's the potential that Shero could get involved in that market. Knowing he'd have more money to play with couldn't hurt.
Can you say James Neal or Kris Versteeg, perhaps?
To save the money to commit elsewhere and let Gonchar walk, the Penguins need to make decisions about fellow rearguards Letang and Goligoski, both of whom I have already mentioned. Letang has the ability to be a two-way force in this league; he just needs to show it night in and night out. Goligoski is the one who's probably more proficient offensively. It will take both several years still to learn the nuances which Gonchar could do with his eyes closed, though, and that's where the Penguins would lose the most if #55 doesn't come back.
Most fans don't consider things like looking off penalty killers at the point, and being able to get your shot on net consistently from the blueline, but those are things which Sarge has mastered, and which can make the difference between scoring a huge goal in playoff game with everything on the line.
Whether that's worth the salary Gonchar is demanding is the question. Gonchar is said to be consistently demanding a similar salary to what he received in his current contract -- $5 million dollars per -- and over a 3-year deal. He probably could receive somewhat in excess of that on the open market, too.
The Penguins, meanwhile, are believed to be trying to get Gonchar to agree to a 2-year deal at around $11 million, and while that money is in the range Sarge is looking for, the term isn't. He thinks he has those 3 -- and maybe 4 -- good years left.
Here's the bottom line for me:
If I'm Shero and I can reel in the Penguins' big fish at or near the $10 or $11 million on a 2-year contract, I pull the trigger. I would consider 3 years, but only at less money, say a total of $13 million. If Gonchar wants more money, or 4 years, the Penguins should move on.
Other players have accepted less to stay in Pittsburgh for a chance to regularly compete for the Cup. While understanding that his next contract will likely be his last big payday, Gonchar needs to recognize that the team is greater than any individual. If --as Rossi says so well in his article --Gonchar isn't willing to show he really wants to stay in Pittsburgh by doing that, the train should keep moving without him.
I'll have a recap tomorrow of tonight's NHL Awards in Las Vegas. Both Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal have a chance to take home some hardware. I'll also have a trade/free agency update tomorrow before I post a draft preview on Friday.
Penguins' GM Ray Shero remains enagaged in contract negotiations with the camp for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent, but a deal remains 50/50 at this point in time.
Which makes it no better moment than to answer the question -- should Gonchar be re-signed, or should the Penguins cut him loose?
There's no right answer to this question, frankly, mainly because there are too many variables which might tilt the response one way or the other.
Put in plain english -- it's all about dollars and term.
Before going there, though, it's worth examining what the Penguins are getting if they keep the 36-year old Gonchar. Coincidentally, that would be the same thing they'd be losing if they don't re-sign him.
That is, a player with the 2nd best points per game among blueliners the last three seasons -- and a player who has missed 77 games the last 2 years because of injury.
A player at the fulcrum of a power play that has finished with an underachieving ranking -- but that clicked well above average when he actually was in the lineup to quarterback it.
A player who is a steadying veteran force on the ice and in the locker room, but who's 5-on-5 play took a notable step back last season.
All of these things are what make the call so hard on Gonchar. In a salary cap era, difficult decisions need to be made. Teams can't afford to tie up money in players on long-term contracts that exceed the useful life of a player's talent on the ice. That's why I was in favor of actually trading Gonchar before the trading deadline in 2009 -- yes, the year Pittsburgh ended up winning the Stanley Cup -- because I thought that was when he'd have the most value. Obviously, dealing him then would have been a mistake since Gonchar was a playoff force that post-season and it turned out that questions remain even 18 months later about whether young offensive defenseman Alex Goligoski and Kris Letang are ready to step into even part of Gonchar's shoes, but now the Penguins are faced with a quandry of perhaps losing Sarge for nothing, and that's also often a big no-no in a cap system.
Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review did a piece on Gonchar in today's edition. That piece can be found here:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_687228.html
In that article, Rossi smartly recognizes that, if there's a year to try and fill #55's shoes in free-agency, this is the year, when the free-agent defensemen class is generally regarded as plentiful, what with the likes of Anton Volchenkov, Paul Martin and -- perhaps -- Dan Hamhuis, if the Philadelphia Flyers don't sign him after just dealing for his rights, among others, slated to start marketing their services starting in 8 days.
Rossi also mentions that, if the Penguins don't put as much money in a free-agent blueliner, they could use those dollars to fill a long-standing hole or two up front on the wing. Fans shouldn't get excited about this year's free agent forward class, though, because Rossi is right in pointing out that, while the free-agent defensemen soon to hit the market are good quality, the wingers are just as correspondingly poor. Still, having the money on hand certainly wouldn't help the Penguins' chances at perhaps acquiring one by trade. With several trades occuring around the league already in the last week and more expected in the coming days, I think there's the potential that Shero could get involved in that market. Knowing he'd have more money to play with couldn't hurt.
Can you say James Neal or Kris Versteeg, perhaps?
To save the money to commit elsewhere and let Gonchar walk, the Penguins need to make decisions about fellow rearguards Letang and Goligoski, both of whom I have already mentioned. Letang has the ability to be a two-way force in this league; he just needs to show it night in and night out. Goligoski is the one who's probably more proficient offensively. It will take both several years still to learn the nuances which Gonchar could do with his eyes closed, though, and that's where the Penguins would lose the most if #55 doesn't come back.
