Faceoff Factor

Comments

1. TheOneAndOnlySurge

   Jul 1, 01:24 PM

   Ohlund 7 years 3.5mil cap hit via NHL Live from Bob Mckenzy?SP.

2. Matt Bodenschatz

   Jul 1, 01:34 PM

   That’s one of those contracts that allows for a lower cap hit because he’ll retire before it expires. Couple that with the fact that they just got an experienced, poised, talented Swede to mentor Hedman, and this looks like a good signing. Did the Lightning just do something that was somewhat smart? Am I dreaming?

3. mike t

   Jul 1, 02:09 PM

   Heard from TIOPS that the Pens and Flames are talking a trade. Dupuis and Godard for Curtis Glencross I believe

4. bag o' pucks

   Jul 1, 02:25 PM

   Colton Orr is getting a million per year…REALLY?!?!?! That guy makes Godard look like Jagr, not to mention Godard can whoop Orr’s arse… Good ol’ Burkie, still off his rocker.

5. Matt Bodenschatz

   Jul 1, 02:36 PM

   @Mike, not sure how that trade helps. Glencross makes $1.2 million I believe. That saves $.2 mil on Dupuis’ deal. Godard would then likely be replaced by Bissonnette at a small discount. The Pens may save $.5 mil — if that. No thanks.

   @Bag, what a bad signing. Burke just loves his tough guys, though.

6. Matt Bodenschatz

   Jul 1, 02:56 PM

   I’m hearing Brashear is heading to the Rangers.

   re: Hossa, wow. He just hops from one good team to another. Something tells me this is another (relatively) short contract, as I’m not sure how the Hawks will be able to retain him longterm with all of their young stars.

   re: Anderson, does this put Colorado out of the running for Jonas Gustovsson?

7. Matt Bodenschatz

   Jul 1, 03:03 PM

   Rumor has Kubina heading from Toronto to Atlanta for an undisclosed return. Trade not finalized yet. This, per TSN.

8. Matt Bodenschatz

   Jul 1, 03:11 PM

   re: Hossa, Did I say I thought Hossa’s contract would be short? I meant really long. Like 12 years long :)

   re: Walker, another nice signing for TB. He’s the kind of physical defenseman the Penguins could use if Scuderi departs. I wouldn’t have wanted him at four years, but at $1.7, that’s a nice cap hit.

   re: Conklin, solid signing for STL. He’s a good backup/platoon goalie. Good for TC to finally get a multi-year deal.

9. Justin Maffei

   Jul 1, 03:13 PM

   TFP just made mention that Hossa will be 42 when his contract expires….kind of funny

10. TIM

    Jul 1, 03:16 PM

    12 YEARS!? What on earth? Why take a 12 year deal with Chicago over 10 with Detroit?

11. Moq

    Jul 1, 03:16 PM

    It looks like the Lightning have learned their lesson from last year, unless they follow a pattern: draft offence, sign offence; draft defence, sign defence.

    And I do enjoy reading Red Wings blogs after Hossa signing with Chicago. He’ll meet those classy guys and fans from “Hockeytown” six times a year.

12. Justin Maffei

    Jul 1, 03:17 PM

    according to tsn, the kovalev signing reports are false

13. Justin Maffei

    Jul 1, 03:19 PM

    via Darren Dregger….“Hossa’s deal heavily front loaded. 53 mil for the first 7 years of the 12 yr deal. TSN”

14. Moq

    Jul 1, 03:20 PM

    @Tim,

    Hossa will make more money in the first seven years of his 12-year contract than the entire 10-year Detroit deal, that’s why. Money.

    Argh, Justin beat me to it.

15. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 1, 03:22 PM

    @Justin, since the deal was signed before he turned 35 (he’s 30 right now), a retirement or a buyout is an option for the Hawks. This is one of those deals that has extra years the player almost certainly won’t play. He’ll most likely have a front-loaded contract so he gets his money early, but the team gets to keep its cap hit low. This is the method Detroit likes to use.

    @Tim, Detroit was offering less money per year (reportedly $4 mil) compared to Chicago ($5.2)

    @Moq, the Lightning are being a bit more logical this year. Good for them and their fans!

    @Justin, interesting. I’m sure Michael is on top of this…

16. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 1, 03:32 PM

    re: Kopecky, don’t know much about him, but from everything I’ve heard, he’s a solid player.

    re: Roloson, not bad for the Isles. If they want to even be considered a competitiveteam before it starts, they need a goalie. Roloson gives them that.

17. Pens1967

    Jul 1, 03:35 PM

    Has anyone told the Hawks about the “curse of Hossa” – that no team employing Marian has ever won the Stanley Cup? It could be long drought in Chicagoland. :)

18. Moq

    Jul 1, 03:35 PM

    There’s a surprising amount of sensible signings. The Hossa signing isn’t bad in itself, the cap hit is very reasonable for his abilities. Chicago will have to do something about players like Huet and Campbell to avoid future cap problems. If they manage that it’s a good deal.

    Florida locks up Booth at a reasonable rate, and the goaltenders Anderson, Conklin and Roloson are good signings by the respective teams. Lightning have been mentioned already. All in all, not a lot of craziness yet.

19. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 1, 03:40 PM

    @Pens, apparently not.

    @Moq, I wonder if the sensibility is a good thing with regard to Scuderi? Montador and Walker both went cheaply. Neither is as good as Scuderi, but you have to think the money just isn’t out there this year as compared to last — at least based on how things are going thus far.

    Mike Knuble is about to sign with someone in the East. That, per Andy Strickland.

20. Moq

    Jul 1, 03:47 PM

    @Matt, I think teams will be careful bout offering $3+M to someone with the skillset of Scuderi, especially if the climate is cautious. I read a secondhand rumour about Dallas, perhaps through the advice of Sydor, but I haven’t seen anything to confirm that.

    I still feel reluctant about Scuderi, even at $2M. But better options may not be available.

21. Justin Maffei

    Jul 1, 03:48 PM

    hockeybuzz says knuble to washington….hope not

22. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 1, 03:52 PM

    @Moq, I’d take Scuds at $2 mil. He’s progressed each of the last three or four years. He’s become Bylsma’s go-to guy in terms of shutting down the opposition’s top offensive players. He’s definitely worth at least $2.

    @Justin, looks like it’s the Isles.

23. Justin Maffei

    Jul 1, 03:53 PM

    tsn is reporting washington as well

24. Justin Maffei

    Jul 1, 03:55 PM

    i was hoping not to see knuble much unless he was skating alongside malkin

25. Michael Farkas

    Jul 1, 03:58 PM

    Sorry guys, I’m updating this blind (pure HTML editing, nothing visual)...so I’m confusing some logos at some points…looks all good now, sorry about a couple miscues.

26. Justin Maffei

    Jul 1, 04:00 PM

    that’s what i figured happened….just wanted to make sure you saw it….it looks great!

27. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 1, 04:01 PM

    Caps it is.

    Aplogies for the technical difficulties.

28. Moq

    Jul 1, 04:07 PM

    Regrettably a good pickup by the Capitals. Of course, it makes the Flyers less dangerous as well.

29. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 1, 04:11 PM

    From LetsGoPens, Scuderi remains listed on the Penguins’ roster page. None of the other free agents are. Foreshadowing? Mistake? Only time will tell. But interesting, none-the-less.

30. Nate

    Jul 1, 04:17 PM

    Caps and Chicago are looking tough, of course, Fat Teddy and McPhee have done nothing to sure up their blueline yet. I guess they still feel that Green isn’t to “Soff” for playoff hockey.

