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.
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