Most fans don't consider things like looking off penalty killers at the point, and being able to get your shot on net consistently from the blueline, but those are things which Sarge has mastered, and which can make the difference between scoring a huge goal in playoff game with everything on the line.
Whether that's worth the salary Gonchar is demanding is the question. Gonchar is said to be consistently demanding a similar salary to what he received in his current contract -- $5 million dollars per -- and over a 3-year deal. He probably could receive somewhat in excess of that on the open market, too.
The Penguins, meanwhile, are believed to be trying to get Gonchar to agree to a 2-year deal at around $11 million, and while that money is in the range Sarge is looking for, the term isn't. He thinks he has those 3 -- and maybe 4 -- good years left.
Here's the bottom line for me:
If I'm Shero and I can reel in the Penguins' big fish at or near the $10 or $11 million on a 2-year contract, I pull the trigger. I would consider 3 years, but only at less money, say a total of $13 million. If Gonchar wants more money, or 4 years, the Penguins should move on.
Other players have accepted less to stay in Pittsburgh for a chance to regularly compete for the Cup. While understanding that his next contract will likely be his last big payday, Gonchar needs to recognize that the team is greater than any individual. If --as Rossi says so well in his article --Gonchar isn't willing to show he really wants to stay in Pittsburgh by doing that, the train should keep moving without him.
I'll have a recap tomorrow of tonight's NHL Awards in Las Vegas. Both Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal have a chance to take home some hardware. I'll also have a trade/free agency update tomorrow before I post a draft preview on Friday.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Cookie Monster Officially Returns; Full 2010 Schedule Released
Early this morning, I said that the Penguins and Matt Cooke were close to reaching a contractual agreement which would return the key LW to the team and keep him from unrestricted free agency.
True to form, just hours later, the team announced they signed Cooke to a 3-year deal.
The total value of The Cookie Monster's new contract is 5.4 million dollars, which is a very agreeable 1.8 million per season. That amount is pretty much in the mid-range of what Pittsburgh was reportedly offering ($1.5 million per) and what Cooke felt he would get on the open market (just in excess of about $2 million per).
All in all, a solid deal for Pittsburgh. Great to have #24 back in the fold, doing what he does best in black and gold.
Meanwhile, the National Hockey League released it's full 2010 schedule today, highlighted by none other than New Year's Day Winter Classic hosted by the Penguins at Heinz Field against the Washington Capitals.
As I mentioned earlier, the Pens open up the season at home, christening the new Consol Energy Center by having the Philadelphia Flyers visit.
Other schedule highlights include:
- Two games each against the Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Phoenix Coyotes.
- The longest road trip is a 5-gamer, in late February and into early March, and features rare back-to-back road games against the same opponent, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- Consecutive contests on consecutive days before that trip on 2-20 and 2-21 on the road against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, then at home against the Washington Capitals.
-14 games in 28 days in February.
- No homestand longer than 3 games.
- Ending the season with 4 of 5 on the road, including one on the final afternoon of the regular season in Atlanta against the Thrashers
More soon.
True to form, just hours later, the team announced they signed Cooke to a 3-year deal.
The total value of The Cookie Monster's new contract is 5.4 million dollars, which is a very agreeable 1.8 million per season. That amount is pretty much in the mid-range of what Pittsburgh was reportedly offering ($1.5 million per) and what Cooke felt he would get on the open market (just in excess of about $2 million per).
All in all, a solid deal for Pittsburgh. Great to have #24 back in the fold, doing what he does best in black and gold.
Meanwhile, the National Hockey League released it's full 2010 schedule today, highlighted by none other than New Year's Day Winter Classic hosted by the Penguins at Heinz Field against the Washington Capitals.
As I mentioned earlier, the Pens open up the season at home, christening the new Consol Energy Center by having the Philadelphia Flyers visit.
Other schedule highlights include:
- Two games each against the Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Phoenix Coyotes.
- The longest road trip is a 5-gamer, in late February and into early March, and features rare back-to-back road games against the same opponent, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- Consecutive contests on consecutive days before that trip on 2-20 and 2-21 on the road against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, then at home against the Washington Capitals.
-14 games in 28 days in February.
- No homestand longer than 3 games.
- Ending the season with 4 of 5 on the road, including one on the final afternoon of the regular season in Atlanta against the Thrashers
More soon.
Penguins Sign Lovejoy; News On Gonchar, Cooke & More
With 4 days until the first round of the 2010 NHL entry draft on Friday -- and 9 days until the start of free agency -- I'm certainly going to be popping up here more often than I have during the last several weeks.
Starting with word that the Penguins signed defenseman Ben Lovejoy to a three year contract yesterday totaling 1.575 million dollars.
For those mathematically challenged folks out there, that's a cap-friendly $525,000 per season.
Also, the first year of the deal -- the upcoming 2010-2011 season -- is a two-way contract, in the event Lovejoy spends time during the year in the American Hockey League.
Lovejoy had 3 points and was a very strong +8 in 12 games with the big club last season and, by all accounts, is primed to take over a top-6 roster spot on defense for Pittsburgh this year.
Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero deserves credit for locking up Lovejoy for 3 years at such a cap-friendly rate. Assuming the rearguard progresses as expected, Lovejoy will be a dependable -- but cheap -- player on the blueline for the Penguins for the next several seasons.