31. bag o' pucks

    Jul 1, 04:20 PM

    @Matt: Don’t get your hopes up, they still have Ryan Stone on their “In the System” page, along with a 35-yr old Russian who retired three years ago. They don’t maintain that page so much…

32. Nate

    Jul 1, 04:27 PM

    Hopefully with Brashear and Orr staying in the east, the Godard rumors are false. Biznasty is a good middle-weight, but can’t hang with those two bruisers.

33. Zach Boslett

    Jul 1, 04:51 PM

    Why sign Brashear when Orr is better and cheaper?

34. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 1, 04:55 PM

    Looks like Spacek is heading to Montreal.

    @Nate, defense wins. The Caps lack defense, and therefore won’t win :)

    @Bag, point taken, but this portion of the site clearly was updated recently. Probably nothing more than a slip-up, though.

    @Nate again, I doubt Godard is going anywhere. Shero likes his physical players and there is no heavyweight in the pipeline.

    @Zach, Brashear has a bit more skill (if you can call it that). This just looks to be another Sather bad move.

35. Nate

    Jul 1, 05:15 PM

    Bulin Wall to the Oilers.

36. bag o' pucks

    Jul 1, 05:19 PM

    Happybulin to Edmonton, 4yrs, $15M. It’s officially the Huet-Hossa era in Chi-town. Wonder what the hell the Hawks are going to do when Toews, Kane, Ladd, Skille & Duncan Keith all go RFA next summer. Toews, Kane and Keith will cost them around $15M.

    The Pens can help them. Dupuis for Toews. Do it!!! (/sarcasm)

37. bag o' pucks

    Jul 1, 05:35 PM

    Zigomanis and Mormina still available… Updates pending…

38. Pens1967

    Jul 1, 05:37 PM

    FWIW, Madden just reported Minn, NYR, Tampa, Dallas possibly interested in Scuderi.

39. Moq

    Jul 1, 05:41 PM

    Pronger, Boucher and now Laperriere to the Flyers. They’re making some good moves.

40. Chad

    Jul 1, 05:43 PM

    Moq, any moves the Flyers make are meaningless. They are pinning their hopes to Emery and Brian Boucher.

41. David Scott

    Jul 1, 05:47 PM

    TSN is reporting Scott Clemmensen to Florida (from NJ) – $3.6M 3yrs $1.2M

42. SprJudd

    Jul 1, 05:51 PM

    Why did the Pens sign Mike Rupp? Yes, he’s a big body to have on the ice, but he’s a 3rd or 4th line guy. He’s not going to ride shotgun with Sid or Geno.

43. bag o' pucks

    Jul 1, 05:55 PM

    The Pens signed Mike Rupp because the Flyers have Cote, Carcillo, Asham, and now Laperierre. The Pens 4th line will be Rupp-Adams-Godard. I ain’t sayin’ it’s right, I’m just sayin’ what I’m seeing.

44. Shlim

    Jul 1, 06:00 PM

    FYI Mike Rupp is listed as signed with the Canadiens up top, and you have Craig Anderson listed as resigning with the Panthers (SHould be Clemmenson)

45. Moq

    Jul 1, 06:00 PM

    @Chad, it’s certainly a goaltending gamble, but I wouldn’t call it meaningless.

    @SPRJUDD, Rupp is a little strange if it isn’t a two-way deal. Of course, it could also mean that he’ll replace Dupuis, or that Dupuis will be pushed up again. It’s too early to conclude anything on the first day of free agency.

46. Colin44

    Jul 1, 06:00 PM

    The rupp signing suggests-to me at least-that Godard is a goner unless shero plans on having two heavyweights skate on the 4th line

47. Nate

    Jul 1, 06:15 PM

    Rupp is a big body and a hard worker, but he’s not the enforcer type, hell Sid took him on last season.

48. Nate

    Jul 1, 06:33 PM

    @Tom, agree 100%. Hope he is nothing more than injury insurance or a big body when we play divisional games, esp. against NY, Filthy, etc.

49. ForgedMissionOrders

    Jul 1, 06:43 PM

    Any word on Pesonen? There have to be teams who saw what he did in his first year of North American hockey (34G, 50 A, +12 in 70 Games) and would be willing to sign him to a one way deal. The quotes from those around him in WBS have all been glowing: great attitude, great work ethic, knows the system, and has the skill to play in the NHL. The Pens are crazy if they don’t hang on to him and see what hes got next year. Give him ~$1 million per for 2 years, if it backfires waive him or demote him, but the potential payoff WAY outweighs the risk.

50. Pens1967

    Jul 1, 06:46 PM

    LGP reports Zanon to Minnesota.

51. Nate

    Jul 1, 06:48 PM

    Can’t keep waiting around too long, unless they’re planning on alot of internal promotions, the pool is getting mighty shallow.

52. bag o' pucks

    Jul 1, 06:48 PM

    @Tom, you’d prefer to have Casey Pierro-Zabotel or Janne Pesonen playing four mintues and taking the occasional scrap with guys like Aaron Asham? Really?

    @Forged. Pesonen seems to be Shero’s Plan D. If Tenk or no one else is available, he’d consider Pesonen. Dan Bylsma knows Pesonen better than anyone, and if he had suggested to Shero that Pes has what it takes to be an NHLer, the deal would already have been done. Apparently, Bylsma has made no such aside. At any rate, Pes isn’t high on anyone’s radar, those kinds of signings can wait.

53. Pens1967

    Jul 1, 07:04 PM

    Molinari reports Garon to Columbus.

    He also reports Shero may be trying to move Godard and/or Dupuis to free up more cap space for Scuds and/or Fedo.

54. David Scott

    Jul 1, 07:06 PM

    @MICHAEL FARKAS: You need to fix the line
    “FLA S Craig Anderson 3 3.6 1.2 UFA (New Jersey)”
    to
    “FLA S Scott Clemmensen 3 3.6 1.2 UFA (New Jersey)”

    :)

55. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 1, 07:18 PM

    Wow, I leave and all hell breaks loose! :)

    Some quick thoughts…

    Rupp confuses me.

    Losing Gill isn’t a bad thing with Lovejoy in the wings. The Pens do, however, need to sign another experienced defenseman, hopefully Scuderi.

    The Habs made another splash with Cammalleri. Good signing.

    The Leafs added a prototypical Brian Burke player in Komisarek.

    No to respond…

    @Bag, you’re right. The Penguins are reacting to the physical players entering the Atlantic Division. I don’t agree with Rupp, but he’s a big, physical player. Not a fighter, but big and physical.

    @Tom, the difference between Rupp and guys like Caputi and Tangradi is that two of them are top-line type players who are still developing. One is a career fourth liner who will be on the fourth line. You don’t want Caputi or Tangradi playing fourth line minutes in the NHL when they could be playing top-line minutes in the AHL. This signing has no effect on their chances with the team. It does, however, indicate Jeffrey could have an uphill battle.

    @Pens, this deal is making more sense if it is the precurser to a cap-clearing trade, such as one to move Dupuis and/or Godard.

    I’m not the biggest fan of this signing, but I’m not about to jump all over Shero until I see what his plan is. We’re talking about transactions by the GM who just assembled a Stanley Cup champion. If that hasn’t earned him the benefit of the doubt, absolutely nothing will.

56. ForgedMissionOrders

    Jul 1, 07:22 PM

    @Pucks. I agree he doesn’t appear to be high on the totem pole, and is likely to wait awhile to see what shakes out for others. But the Pens are against the cap and need a scoring type winger on the cheap. I like Tenk, and Sykora, but for my money, considering the Pens cap situation, Janne is a better investment. He is the kind of buy-low player we should be looking for, great upside with little risk.

    @staff, Puck, and the rest of the regular posters here. I heard about the site a week or so ago and the quality of the hockey discussions/analysis here blow other places out of the water. Looking forward to talking hockey with all of you over the long hockey-less summer.

57. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 1, 07:32 PM

    @Forged, welcome to the site. We don’t claim to do too much breaking of news, but we do offer plenty of educated opinions (and label them as opinions, not fact), occasional player interviews (such as the recent conversation with Eric Tangradi), and rehashed news from newspapers and other media outlets (usually with opinions included).

    I hope you enjoy your stay at FF, and I certainly hope you’ll become yet another regular contributor here.

    By the way, Pens1967, you’re not planning on leaving us during the season only to return in the playoffs again, right? We’d like your contributions year-round, if that’s okay with you!

58. Pens STH

    Jul 1, 07:42 PM

    Hey guys,
    I think Pesonen should be given a shot too. But as it was said earlier Bylsma knows him better than any other coach on this side of the country. Watching Shero’s moves he won’t be satisfied with just giving Peso a spot or even a shot without some competition. So, I look for him to add someone to push those guys, or allow him to move someone like Max up.
    If Emery pans out, Flyers could be really tough, though losing Knuble is a big loss in my mind. That was a great move for the Caps.

59. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 1, 07:42 PM

    @Tom, I’m not saying I like the Rupp signing. I don’t. I’m just not yet ready to criticize it yet — until I see Shero’s plan.

60. SprJudd

    Jul 1, 07:43 PM

    If Shero signed Rupp to replace Godard and is now looking to move Godard to free up cap space, that makes no sense to me…wouldn’t Godard’s cap hit be about 75-100K less than Rupp’s? If they are looking to deal anybody, they should look at moving Eaton and Dupuis. That is where they’ll realize the greatest value in clearing cap space.

61. Steel Penguin

    Jul 1, 07:47 PM

    There are some quality guys still out there. Especially, if the Pens pull off the Godard/Dupuis trade I have been hearing about all day. not sure what’s going on with that. Guy like Maxim Afinogenov who did nothing but hurt themselves this past season may come cheap and longer term than say a Sykora or Tenko. I’m not saying I have heard it, but he may be looking for the Cup. He may come pretty cheap especially since he’s only play only 56 at most the past 3 seasons. So there is the risk there. Brian Gionta is another possibility, but may be out of “affordable” with our cap constraints. We need another guy for Malkin so we have to find him in the free agency because i don’t think eric tangradi will be ready, but may be forced to play if we can’t find a good winger for Malkin. Not saying he isn’t ready, but i’d like to see him in WBS for a year to get adjusted. ANyone hearing anything else?

62. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 1, 07:49 PM

    @Pens STH, Welcome to FF! Good points all around.

    @Sprjudd, what if the signing isn’t to replace Godard as a fighter, but as a more capable player who can take a regular shift and fight occasionally? If that is the case — and if Godard and Dupuis are dealt — this deal begins to make a bit of sense.

63. REBEL

    Jul 1, 07:50 PM

    Forged, that’s a great handle. Reminds me of having Eddie O as coach ;) This is the best site for informative discussion and occasional argument. Tom initiates a lot of controversy but still makes some good points.

    I like the way Godard sticks up for his teammates, but he just can’t play. IMO he is expendable. I would rather promote from WBS. I believe Tom said that Mormina is a fierce hitter/fighter. How could that be worse than Godard, if one has to have such ilk on the team? My specific example may be incorrect, but you get the idea.

    FHCMT never gave Pesonnen a chance. How could he show anything on the 3rd or 4th line? I understand HCDB has not givven him a ringing endorsement, but I feel he deserves a better chance than he’s had to date.

64. ForgedMissionOrders

    Jul 1, 07:54 PM

    Thanks, Matt. I’ll be checkin in often I’m sure.

    My 2 cents on Rupp: Zigo was cheaper and his right handed faceoff skills seem more valuable in a 4th liner than what Rupp brings to the table. It doesn’t seem likely that Godard and Rupp can play together on the 4th line without being a huge liability, so it does seem a strange signing. Shero has a track record of making the right moves though, so like others mentioned, perhaps this is a sign of future moves. But as it stands Rupp seems like a pricier downgrade to the 4th line with Zigo still available.

    @TOM. Godard seems to mesh well with team mates, and in the community, and I appreciate that hes out there to protect the stars of the team, but I still cringe watching the man play hockey. It does seem a waste to put him out there every night for his 4-5 minutes and obligatory fight when there are more complete hockey players to fill his spot. At least he knows hes there to fight though, Laraque had more skill but his personality didn’t seem to mesh with being a nasty enforcer.

65. SprJudd

    Jul 1, 08:04 PM

    @Matt – Rupp certainly is a more capable player, but he’s not a very distinguished fighter. And with guys like Mitch Fritz, Donald Brashear, and the cheap-shot squad in Philly all in Pittsburgh’s division, Godard is a useful regular season player. Now if they want somebody who can play better than Godard, that’s fine. But I am still of the opinion that they need a heavyweight (or better heavyweight than Rupp). My only concern is that if they move Godard out, Rupp won’t be able to help protect/dissuade opponents. And for anybody who thinks Godard is incapable of dissuading the cheap stuff by opponents, reference a little talk he had with Scott Gomez last season – Colton Orr immediately stopped taking runs at Sid.

66. REBEL

    Jul 1, 08:08 PM

    Isn’t Nik Antropov still available? What about signing him for the third line and moving Stahl to Malkin’s wing?

67. SprJudd

    Jul 1, 08:11 PM

    @Rebel – Staal doesn’t want to play wing, he wants to play center. And the fact that they’re paying him $4million per year as of today tells me they’ll accommodate him. Also, I have heard that Antropov is asking for the world in his contract demands. Something tells me he’ll settle for less, but the numbers he’s requesting has seemingly turned off at least a few GM’s.

68. Pens1967

    Jul 1, 08:16 PM

    Matt, thanks very much for the compliment. I usually spend the fall and winter following my high school alma mater in football and basketball and through the WPIAL and PIAA playoffs. That, and following the Steelers, is why I don’t post so much during the season, but I will certainly try to stop by more often.

69. REBEL

    Jul 1, 08:17 PM

    @SPRJUDD I’m sure you’re right. Staal has quit complaining about being on the third line it seems, and he gets plenty of ice time. However, he was much more of an offensive force when teamed with Malkin.

    Perhaps his demands are why Antropov is yet unsigned.

    I just don’t think we’ll be able to re-sign Fedotenko and Sykora was not up to the task under HCDB’s aggressive system. That then leaves us two spots to fill on the second line.

70. Michael Farkas

    Jul 1, 08:30 PM

    Wondering why Marian Gaborik isn’t signed? His demands are 10 years, $75 million.

    Antropov is down to 3 teams, his demands are north of $4 million.

    Chris Neil should make a decision soon, he’s got a few teams on his plate including the Rangers and Leafs, who are offering multi-year deals.

71. bag o' pucks

    Jul 1, 08:35 PM

    @Tom. As was mentioned, Rupp’s signing has no impact on Zabotel, Tangradi, etc. They’ll be in WB/S, anyway, playing 18-20mins per game, just like they ought to be.

    We don’t have the full picture at this time. It’s day one of free agency. Rupp’s signing could mean: a) Godard is on his way out, which I doubt; b) Dupuis is on his way out, which would suit me fine; c) Shero isn’t liking the way the Tenk negotiations are going so we may have to live with Dupuis in the top six and Shero is going to be patient, maybe until the trade deadline, to make further improvements. We just don’t know, yet.