I suspect giving Lovejoy a 3rd year on the deal also gave Shero the bargaining strength to make the first year of the contract a 2-way one.
Meanwhile, back at the NHL ranch, talks between Pat Morris -- the representative for free-agent-LW-to-be Matt Cooke -- and Shero have heated up considerably the last few days.
Cooke is seeking a 3-year deal and it appears that Shero is willing to go that long on term.
Right now, however, the teams are trying to bridge a little bit of a salary gap, with Cooke believing that his value on the open market is around or just in excess of $2 million per season, and Pittsburgh putting $1.5 million per season on the table.
At this point, I'm optimistic Shero and Morris will get a deal done. Reports are that the Penguins internally believe Cooke is replacable, but would rather he stay. Because of that, the fact that Cooke wants to return to the Penguins, and the relatively small divide between the parties right now, I think odds are the Cookie Monster will re-sign. And perhaps soon.
Beyond Cooke, Shero also has been exchanging numbers the last few days with J.P. Barry, the agent for Pens' star blueliner Sergei Gonchar.
In fact, the parties talked as recently as Sunday, although talks seem to have stalled somewhat since then.
The Penguins were hoping to have some resolution to Gonchar's situation before the draft this weekend in Los Angeles. Certainly, Shero and Barry will speak again while there, but at this juncture, it's hard to say where things will go. Pittsburgh is in the tough position of wanting to keep its options open at the draft, but have clarity on Gonchar's situation, too. I'm not sure they can have both.
It doesn't look like Gonchar is going to lower his salary demands and that may be the biggest sticking point with getting a deal done right now. Worse, while the Penguins might like to trade Sarge's rights if he isn't going to be re-signed, they'll need Gonchar's approval to do that, since he has a no-trade clause in his existing contract.
While I'd put the odds of Cooke signing at about 70% right now, I'd put the odds of getting a deal done with Gonchar at about 30%.
As usual, the Penguins are pretty much in a holding pattern regarding their other upcoming key unrestricted free agents -- defenseman Mark Eaton and Jordan Leopold, and forwards Bill Guerin and Alexei Ponikarovsky -- until they have a handle on what may happen with Gonchar.
I'll keep everyone updated as I hear anything.
In the coming days, I'll also have reports on a few of the players I think the Penguins may be looking at with the 20th overall pick in the draft this weekend. Round 1 is Friday night, while the remainder of the draft takes place Saturday. Pittsburgh's first round pick is even a little more important than usual, since they don't pick again until 82nd overall in the 3rd round, after dealing their 2nd round selection to the Florida Panthers in the deal to acquire Leopold.
Finally, word came yesterday that the Penguins will open the 2010 regular season -- and their first in the brand new sparkling Consol Energy Center -- on Thursday, October 7, with a game against none other than one of their most hated arch rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers.
While the remainder of the Pens' schedule will come out today, it will be hard to look past the home opener in the new building against the defending Eastern Conference Champions.
I remember the last time the Penguins' opened up the year at home against the Philadelphia Flyers. That was the kick-off to their consistently strong regular season and playoff runs the last 4 years.
And they won that game, too.
More soon.
Starting with word that the Penguins signed defenseman Ben Lovejoy to a three year contract yesterday totaling 1.575 million dollars.
For those mathematically challenged folks out there, that's a cap-friendly $525,000 per season.
Also, the first year of the deal -- the upcoming 2010-2011 season -- is a two-way contract, in the event Lovejoy spends time during the year in the American Hockey League.
Lovejoy had 3 points and was a very strong +8 in 12 games with the big club last season and, by all accounts, is primed to take over a top-6 roster spot on defense for Pittsburgh this year.
Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero deserves credit for locking up Lovejoy for 3 years at such a cap-friendly rate. Assuming the rearguard progresses as expected, Lovejoy will be a dependable -- but cheap -- player on the blueline for the Penguins for the next several seasons.
I suspect giving Lovejoy a 3rd year on the deal also gave Shero the bargaining strength to make the first year of the contract a 2-way one.
Meanwhile, back at the NHL ranch, talks between Pat Morris -- the representative for free-agent-LW-to-be Matt Cooke -- and Shero have heated up considerably the last few days.
Cooke is seeking a 3-year deal and it appears that Shero is willing to go that long on term.
Right now, however, the teams are trying to bridge a little bit of a salary gap, with Cooke believing that his value on the open market is around or just in excess of $2 million per season, and Pittsburgh putting $1.5 million per season on the table.
At this point, I'm optimistic Shero and Morris will get a deal done. Reports are that the Penguins internally believe Cooke is replacable, but would rather he stay. Because of that, the fact that Cooke wants to return to the Penguins, and the relatively small divide between the parties right now, I think odds are the Cookie Monster will re-sign. And perhaps soon.
Beyond Cooke, Shero also has been exchanging numbers the last few days with J.P. Barry, the agent for Pens' star blueliner Sergei Gonchar.
In fact, the parties talked as recently as Sunday, although talks seem to have stalled somewhat since then.
The Penguins were hoping to have some resolution to Gonchar's situation before the draft this weekend in Los Angeles. Certainly, Shero and Barry will speak again while there, but at this juncture, it's hard to say where things will go. Pittsburgh is in the tough position of wanting to keep its options open at the draft, but have clarity on Gonchar's situation, too. I'm not sure they can have both.
It doesn't look like Gonchar is going to lower his salary demands and that may be the biggest sticking point with getting a deal done right now. Worse, while the Penguins might like to trade Sarge's rights if he isn't going to be re-signed, they'll need Gonchar's approval to do that, since he has a no-trade clause in his existing contract.
While I'd put the odds of Cooke signing at about 70% right now, I'd put the odds of getting a deal done with Gonchar at about 30%.
As usual, the Penguins are pretty much in a holding pattern regarding their other upcoming key unrestricted free agents -- defenseman Mark Eaton and Jordan Leopold, and forwards Bill Guerin and Alexei Ponikarovsky -- until they have a handle on what may happen with Gonchar.
I'll keep everyone updated as I hear anything.
In the coming days, I'll also have reports on a few of the players I think the Penguins may be looking at with the 20th overall pick in the draft this weekend. Round 1 is Friday night, while the remainder of the draft takes place Saturday. Pittsburgh's first round pick is even a little more important than usual, since they don't pick again until 82nd overall in the 3rd round, after dealing their 2nd round selection to the Florida Panthers in the deal to acquire Leopold.
Finally, word came yesterday that the Penguins will open the 2010 regular season -- and their first in the brand new sparkling Consol Energy Center -- on Thursday, October 7, with a game against none other than one of their most hated arch rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers.
While the remainder of the Pens' schedule will come out today, it will be hard to look past the home opener in the new building against the defending Eastern Conference Champions.
I remember the last time the Penguins' opened up the year at home against the Philadelphia Flyers. That was the kick-off to their consistently strong regular season and playoff runs the last 4 years.
And they won that game, too.
More soon.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Hits and Happenings Around The Penguins
With 10 days until the NHL draft and approximately 2 weeks until free agency 2010, there hasn't been an overwhelming amount of big Penguin news to break recently. But that doesn't mean there aren't things worth talking about surrounding the team.
The first and perhaps most notable thing is a likely change behind the Pittsburgh bench.
It seems as if Pens' assistant coach Mike Yeo is about to accept a position offered him by former Penguins' assistant GM, and current Minnesota Wild GM, Chuck Fletcher to coach the Wild's main farm team in the American Hockey League -- the Houston Aeros.
Interestingly, Yeo would replace former Penguins' head coach Kevin Constantine, who was let go in Houston after this past season.
Yeo has always had head coaching aspirations, and this opportunity certainly provides him that. Whether he'll ever make it to the big league in that capacity or not remains to be seen.
Some people around the league hold Yeo as an up-and-coming coaching prospect.
Personally, I'm not sure I see it.
Like current Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma, Yeo is a players' guy. He's been an assistant for a long time in the Penguins organization, including in the AHL, so he has learned from several head coaches along the way, but the key trait I think Yeo primarily lacks is that he's not a leader behind the bench.
Yeo also has had his share of difficulty with one of the specialist roles he's been assigned with the team the last few seasons. You may have heard about it, because it's the most important one, and most Penguin fans consistently blame him for the team's underachievement in that area.
That's right.
The team's power play.
Now, I don't believe the below-expected ranking of the Pens' man-advantage the last few years should fall solely on Yeo, but I think he's had a hand in it. Whether it's not getting the puck on net enough, or whether it's playing Evgeni Malkin at the point, the Pittsburgh power play has had its share of misgivings the last few years. The fact that it has not been regularly able to play up to the capabilities its talent suggests it should has to fall on Yeo to some extent.
Yeo's departure will certainly appease a fair portion of the team's fan base in that regard.
More importantly, though, it will be worth watching to see who the Penguins' bring in to replace Yeo. They already have a former head coach who brings some veteran presence behind the bench in assistant Tony Granato. Will they go the same route and bring in another guy with NHL coaching experience, or will they bring in a young buck on the rise?
Beyond Yeo's likely departure behind the bench, the Pittsburgh blue line has been in the news a little the last week or so.
For one, Pens' defenseman Brooks Orpik underwent minor surgery to repair a hernia problem he played with since January.
Orpik played pretty well with the limitations he was dealing with as a result of the injury but, needless to say, it will be good to have him healthy again. The procedure was a success and after about 4-6 weeks, Orpik will be able to resume full off-ice workouts in preparation for the 2010/2011 season.
He should be ready to go for training camp without limitation.
Meanwhile, with 4 of the team's top 7 blueliners -- Sergei Gonchar, Mark Eaton, Jordan Leopold and Jay McKee -- headed for unrestricted free agency and still unsigned, the Penguins continued to bolster their organizational blueline depth, signing free agent Steve Wagner to a one-year deal.
In a swap of minor-league defensemen, Wagner was acquired late last season from the Saint Louis Blues for rearguard Nate Guenin.
Wagner's new contract is a two-way deal, which would pay him $500,000 in the NHL and significiantly less in the AHL, where he played the rest of last year after the Penguins' traded for him. He had 7 points in 20 regular-season games for the Baby Penguins, and added 1 assist in 4 post-season contests.
Meanwhile, back at the big club, talks between Pens' GM Ray Shero and the agents for several free agents are picking up this week, particularly those between Shero and Pat Morris, the agent for LW Matt Cooke.