    But, it has little impact on the kids in WB/S, because Rupp would go to Europe before playing in the minors again. This is a one-way deal, and you’re going to have to accept that. As for Henrich, the Pens have no plans to bring him back. Boogaard and Biss will have to handle the duties in WB/S of protecting the impressive slew of rookies the Pens are bringing into the ranks.

    Re: Antropov, I read somewhere that his agent was looking for $5M/yr. IF that’s the case, that’s why he’s unsigned at the moment.

72. Moq

    Jul 1, 09:00 PM

    Tom, Minard and Taffe will amount to little more than career minor leaguers and occasional reserves. They’re capable of making the second line. Tangradi and CPZ are straight out of junior hocket and their first pro assignment is to play with Malkin? That’s an unkind approach to development in my opinion. Only Pesonen and Caputi might be able to contribute in a positive way. I would give the advantage to Pesonen. Unless something peculiar happens, Mormina won’t be much more than a 7th defenceman and probably ineligible to fight anyone.

    There’s been far too much negative projection brought on by the signing of Rupp. Regardless of whether he replaces Godard, supplements Goddard or an entirely third option, there’s probably a plan for the signing however unclear it may seem. As Pucks has pointed out, this isn’t the complete picture. This isn’t the only day of free agency. However, we are not a team capable of outbidding most teams for the best players. There’s a lot of patience necessary and probably a bit of luck involved in finding gold among the rubble.

    We may have to be satisfied with a less than splendid outcome, but there are still good players left. Players we can afford that are better than the best from WBS, at least for a while. That doesn’t mean that the youngsters can’t find a roster spot during training camp, but we’re in trouble if the best option is to anoint them now.

73. Moq

    Jul 1, 09:03 PM

    Of course, I meant that Minard and Taffe are incapable of making the second line, and hocket is almost the same as hockey. It’s a little late here and I’m tired. :-)

74. bag o' pucks

    Jul 1, 09:26 PM

    Pesonen and Mormina are in similar situations. They’re both 27 so they’re not considered prospects. And the guy who knows more about them than anyone in the org is now coaching the big club. If Bylsma thinks they could contribute to the big club, whether as second line wingers or 7th d-men, he’ll let Shero know and Shero will trust his coach. The book isn’t closed on those guys, they’re just obviously not option A, and probably not option B, either.

    Until Scuds and Tenk are off the market, guys lower on the totem pole will have to wait. The club is going to need a couple solid vets to lead WB/S, maybe that’s Taffe, or Thomas, etc., unknown at this point.

75. bag o' pucks

    Jul 1, 09:27 PM

    Damn, Gabby’s a Rag.

76. Justin Maffei

    Jul 1, 09:31 PM

    Gaborik for 7.5 per…..that is crazy

77. Zach Boslett

    Jul 1, 09:33 PM

    Don’t worry he’ll only play 20 games

78. Pens1967

    Jul 1, 09:34 PM

    Are you sure that’s 7.5M and not 5.75M?

79. Justin Maffei

    Jul 1, 09:35 PM

    7.5 according to tsn

80. Moq

    Jul 1, 09:38 PM

    Paying $0.143M extra to replace Gomez with Gaborik could be a worthwhile gamble. They should send a thank you card to Gainey.

81. Justin Maffei

    Jul 1, 09:45 PM

    The Habs are making some moves…
    trade for gomez
    sign gill, spacek, camalleri, and gionta

    gill 2.25
    spacek 3.5
    camalleri 6
    gionta 5
    gomez 8

    5 guys for 24.75M…..sorry, but I don’t think these guys will be worth it.

82. sonofatruckload

    Jul 1, 09:46 PM

    any doubts about the atlantic being the best division in hockey next season?

    looks like the only team that could be on the decline is the devils. they probably end up with heatley somehow though, the way this has been going.

83. bag o' pucks

    Jul 1, 10:13 PM

    The Atlantic has comprised half the Eastern playoff field for two straight years. There’s no doubt it’s the best division in hockey.

    And, yes, Justin, Gainey has lost his mind.

84. sonofatruckload

    Jul 1, 10:21 PM

    gionta and madden both gone. are the devils even fielding a team this year? they have like 6 forwards on their roster right now.

85. PensFutureGM

    Jul 1, 10:53 PM

    So, with the recent signings of UFA’s Hossa, Madden, & Kopecky, and RFA Bolland, Chicago only has about $5MM in cap space left. Also, they have no back-up goaltender towards the cap. However, they have 5 talented RFA left to sign: Barker, Brouwer, Versteeg, Frasor, & Eager.
    I think it’d make some excellent sense to send a draft pick or two to the Hawks for Versteeg, and plug him in on the second line with Geno. Maybe something like a second rounder for Versteeg, and sign him to a 3 year, $2.5MM cap hit deal.
    Thoughts?

86. ForgedMissionOrders

    Jul 1, 11:16 PM

    Wow, the Rangers pull off a small miracle when they dumped that ridiculous Gomez contract and then they go and throw a boatload of cash at another big name player. If Gaborik works out they’ll look like geniuses, hes incredibly talented offensively, but nothing about the Rangers would lead me to believe this will work out any better than Redden, Gomez, or Drury has. All the money in the world can’t buy them a clue about building a strong team! Makes me all the more appreciative of the job Shero has done here, locking up our top players long term while refusing to overpay for players to compliment them.

    Anyone else notice how lucky the Sabres are now? They got hammered when Drury, Gomez, and Briere walked on them, but the contracts those three left for are now laughably bad, and huge detriments to the teams carrying them.(or will be soon in Montreal’s case)

87. ForgedMissionOrders

    Jul 1, 11:23 PM

    @pensfuture. I like the Blackhawks, and Versteeg would like nice next to Malkin, but I can’t see them parting with him for a second rounder. (which in all likelihood will be a late 2nd) They would get much better offers than that. Curious what they plan to do down the road though, it sure looks like they’re loading up for a run next year, and they have a fair chance at doing so, but I don’t envy the headache Tallon is creating for himself in the near future, they have a ton of young talent already and its not gonna be cheap to keep it in Chicago.

88. TIM

    Jul 2, 12:11 AM

    Havlat is off to Minnesota. I am surprised they made the move, but they need something losing Gaborik. I thought the Kings would try to make a move on one of Hossa, Havlat or Heatley.

89. Brandon

    Jul 2, 12:48 AM

    Montreal fans have to be ready to riot at this point. They take on Gomez and give up some big assets to do so for the same money they could have paid for Gaborik. Injuries aside, with the money pretty much equal, I take Gaborik. Then with the money they threw at Gionta, they could have gotten Havlat for the same amount. Again, injuries aside, I take Havlat easily in that equation. Gainey made some very rash moves, and he could have easily made some better signings for the same money. He joins Sather and Holmgren in the “spend first, think later” camp.

    LA seems to have slept through today. So much space and nothing to show for it. I also wonder what the Isles are planning to do just to get to the cap floor. That’s at least one big signing to get there…

90. Pens STH

    Jul 2, 01:17 AM

    Minnesota loses one oft-injured forward and replace with another at least Havlat is cheaper. There is no way Gaborik meets his worth in that contract playing in the Atlantic, he’s way too fragile.
    @Forged: Speaking of the Sabres – they’re doing it right by keeping guys like Miller and Roy while signing a shutdown D for a good price in Montador. I doubt they’re done making smart moves that fly under the radar. I think they’ll finish second behind Boston personally. Especially with the turmoil for the rest of the teams in there.

91. Pens STH

    Jul 2, 02:51 AM

    I don’t know if the Pens can afford Mikael Samuelsson, but he’s still out there. And I don’t know what it would take to pry Drew Stafford from Buffalo as an RFA, but he could play with Malkin I think. Both guys can score.