It appears as if the Penguins are even talking a 3-year deal with Morris, which would greatly increase the chances of keeping Cooke in Pittsburgh.
While Cooke may be one of the Penguins most important free agents, there's nothing new to report with the other -- defenseman Sergei Gonchar. Talks should be picking up there soon, however, because depending on how they go, there remains a chance the Penguins might deal the rights to #55 at next weekend's draft. As far as I've been appraised, Pittsburgh intends to ask for a decision on Gonchar's camp to any contract offer before that time, so they know where they stand and aren't put in a position of holding the bag after free agency opens without the ability to go after a solid alternative if Gonchar departs.
As far as the other guys go, there's little to report right now on the Eaton and Leopold fronts. What the Penguins do with both of those guys probably won't come into light until Pittsburgh knows what's going to happen with Sarge.
And, while the Penguins still have interest in bringing back Alexei Ponikarovsky, and therefore are kicking the can with Rich Curran, his agent, I don't have a sense that anything is going to happen there soon. And may not at all before July 1 rolls around and Pittsburgh sees where Poni stands in the open market.
Aside from the Sportscenter-making "student flush" the Penguins recently sponsored to test all of their toilets in the new Consol Energy Center within the last week, that's the latest and greatest from Penguins' Nation boys and girls.
Of course, I'll post any meaningful free agent signing news as I hear it, and next week, I'll break down a few of the prospects the Penguins appear to be most interested in for their first round -- 20th overall -- selection at the draft.
More then.
The first and perhaps most notable thing is a likely change behind the Pittsburgh bench.
It seems as if Pens' assistant coach Mike Yeo is about to accept a position offered him by former Penguins' assistant GM, and current Minnesota Wild GM, Chuck Fletcher to coach the Wild's main farm team in the American Hockey League -- the Houston Aeros.
Interestingly, Yeo would replace former Penguins' head coach Kevin Constantine, who was let go in Houston after this past season.
Yeo has always had head coaching aspirations, and this opportunity certainly provides him that. Whether he'll ever make it to the big league in that capacity or not remains to be seen.
Some people around the league hold Yeo as an up-and-coming coaching prospect.
Personally, I'm not sure I see it.
Like current Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma, Yeo is a players' guy. He's been an assistant for a long time in the Penguins organization, including in the AHL, so he has learned from several head coaches along the way, but the key trait I think Yeo primarily lacks is that he's not a leader behind the bench.
Yeo also has had his share of difficulty with one of the specialist roles he's been assigned with the team the last few seasons. You may have heard about it, because it's the most important one, and most Penguin fans consistently blame him for the team's underachievement in that area.
That's right.
The team's power play.
Now, I don't believe the below-expected ranking of the Pens' man-advantage the last few years should fall solely on Yeo, but I think he's had a hand in it. Whether it's not getting the puck on net enough, or whether it's playing Evgeni Malkin at the point, the Pittsburgh power play has had its share of misgivings the last few years. The fact that it has not been regularly able to play up to the capabilities its talent suggests it should has to fall on Yeo to some extent.
Yeo's departure will certainly appease a fair portion of the team's fan base in that regard.
More importantly, though, it will be worth watching to see who the Penguins' bring in to replace Yeo. They already have a former head coach who brings some veteran presence behind the bench in assistant Tony Granato. Will they go the same route and bring in another guy with NHL coaching experience, or will they bring in a young buck on the rise?
Beyond Yeo's likely departure behind the bench, the Pittsburgh blue line has been in the news a little the last week or so.
For one, Pens' defenseman Brooks Orpik underwent minor surgery to repair a hernia problem he played with since January.
Orpik played pretty well with the limitations he was dealing with as a result of the injury but, needless to say, it will be good to have him healthy again. The procedure was a success and after about 4-6 weeks, Orpik will be able to resume full off-ice workouts in preparation for the 2010/2011 season.
He should be ready to go for training camp without limitation.
Meanwhile, with 4 of the team's top 7 blueliners -- Sergei Gonchar, Mark Eaton, Jordan Leopold and Jay McKee -- headed for unrestricted free agency and still unsigned, the Penguins continued to bolster their organizational blueline depth, signing free agent Steve Wagner to a one-year deal.
In a swap of minor-league defensemen, Wagner was acquired late last season from the Saint Louis Blues for rearguard Nate Guenin.
Wagner's new contract is a two-way deal, which would pay him $500,000 in the NHL and significiantly less in the AHL, where he played the rest of last year after the Penguins' traded for him. He had 7 points in 20 regular-season games for the Baby Penguins, and added 1 assist in 4 post-season contests.
Meanwhile, back at the big club, talks between Pens' GM Ray Shero and the agents for several free agents are picking up this week, particularly those between Shero and Pat Morris, the agent for LW Matt Cooke.
It appears as if the Penguins are even talking a 3-year deal with Morris, which would greatly increase the chances of keeping Cooke in Pittsburgh.
While Cooke may be one of the Penguins most important free agents, there's nothing new to report with the other -- defenseman Sergei Gonchar. Talks should be picking up there soon, however, because depending on how they go, there remains a chance the Penguins might deal the rights to #55 at next weekend's draft. As far as I've been appraised, Pittsburgh intends to ask for a decision on Gonchar's camp to any contract offer before that time, so they know where they stand and aren't put in a position of holding the bag after free agency opens without the ability to go after a solid alternative if Gonchar departs.