92. ForgedMissionOrders

    Jul 2, 10:03 AM

    @penssth. Living closer to Buffalo now I get much more of them nowadays. Definately not the most splashy team, or the most exciting team to watch, but they put a solid, competitive team out there every year. I totally agree, they know their limits and spend wiely within them. They’ve got a lot of talent on the roster without getting in over their heads financially.

    I like what the Wild are doing as well. Fletcher and Co. seem to be changing the concept of the organization. Gaborik left because he wanted a change from the old guard there, better Havlat who wants to go there than Gaborik who they might have paid off to play there longer. They too have some nice young pieces, and a great goaltender to backstop them. I’m interested to see how quickly they can shift to the more uptempo game.

    Montreal though, with the entire summer to get a plan together it still seems like they got caught off guard. Did nobody let Gainey know Free Agency started July 1? If this really the best they could have done with 33 million? Gomez for 7.37, Gionto for 5, Spacek for 3.5. I can’t see how they are any better off today than they were before, and a case could easily be argued that they are worse by being tied to a bunch of overpaid vets

93. Pens1967

    Jul 2, 10:05 AM

    Apparently the sticking point with Feds is the length of contract. If Shero agrees to more than 2 years, the Pens will have to move someone out for cap space.

94. SprJudd

    Jul 2, 10:28 AM

    @Forged – I think the problem with Gainey is that he has/had too much money to spend. Going into free agency, he had somewhere around $32million to spend. From reading various comments on the blogosphere, I think Gainey felt the pressure to make a huge splash and spend that money. Yes, he should’ve been much smarter about it, but at least this way he can say he made a big splash.

    How depressing it must be for Montreal fans now – they’re getting a taste of what it’s like to be Rangers fans.

95. scruff

    Jul 2, 01:12 PM

    @penssth – Mikael Samuelsson-similar system, good (+/-), two way player with skill, and could be on the cheap…great thought

96. Matt Bodenschatz

    Jul 2, 01:15 PM

    I wouldn’t mind Samuelsson. He may come at a price that allows Shero to also retain Sykora for the other wing..

97. Toe Blake

    Jul 2, 01:39 PM

    Let’s shore up the D first, forget about offense. We had the #1 and #3 scorers in the league last year. Let’s get Scuderi back or Beauchemin, Boyton, whoever. Then we can worry about a wing for Malkin.

98. scruff

    Jul 2, 01:56 PM

    Toe-agreed, but a guy like Samuelsson does a lot for the d by playing both ways (with a scoring touch). And if we lose out on a vet d-man, we’ll have lovejoy and g-ski and they’ll need all the support they can get from the front line.

99. SprJudd

    Jul 2, 01:58 PM

    @Toe – The issue I have with putting a winger for Geno on the backburner is that it has been such a concerted effort to get some wingers for Sid. It’s as if Geno’s being punished for meshing with just about anybody on his line. Personally, I think they should move Kunitz to Geno’s line so that Sid and Geno both have a winger capable of scoring dirty goals and going to the front of the net, and then they can both have a winger playing a couple lines higher than they probably should. For instance, Guerin-Sid-Dupuis and Kunitz-Geno-Max works for me.

100. SprJudd

     Jul 2, 03:53 PM

     Rob Rossi is reporting that Scuds has an offer on the table from the Kings for over $3million per year. Pens are apparently around $2million per year for 4-5 year deal.

101. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 2, 04:22 PM

     @Sprjudd, $2 million for Scuderi is a nice amount for the Pens. If the Kings are offering $3 million (which he deserves), the Penguins won’t be able and should attempt to match.

102. bag o' pucks

     Jul 2, 04:36 PM

     I hear it’s a five-year deal worth around $3.5 per from LA.

     I’m really happy for Scuds, he’s a quality dude.

103. Pens1967

     Jul 2, 04:44 PM

     Scuderi signed with LA. I’m glad he got his payday as he was pretty underpaid the last several years. I hope he sends FHCMT a big thank you gift since Therrien was the one who gave him his chance when many others would have considered him nothing more than a career AHLer.

104. Moq

     Jul 2, 04:45 PM

     Though I’m probably in the minority, I would like the “Scuderi elephant” to leave the room. Not that I have anything against Scuderi, but the longer he’s viable as a Penguin, the longer it’ll take to consider other options in earnest. Or so it appears from the outside. Shero probably had an inkling that it wasn’t going to be.

105. bag o' pucks

     Jul 2, 04:59 PM

     @Moq. Scuds is only an elephant for us, really. I don’t think Shero ever banked on the guy. Shero’s just a patient person and he knows exactly how much he can spend. I’m sure he’s been tracking all the players he has interest in that could realistically fit the budget since yesterday.

     @Tom. Rupp’s not going to WB/S, and he’s not here to play with Malkin. Will he get an occasional shift with the big boys? Of course, just about everyone does. Lines get switched all the time depending on whether a PK just ended or what have you. But Rupp took Zigo’s job, so you can expect approx 6-10 mins from Rupp per night, bottom six mins, not scoring line mins.

106. Pens1967

     Jul 2, 05:00 PM

     Scuderi got 3.4M/yr from LA. I like Scuds but they way overpaid for him.

107. bag o' pucks

     Jul 2, 05:10 PM

     @Tom. I liked Zigo, too, but the team opted to get bigger and rougher. That’s what they accomplished.

108. Pens1967

     Jul 2, 05:17 PM

     Ziggy’s probably not going to get a lot of interest. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up re-signing a two-way contract like Taffe did last year.

109. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 2, 05:23 PM

     @Tom, I think we may see Rupp get some power play time, actually. Maybe not first unit, but certainly second unit. But, ultimately, as others have said, he was signed to be a bigger version of Cooke. He’s a large-scale pest. Zigomanis was essentially a skilled forward who couldn’t cut it on scoring lines and adapted his game to a decent fourth line style. Rupp is a true fourth liner who will serve the team better — though he won’t provide Zigomanis’ faceoff expertise.

     Congrats to Scuderi who earned every penny he signed for. Is he worth it? Nah. But few who sign on the first few days of free agency are worth what they get. Scuderi is a quality person and a good hockey player who makes the most of a very limited skill set. He’s a hard-worker and someone who I will always cheer for. Kudos, Scuds, and good luck!

110. Mike Wilson

     Jul 2, 05:46 PM

     I couldn’t echo those thoughts better, Matt. Los Angeles will get every bit of their money’s worth.

111. Alan

     Jul 2, 05:49 PM

     I’m sure the guy who’s hurting the most to see Scuds go, would be Orpik. They both had the longest tenure and played the same position just with different pairings.

112. TIM

     Jul 2, 05:53 PM

     Indeed, having been born in Southern Cal I always carry a soft spot for the Kings, and I hope he is successful there.

113. bag o' pucks

     Jul 2, 06:08 PM

     Pens may not have won the Cup without his efforts, and timely kick save.

     LA has a pretty damn good blueline now. Add Scuds to Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson, Matt Greene, Tom Priessing, Peter Harold, Sean O’Donnell & Kyle Quincey. That’s a solid lineup.

114. Nate

     Jul 2, 06:35 PM

     I think we all saw the writing on the wall for Scuds and Gill when they resigned Go-go at 1.8 mil. I’m sure sHero is looking towards next year with Tanger and Gonchar coming due. But, I believe Lovejoy will be able to fill Scuds’ spot nicely. I do agree, however, that there will be a veteran D-man signed, I just hope it’s not Bobby Boucher.

115. Zach Boslett

     Jul 2, 08:33 PM

     @Tom
     Pesonen/Caputi would have done better on Malkin’s wing the second half of the season than Sykora/Satan and they have more finishing ability than Talbot/Kennedy…
     I’m right there with you because I watched about half the WBS games last season and saw Lovejoy and Mormina take over the game while they were on the ice.

     Alas, we seem to be in the minority on this matter. Sign on the cheap and then fix if necessary. Got to have that wiggle room for Shero’s favorite time of the year, Deadline Day.

116. bag o' pucks

     Jul 2, 09:23 PM

     “Or, wait until another team picks up Mormina and Pesonen who are both UFAs and the Pens are SOL. This ought to be Shero’s first priority as he has no cap space to do anything else.”

     That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever read on this site.

117. bag o' pucks

     Jul 3, 11:38 AM

     Molinari reports that the Pens are pursuing Jay McKee. Makes sense as they pursued him a couple of years ago before he signed with St. Louis. He’d be an excellent replacement for Scuds.

118. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 3, 11:51 AM

     @Bag, just put up a story about it. I think he’d be a fine replacement. He’s a stay-at-home shot blocker who has experience. Because of the buyout, he’ll likely be quite affordable, as well.

     Looks like they’re also pushing hard to re-sign Fedotenko or find a replacement via free agency or trade.

119. Pens1967

     Jul 3, 12:31 PM

     Pens signed defenseman and local boy Nate (Bill) Guenin.

120. mike t

     Jul 3, 12:32 PM

     The San Jose Sharks have resigned Ryan Clowe to a 4-year deal

121. bag o' pucks

     Jul 3, 12:54 PM

     Holy smokes, Steve McCarthy is back in the bigs. Great offensive ability, but with Mac and Ryan Whitney on the blueline the Ducks won’t exactly be the defensive stalwart they have been in recent years.

     Rumor has it Mikael Samuelsson is close to signing somewhere north of the border.

     A guy like Jason Williams may be a nice addition.

122. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 3, 01:04 PM

     @Bag, I wonder if McCarthy was signed to compete for a spot rather than just being handed one? Even so, this clearly no longer is a Brian Burke team.

     As for Samuelsson, he’s a guy I wouldn’t have minded seeing in Pittsburgh, due to his defensive play (and the loss of two key defenders in Gill and Scuderi). But I have thought of Williams as well. He has a ton of talent, but a troubled past that prevents some teams from pursuing him. He could be a low risk/high reward and big bang for your buck kinda guy.

123. Moq

     Jul 3, 01:31 PM

     According to cap information available, San Jose appears to have 16 players signed for a cap hit of approx. $55.7M. I don’t think they’re trade partners from a Pittsburgh angle, but it looks untenable in San Jose.

124. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 3, 01:36 PM

     @Moq, seems inevitable the Sharks will be making a few moves.

     Ray Shero has apparently called a 1:30 press conference. Being that we’re an hour away, I highly doubt is has to do with the addition of a new free agent — if he signed someone, we’d know. My guess is he will address what he’s working on, the front office changes (Fitzgerald, etc), and the signings of Rupp, Guenin, and Strait.

125. mike t

     Jul 3, 01:42 PM

     This press conference cant mean that Shero’s all done…...can it?

126. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 3, 01:46 PM

     @Mike, I doubt it. Dave Molinari had a story in today’s Post-Gazette that I wrote about this morning that all but confirmed Shero is seeking a veteran defenseman and the return of Fedotenko or the signing/trading of a player to replace Fedotenko, should he leave.

     He may be seeing nothing is imminent, but I highly doubt he will say he is done.

127. Zach Boslett

     Jul 3, 01:54 PM

     The internet would explode with outrageous message board posts and crazy comments if Shero said he was done.

128. mike t

     Jul 3, 02:05 PM

     Haha i figured he wasn’t. Just checking

129. doug

     Jul 3, 02:16 PM

     anyone heard about maxim afinogenov?...
     since he was in buffalo’s doghouse
     i would imagine he might be a soild decent
     bargan…
     my guess is a new enviroment(the pens) might revive his career

130. sonofatruckload

     Jul 3, 02:26 PM

     does it bother anyone else that tom says should instead of would?

     and where the hell can i watch or listen to this shero presser?

131. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 3, 02:29 PM

     @Son, I have no idea where the conference can be viewed/listened to. At this point, I’m starting to doubt there even is one, as there is virtually no mention of it anywhere…

132. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 3, 03:03 PM

     Welcome back, Ruslan!

133. Pens1967

     Jul 3, 03:05 PM

     Nice to have Feds back for another year.

134. Pens1967

     Jul 3, 03:08 PM

     1 yr, 1.8M for Feds is the report. If true, he followed Adams and Guerin and took a pay cut to stick around for another go at the Cup.

135. Moq

     Jul 3, 03:30 PM

     The one-year contract is perfect, both in terms of cap freedom and potential readiness of youngsters next year.

     Now Shero can relax and observe the options on defence, and potentially sign a competitor for the backup spot.

136. Moq

     Jul 3, 03:44 PM

     $Tom, we’re not going to sign a second line forward, unless someone dirt cheap falls in our lap or is reachable through a trade. We have three forward lines identical with the Stanley Cup winning roster.

     Now it’s a couple of million dollar defencemen and a cheap backup goalie in Curry (probably).

     We’re in good shape.

137. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 3, 03:46 PM

     @Tom, if you have read the newspapers interviewing Shero, you’ll note that, in his discussion of prospects who may make the jump next season, he did not mention Mormina or Tangradi. Mormina, likely because he won’t be re-signed, and Tangradi, likely because he lost a summer’s worth of training and development. You constantly mention Gonchar “Gonchar may or may not be able to begin the season in October due to injuries,” but you think a rookie with zero experience will not only make the jump to the NHL, but do so after a summer with zero hockey? Come on.

     You’ll also note that, just today, Shero was reported as being very interested in Jay McKee for defense, and has not ruled out a trade to upgrade his team.

     Guenin is AHL depth, plain and simple. Right now, the Penguins have 13 forwards (the top nine of which match those from the Stanley Cup Finals 100%), so the need for a second liner isn’t nearly as clear as it was 20 minutes ago.

     Essentially, at this point, Shero needs a a top-six defenseman, a seventh defenseman and a backup goaltender. With $2.957 available in cap space, that leaves roughly $1.5 mil for a top-six defender, $700,000 for a seventh defender, and $600,000 for Curry. And considering Shero’s talk of making a possible trade, we could be looking at additional freed up cap space. That is a far cry from unrealistic.

138. sonofatruckload

     Jul 3, 04:13 PM

     lines look like this right now:

     kunitz-sid-guerin
     tenk-malkin-talbot
     cooke-staal-kennedy
     dupuis-adams-godard-rupp

     gonch-orpik
     eaton-letang
     gogo-???

     fleury
     ???

     whatever trade shero is talking about as a possibility has got to involve that extra fourth liner. seeing as he just signed rupp and adams, i dont think it’s either of them. i also read in the PG that shero said he isnt going to trade godard.

     looks like dupuis is the odd man out if a trade is going to happen. that frees up another 1.4 mil. might be nice to have that wiggle room come march

139. bag o' pucks

     Jul 3, 04:39 PM

     @Tom, you’re right, that was only one of the funniest thing I’ve read on this site. You implied that Shero and the Pens would be “SOL” if they don’t sign Janne Pesonen and Joey Mormina. And that signing those two should be “Shero’s first priority.” The notion of either is HI-larious.