As far as the other guys go, there's little to report right now on the Eaton and Leopold fronts. What the Penguins do with both of those guys probably won't come into light until Pittsburgh knows what's going to happen with Sarge.
And, while the Penguins still have interest in bringing back Alexei Ponikarovsky, and therefore are kicking the can with Rich Curran, his agent, I don't have a sense that anything is going to happen there soon. And may not at all before July 1 rolls around and Pittsburgh sees where Poni stands in the open market.
Aside from the Sportscenter-making "student flush" the Penguins recently sponsored to test all of their toilets in the new Consol Energy Center within the last week, that's the latest and greatest from Penguins' Nation boys and girls.
Of course, I'll post any meaningful free agent signing news as I hear it, and next week, I'll break down a few of the prospects the Penguins appear to be most interested in for their first round -- 20th overall -- selection at the draft.
More then.
Friday, June 11, 2010
There's No Better Time ....
I thought it would be a good time to check in here and spill my happiness in the wake of the Chicago Blackhawks crushing the dreams and hopes of the Philadelphia Flyers in their home rink by winning this year's Stanley Cup Final in 6 games on Wednesday night.
After the Penguins' air-out-of-their-balloon performance in game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal against the Montreal Canadiens a month ago deprived them of the opportunity to be the squad that knocked off the Flyers, at least the Blackhawks were able to do it.
Boy Chicago was strong the last few games of the Final. They did what they should have done as the favorite in that series --- eventually take it over. And that's true despite them playing generally below their capabilities, in my opinion, in the first 4 games.
Subpar goaltending, which the Flyers got from journeyman Michael Leighton -- and which plagued so many netminders in this year's postseason, including the one we know the best in Pittsburgh -- certainly helped that cause.
Overall, I don't think this year's final was as good as last year's between the Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.
Still, the Blackhawks were loaded just about everywhere in their lineup. While it's going to be very interesting to see what a team already about 10 million over the cap for next year does with their roster and which players they may trade or cut loose, this year they were the team to beat. That's why I picked the Penguins to face them in the Final, and why I certainly wasn't surprised to see them walk away with the Silver Chalice this season.
'Hawks Captain Jonathan Toews was particularly impressive, wasn't he? I felt he was a deserving Conn Smythe Trophy award winner as playoff MVP, no matter how good everyone felt Flyers' blueliner Chris Pronger was this post-season.
And to think the Penguins could have actually drafted Toews?!?! Jordan Staal, who Pittsburgh selected instead, is a strong fit -- and maybe the better one -- for the Pens, but gosh, Toews is a skilled, savvy hockey player and just a natural leader. He's going to be a fixture on that Chicago squad for many years.
Anyway, with the off-season now being officially underway for every NHL team -- and while we wait for the NHL awards, NHL entry draft and the beginning of free agency -- I thought I would post a few things I've been holding on to for a while.
Below are 3 great pieces on Sidney Crosby that I've been wanting to share with my readers, all collected over the last 6 weeks or so. One of them revisits the always intriguing Crosby/Alexander Ovechkin debate.
Enjoy:
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/33130-Top-Shelf-Crosby-the-consummate-champion.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=thn_daily_20100422
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ea-maturecrosby0504
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Simmons/2010/04/29/13769506-qmi.html
I may have other interesting odds, ends, bits and pieces up throughout the summer, too, so check back often.
Next week, I expect we might hear some Penguins free agency news. Check back frequently for that, as well.
After the Penguins' air-out-of-their-balloon performance in game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal against the Montreal Canadiens a month ago deprived them of the opportunity to be the squad that knocked off the Flyers, at least the Blackhawks were able to do it.
Boy Chicago was strong the last few games of the Final. They did what they should have done as the favorite in that series --- eventually take it over. And that's true despite them playing generally below their capabilities, in my opinion, in the first 4 games.
Subpar goaltending, which the Flyers got from journeyman Michael Leighton -- and which plagued so many netminders in this year's postseason, including the one we know the best in Pittsburgh -- certainly helped that cause.
Overall, I don't think this year's final was as good as last year's between the Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.
Still, the Blackhawks were loaded just about everywhere in their lineup. While it's going to be very interesting to see what a team already about 10 million over the cap for next year does with their roster and which players they may trade or cut loose, this year they were the team to beat. That's why I picked the Penguins to face them in the Final, and why I certainly wasn't surprised to see them walk away with the Silver Chalice this season.
'Hawks Captain Jonathan Toews was particularly impressive, wasn't he? I felt he was a deserving Conn Smythe Trophy award winner as playoff MVP, no matter how good everyone felt Flyers' blueliner Chris Pronger was this post-season.
And to think the Penguins could have actually drafted Toews?!?! Jordan Staal, who Pittsburgh selected instead, is a strong fit -- and maybe the better one -- for the Pens, but gosh, Toews is a skilled, savvy hockey player and just a natural leader. He's going to be a fixture on that Chicago squad for many years.
Anyway, with the off-season now being officially underway for every NHL team -- and while we wait for the NHL awards, NHL entry draft and the beginning of free agency -- I thought I would post a few things I've been holding on to for a while.