     The other funniest things I’ve read are where you tried to convince Bodenschatz and I that a goalie’s responsibility on a two-on-one against is the attacker without the puck (then you try to pass off that you played college hockey…you really should let that one go). And also when you wrote that Joey Mormina has “skills that Scuderi could only dream of.” Perhaps you were referring to a set of skills that will get you nowhere near a $13M contract. Another good call from Tom! Keep it up pal, it’s great comedy.

140. bag o' pucks

     Jul 3, 06:22 PM

     Holy schnikeys…

141. Pens1967

     Jul 3, 06:34 PM

     I think Ben Lovejoy is a lock for the 3rd pairing slot. Bylsma coached him at WBS and reportedly loved his play. Don’t forget it was Therrien who coached Scuderi at WBS and championed his cause. There’s no reason the defensive pairings can’t be Gonchar-Orpik, Easton-Goligoski and Letang-Lovejoy.

142. bag o' pucks

     Jul 3, 06:44 PM

     Except, 67, that the two righties are Letang and Lovejoy, it would be nice to have a righty on two pairings. The Pens once had a dearth of right-handed d-men in the system. Now they’ll have at least two in Pitt (Letang, Lovejoy), and at least five in WB/S (Engelland, Guenin, D’Aversa, Grant, Bortuzzo), not to mention Sneep, who’ll join the ranks in 2010.

143. Moq

     Jul 3, 06:45 PM

     The second line isn’t ideal, but there’s a salary cap in place. One consequence of a salary cap is the inability to get eveything you want. If you spend a lot of money on defence and goaltending then forward quality will suffer. When you have stars like Crosby and Malkin, and pay them accordingly, the chances of surrounding them with equal talent is minute. That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

     The only workaround is developing your own talent meticulously through the draft. That’s the best method for longterm success rather than relying on free agents and their random salary demands. The problem for Pittsburgh is that our talents aren’t quite ready yet, though the pipeline is starting to shape up. A couple of players will probably get a chance to make the team, but we shouldn’t get our hopes up. It’s still early in my opinion. That doesn’t mean they’ll spend all season in the AHL. Reward for good performance and common injuries will give provide games in the NHL. Perhaps even in a scoring role.

     So we can’t sign everyone and the talents aren’t quite ready yet. The consequence of those circumstances is limiting our weaknesses. Some will focus on signing a winger and makeshift defence, others prefer a defensive focus while relying on the best paid players – Crosby and Malkin – to make the most of their offensive team mates. I belong to the latter grouping, unless a method to do both materialises. It hasn’t so far, but you never know until the season starts.

     Therefore I’m satisfied with Talbot as winger, or to put it differently, I’m satisfied with Talbot playing wing for stretches of the season. Because I think that Kennedy, Staal, and perhaps call-ups could take turns if/when the production stalls. That should suffice until the trade deadline, where we might be able to strengthen the position. Just like the previous seasons. In my mind we’re better off than last season.

     (And no, Tom, the defender takes away the passing option and leaves the shooter – the one with the puck – to the goaltender.)

144. Zach Boslett

     Jul 3, 08:05 PM

     @Tom and Pucks and whoever else
     I feel I need to make my position clear in this epic debate. I have seen Mormina play quite extensively and comparing him to Scuderi is very difficult. Mormina can be better compared to a quicker, less offensively challenged Hal Gill. He makes better decisions with the puck than Mr. Gill and is quicker at getting back into position. He has similar reach but with a more physical edge to his game (Ask Jeff Taffe). He probably could have handled Gill’s duties last season and would probably make a good 7th defensemen if needed. He makes the occasional mental mistake, like Gill, but unlike Gill has the speed (compared to Gill) to make up for those mistakes.

     @Moq I agree about the second line but how many teams return their top 9 forwards after a successful season? It could be much worse.

     There is a bunch of talent that could be ready even midseason this year so we may not even need Talbot on the second line if Tangradi/Caputi/Zabotel/Jeffrey/whoever else develop over this season. Look for Caputi to breakout this season. JB from the Citizens Voice said he had not noticed anymore of the immaturity from the kid so look for him to jump up his production in his second pro season.

     @67 I think Lovejoy will be given ample opportunity to win that last spot or will earn playing time through practice/AHL performance or injury.

     @Pucks Who would you fill out the final spot with if you don’t like Lovejoy or Mormina? I like Jay McKee in a limited role. TKO from Columbus was once rumored to the Pens a season or two ago and he would not be too bad. Definitely physical. Boynton would be pretty good as well.

     And sorry Tom… Goalie takes the player with the puck and the defensemen takes away the pass.

145. bag o' pucks

     Jul 3, 08:31 PM

     @Zach. I do like Lovejoy and consider him penciled into the ’09 roster as a 6/7 by the decision makers in Pittsburgh. He’s ready.

     I think there are a number of solutions for the other of the 6/7 spot. I am not, however, attached to Mormina. Or Pesonen for that matter. And the Pens aren’t either, for good reason.

     Why post every day the same thing about Joey Mormina for months? Why not allow Shero to conduct the due diligence that is his obligation as GM? Shouldn’t he be kicking the tires of guys like Jay McKee, Andrew Alberts, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Dmitri Kalinin, O-K Tollefson, hell, Nathan Oytstrick or Jeff Woywitka, while he’s at it?

     If all those guys are too expensive, fine, but it’s Shero’s job investigate the best options for the club. Joey Mormina isn’t going anywhere and, if he did, check the link, there are ten Morminas on it. I want the best solution for the Pens, I’m simply unconvinced that it has to be that one guy.

     http://espn.go.com/nhl/freeagents/_/position/d

146. Pens1967

     Jul 3, 08:48 PM

     I’m not for or against Mormina, but there are players scooped up as UFAs or minor league FAs, who do pan out in the NHL. Lovejoy is a good example of this. That said, I agree that Mormina isn’t going anywhere for awhile and should be available for the Pens to re-sign.

147. Moq

     Jul 3, 09:03 PM

     @Zach, I must have expressed myself poorly. My point was that I’m very satisfied with the current free agency outcome under the given (salary cap) circumstances, and that Talbot is a very good solution for now. At least until the trade deadline. I did include the likelihood of Kennedy or call-ups like Caputi getting a chance. Whether it’ll develop into a permanent solution is up to them. Most people here probably hope they succeed, because that’s the best way to maintain success.

     My problem with Tom’s suggestions, and I believe Pucks has a similar opinion, is the termination of a continued free agency search in favour of blind promotion of WBS players. In the end WBS players may end up filling holes in the roster, but let’s explore the market before calling it quits after three days. Shero should continue to look at defencemen and goaltenders knowing that there are alternatives if he doesn’t succeed.

     But it’s only been three days, and there are good players available. And I expect the fans of WBS Penguins would like to see reinforcement as well after losing Taffe and Minard.

148. bag o' pucks

     Jul 3, 09:11 PM

     Agreed, 67, and sometimes players just get pigeon-holed by teams as minor-leaguers. Tom Kostpoulos was in that boat a bit, here in Pittsburgh. He went elsewhere and made a nice career, and a few million bucks, for himself. But that sure didn’t seem to set the Pens back any. Guys like Kostopoulos and Mormina are, though it sounds harsh, rather easy to replace.

     Although I don’t think that Mormina is better than Gill. If he were, I trust Bylsma, he coached him and would have known this better than anyone. If Mormina were better than Gill, Bylsma would have found a way to get Mormina into the mix in Pittsburgh. He did not. Question answered.

     @Moq, agreed. Shero’s patience has done the Pens very well. No need to change his methods now. He’ll make the right choice.