Below are 3 great pieces on Sidney Crosby that I've been wanting to share with my readers, all collected over the last 6 weeks or so. One of them revisits the always intriguing Crosby/Alexander Ovechkin debate.
Enjoy:
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/33130-Top-Shelf-Crosby-the-consummate-champion.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=thn_daily_20100422
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ea-maturecrosby0504
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Simmons/2010/04/29/13769506-qmi.html
I may have other interesting odds, ends, bits and pieces up throughout the summer, too, so check back often.
Next week, I expect we might hear some Penguins free agency news. Check back frequently for that, as well.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Penguins Re-Sign Prospect Nick Johnson
The Penguins are finally starting to get people under contract this off-season.
Just not those a majority of Pens' followers are the most interested in.
Still, with Pittsburgh's dearth of wing prospects in the organization, it was notable when they re-signed 24 year old right wing Nick Johnson to a one-year, two-way contract yesterday.
The deal will pay him $500,000 if he plays in the National Hockey League, and considerably less if he suits up for the Baby Penguins in Wilkes Barre.
Johnson, 6'1" 200 lbs, showed some potential in 6 games with the Penguins last season, playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin for some of those and not appearing overwhelmed. He had one goal in his NHL debut in January and added an assist in his next 5 contests with the big club.
In the American Hockey League, he tallied 16 goals, 27 assists for 43 points in 61 games.
Johnson is one of several players in a small cluster of forwards that the Penguins will be looking very hard at in training camp. Mark Letetsu, Chris Conner, Dustin Jeffrey and Eric Tangradi are also in the group. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think that one -- or perhaps two of them -- will make the roster next season, and Johnson has as good a shot as anyone.
More soon.
Just not those a majority of Pens' followers are the most interested in.
Still, with Pittsburgh's dearth of wing prospects in the organization, it was notable when they re-signed 24 year old right wing Nick Johnson to a one-year, two-way contract yesterday.
The deal will pay him $500,000 if he plays in the National Hockey League, and considerably less if he suits up for the Baby Penguins in Wilkes Barre.
Johnson, 6'1" 200 lbs, showed some potential in 6 games with the Penguins last season, playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin for some of those and not appearing overwhelmed. He had one goal in his NHL debut in January and added an assist in his next 5 contests with the big club.
In the American Hockey League, he tallied 16 goals, 27 assists for 43 points in 61 games.
Johnson is one of several players in a small cluster of forwards that the Penguins will be looking very hard at in training camp. Mark Letetsu, Chris Conner, Dustin Jeffrey and Eric Tangradi are also in the group. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think that one -- or perhaps two of them -- will make the roster next season, and Johnson has as good a shot as anyone.
More soon.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Penguins & Capitals To Face-Off in 2011 Winter Classic At Heinz; Other Pens' News/Notes
In what even NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman acknowledged was probably one of the worst-kept secrets around, the National Hockey League formally announced on Friday that the game's premier mid-season attraction -- The Winter Classic -- would be hosted @ Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on 1-1-11 between Sidney Crosby and the Penguins, and Alexander Ovechkin and the arch-rival Washington Capitals.
As we all know, this will be the 2nd go-round for the Pens at The Winter Classic, after playing -- and defeating in a 2-1 shootout victory -- the Buffalo Sabres at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo on 1-1-08.
Since that time, the Classic has been played at two baseball stadiums: Wrigley Field in Chicago in 2009 between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings, and Fenway Park in Boston between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers.
This will be the first time since then that the game returns to a much larger, more viewer-friendly football stadium venue.
Either that or that's just the treatment the Penguins get.
While further details and ticket availability to the event are still being planned and haven't been released to the public yet, officials from the team and the City were obviously excited about hosting the contest.
"The Winter Classic has become an iconic event in its four years of existence, and the opportunity to host the game here in Pittsburgh before a packed stadium of 65,000 is a tremendous honor for our organization," Penguins President David Morehouse said when the announcement was made last week.
"There's no better way to ring in the New Year than to host this pre-eminent winter festivity, which symbolizes the resurgence of hockey in this great city," said City of Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. "From the Penguins' 2008-2009 Stnaley Cup Championship season to the opening of the CONSOL Energy Center next season, the Classic will be another historic highlight to continue the legacy of the current Pittsburgh Penguins' team."
I prefer the way Pens' winger Pascal Dupuis described the excitement that goes along with the game, which was delivered without all the PR spin:
"If you're going to play in the Classic, this will be the one to play in because it's going to be a big Pittsburgh party."
I'll obviously have a lot more on this game in the months to come, as it's sure to be another storied chapter in the great rivalry between the Penguins, Capitals and their respective Captains.
Meanwhile, on the transaction front, there isn't much happening for the Pens as it relates to any of their upcoming unrestricted free agents.
Defenseman Sergei Gonchar, Mark Eaton and forward Matt Cooke -- to name 3 of 8 -- are still waiting for talks to commence in earnest between their agents and Pens' GM Ray Shero.
I expect those discussions to pick up in earnest over the next 10 days or so.
Until then, the Penguins have to settle for transactions which fall a bit more under the radar.
Like the signing of 2009 4th round draft pick Nick Petersen to a 3-year contract, for instance.
Petersen was signed last week after just completing his third year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) -- and his first with the St. John Sea Dogs, where he was a teammate of Pens' 2009 first round pick Simon Despres. Petersen tallied 39 goals, 40 assists, and 79 points in just 59 games this year, and added 7 goals and 28 points in 21 post-season contests, as well.
Petersen, 6' 3", also finished an impressive +46 on the year, and has played well enough in the "Q" to see his stock rising up the Penguins' prospect depth chart.
Speaking of the prospect depth chart, a new addition to that list is goaltender Mattias Modig, 23, who Shero first acquired from the Anaheim Ducks over the weekend in exchange for a 6th round draft pick in this year's draft, and then promptly signed to a 2-year contract to give Pittsburgh some additional goaltending depth.
Modig has played his entire career in Sweden, and has been the starting goaltender for Lulea HF the last several seasons. He has posted a respectable 2.35 GAA and 91.4 SV% in the last 2 years (combined) across the pond.
Modig was originally drafted by Anaheim in the 4th round of the 2007 draft.
Finally, today is the day when junior hockey players who remain unsigned 2 years after they were drafted go back into the draft pool, and it looks like the Penguins have a player who fits that description.
It seems as if the organ-I-zation has decided against signing 2008 4th round draft pick Nathan Moon of the Kinston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League.
Moon, a center, has shown flashes of talent since he was drafted, but he also has shown some character issues during that time, too. To be more specific, he has required team-imposed discipline for several incidents the last few years, and aparently, the Penguins don't wish to carry that burden going forward. While no team wants to lose draft picks, Moon's departure from the franchise shouldn't be an overwhelming loss for the club.
More soon.
As we all know, this will be the 2nd go-round for the Pens at The Winter Classic, after playing -- and defeating in a 2-1 shootout victory -- the Buffalo Sabres at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo on 1-1-08.
Since that time, the Classic has been played at two baseball stadiums: Wrigley Field in Chicago in 2009 between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings, and Fenway Park in Boston between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers.
This will be the first time since then that the game returns to a much larger, more viewer-friendly football stadium venue.
Either that or that's just the treatment the Penguins get.
While further details and ticket availability to the event are still being planned and haven't been released to the public yet, officials from the team and the City were obviously excited about hosting the contest.
"The Winter Classic has become an iconic event in its four years of existence, and the opportunity to host the game here in Pittsburgh before a packed stadium of 65,000 is a tremendous honor for our organization," Penguins President David Morehouse said when the announcement was made last week.
"There's no better way to ring in the New Year than to host this pre-eminent winter festivity, which symbolizes the resurgence of hockey in this great city," said City of Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. "From the Penguins' 2008-2009 Stnaley Cup Championship season to the opening of the CONSOL Energy Center next season, the Classic will be another historic highlight to continue the legacy of the current Pittsburgh Penguins' team."
I prefer the way Pens' winger Pascal Dupuis described the excitement that goes along with the game, which was delivered without all the PR spin:
"If you're going to play in the Classic, this will be the one to play in because it's going to be a big Pittsburgh party."
I'll obviously have a lot more on this game in the months to come, as it's sure to be another storied chapter in the great rivalry between the Penguins, Capitals and their respective Captains.
Meanwhile, on the transaction front, there isn't much happening for the Pens as it relates to any of their upcoming unrestricted free agents.
Defenseman Sergei Gonchar, Mark Eaton and forward Matt Cooke -- to name 3 of 8 -- are still waiting for talks to commence in earnest between their agents and Pens' GM Ray Shero.
I expect those discussions to pick up in earnest over the next 10 days or so.
Until then, the Penguins have to settle for transactions which fall a bit more under the radar.
Like the signing of 2009 4th round draft pick Nick Petersen to a 3-year contract, for instance.
Petersen was signed last week after just completing his third year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) -- and his first with the St. John Sea Dogs, where he was a teammate of Pens' 2009 first round pick Simon Despres. Petersen tallied 39 goals, 40 assists, and 79 points in just 59 games this year, and added 7 goals and 28 points in 21 post-season contests, as well.
Petersen, 6' 3", also finished an impressive +46 on the year, and has played well enough in the "Q" to see his stock rising up the Penguins' prospect depth chart.
Speaking of the prospect depth chart, a new addition to that list is goaltender Mattias Modig, 23, who Shero first acquired from the Anaheim Ducks over the weekend in exchange for a 6th round draft pick in this year's draft, and then promptly signed to a 2-year contract to give Pittsburgh some additional goaltending depth.
Modig has played his entire career in Sweden, and has been the starting goaltender for Lulea HF the last several seasons. He has posted a respectable 2.35 GAA and 91.4 SV% in the last 2 years (combined) across the pond.
Modig was originally drafted by Anaheim in the 4th round of the 2007 draft.
Finally, today is the day when junior hockey players who remain unsigned 2 years after they were drafted go back into the draft pool, and it looks like the Penguins have a player who fits that description.
It seems as if the organ-I-zation has decided against signing 2008 4th round draft pick Nathan Moon of the Kinston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League.
Moon, a center, has shown flashes of talent since he was drafted, but he also has shown some character issues during that time, too. To be more specific, he has required team-imposed discipline for several incidents the last few years, and aparently, the Penguins don't wish to carry that burden going forward. While no team wants to lose draft picks, Moon's departure from the franchise shouldn't be an overwhelming loss for the club.
More soon.
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