149. Zach Boslett

     Jul 3, 09:31 PM

     @Pucks I think Mormina has more athleticism than Gill does at this point of his career but he has never gotten a shot and as you have said probably never will. Gill has a veteran presence and is pretty solid on the backend. He makes dumb mistakes with the puck but he is usually in good position once in the defensive zone. Mormina sometimes misses the mental part of the game. So better than Gill? Mentally no, athletically yes.

     About other defensemen… Mormina is a serviceable guy we have in house. By all means he should be calling McKee, O-K Tollefson, Nathan Oytstrick and Jeff Woywitka. But if Shero dares call Alberts, Kalinen, or Bergeron I will cry. I’ve seen those three get burnt too many times during their stays in the Atlantic Division. I think TKO, McKee, and Oystrick would be very solid in our system. McKee played great in an up-tempo system in Buffalo and Oystrick was pretty solid on a less than solid Atlanta blueline.

     @Moq I wasn’t disagreeing with you more emphasizing what you said… Maybe I was the one that didn’t express myself clear enough haha.

     I guess I agreed too quickly about Tom’s earlier suggestion… Terminating too quickly was never an option nor should it ever be. I was of the opinion of retaining Mormina and Pesonen in the organization because they are better players than we have seen with the big club or have been led to believe. Minor League depth, 13th forward/7th defensemen territory.

150. Scotty

     Jul 3, 09:41 PM

     Check out hockey-bums.com for the latest!

151. bag o' pucks

     Jul 3, 09:51 PM

     @Zach. Tossing out names. Point is, there are a lot of guys available and Shero does his due diligence, that much he’s proven. Who Shero & Bylsma decide fits, I’ll trust them. They did, after all, just win that big silver trophy and have forgotten more about hockey than I’ll ever know.

     For example, I was a Zigomanis (and his league leading f-o%) advocate, but I understand Shero’s point with Rupp. They opted for more beef, grit, and another body to screen goaliea on the PP. Tough to argue with those points, so I shut up about Zigo. Kinda…

     But, be honest, wouldn’t Zigs be a nice add on a two-way deal to play in WB/S and a call-up, if necessary? That’s an affirmative!

152. Pens1967

     Jul 3, 09:58 PM

     Per EN at the P-G, Chris Minard signed with Edm and Jeff Taffe with Florida.

153. Zach Boslett

     Jul 3, 10:00 PM

     @Pucks haha bitter much? I was a Zigo fan as well and he would be a good two way deal type player.
     Random fact: He was once a second round pick too. Maybe his Stanley Cup win has gone to his head and he wanted paid like a second round pick? 12 year deal in Chicago perhaps? All kidding aside he probably wanted to go to a team less center heavy and I don’t blame him.

     I know you were tossing out names but Kalinen and Alberts were awful last season and just the thought of them in black and vegas gold makes me cringe… Kalinen was once promising but he’s been terrible for 2+ seasons. Bergeron would be a good choice if we didn’t have Gonchar, Gogo and Letang. He’s a very solid offensive defensemen with very little defensive skills. Buffalo might be a good destination for him after losing Campbell and Spacek in consecutive years.

154. bag o' pucks

     Jul 3, 10:08 PM

     Heh heh, we can speculate all day on why Adams was chosen over Zigo. I wanted them both back, but I’m a greedy bastard. Probably came down to Bylsma, he has a lot of trust for Adams (for pretty good reason), and didn’t see any of Zigo, as he was out of the lineup by the time Bylsma took over.

     I’d be pretty stoked if he took a two-way deal here (no idea if one’s even on the table), but I’m sure he’s looking for a one-way and I don’t blame him. Philly said they were looking for a faceoff specialist. If they sign him, the first time he wins a faceoff clean back to Pronger for a slapper that beats Fleury I’m gonna eat glass…

155. Zach Boslett

     Jul 3, 10:11 PM

     Eh Pronger likes to take slap shots on goal from his own zone. Anyone remember him doing that repeatedly when Anaheim came to Pittsburgh this year? Must have been 5+ times.

156. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 4, 01:34 AM

     Per today’s PG:

     “...the Penguins remain in the market for an experienced, low-priced defenseman who can take a regular shift.”

     ...

     “Although the Penguins also are looking for a No. 2 goalie, finding a defenseman to play on the third pairing appears to be their top personnel priority now that Fedotenko is under contract.”

     ...

     “While Fedotenko’s return fills one of the wing slots on the top two lines, it likely snuffs any chance of Janne Pesonen returning to the Penguins.”

     Looks like the plan is to sign a veteran defenseman to compete with Lovejoy to be the sixth defenseman; a veteran goalie will be pursued to compete with Curry for the backup role; and Pesonen won’t be retained as an NHL hopeful (if at all).

157. Zach Boslett

     Jul 4, 03:30 AM

     Possibly with the departure of Minard and Taffe they will talk with Pesonen about becoming the “man” in WBS to help lead the youngsters?

     Good plan by Shero methinks. The guy knows what he’s doing as opposed to Gainey/Sather.

158. Moq

     Jul 4, 07:20 AM

     There’s no doubt in my mind that defence should be the priority now, and I think Shero can afford to be patient unless a remarkable opportunity comes his way.

     Let’s assume that signing a defenceman and a backup competitor leaves sufficient room to throw another cheap forward into the mix. Would someone like Mark Parrish be interesting as a right wing alternative?

159. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 4, 11:27 AM

     @Zach, Shero was pretty clear he thought Pesonen would be gone, saying this he “... quite honestly, probably came more into play in the event we weren’t able to re-sign Ruslan.”

     Shero’s a pretty straight forward guy. I’m not sure why anyone would take him at anything other than his word.

     But I agree with you…good plan by Shero. As Pucks (I believe) said, Shero has a plan in place. We may not agree with parts of it, but he is the mastermind that built a Stanley Cup team. Shero has given us zero reason to doubt, and being that he and Bylsma and the rest of their staff know this organization much better than we do, we need to give them the benefit of the doubt that they have earned.

     @Moq, I really think Jay McKee is their guy. He’s been mentioned by name in several articles over the last few days, and with him already making $2+ million from his buyout, he may be willing to sign for $1.5 to $2 million. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him today, actually.

160. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 4, 12:18 PM

     Also, Per JB, it would appear Mormina isn’t in the team’s plans:

     “Strait-Engelland
     Grant-Guenin
     D’Aversa-Bortuzzo
     Caffaro”

     ...

     “Alex Grant is the only defenseman I’d consider offensive, so a veteran power-play quarterback would be a nice addition. There’s room for a veteran forward or two, especially a playmaking center, as well. If the Penguins go out and get those pieces, WBS will be fine.”

161. Moq

     Jul 4, 12:21 PM

     @Matt, I have no problem with McKee if he takes less than $2M. The $1.333M buyout money for this season and the next, as well as his injury problems, should lower his salary expectation/demand.

     That solution seems a lot more feasible than the unrealistic hopes for Beauchemin.

162. bag o' pucks

     Jul 4, 12:55 PM

     It’s not uncommon for lefty blueliners to have to play on their backhands. The Piece actually preferred it (damn, I wish that nickname would have been coined well before his last couple months with the franchise). But righties on the backhand is pretty rare. WB/S will have two of them on their backhands. I recall when there were seemingly no righties in the system. Now, the Pens are stocked.

     I’m really hoping that Shero can pull off this potential McKee deal. Fingers crossed.

     Apparently that Taffe deal is an AHL deal? If so, that’s a bit surprising. With he and Minard gone, I’d like to see the Pens bring back Billy Thomas. Yeah, I’m partial to the local guys. At least I make no bones about it!

163. bag o' pucks

     Jul 4, 01:18 PM

     Although it looks like the Pens have added Chris Connor to be one of the veteran scorers in WB/S. He’s been in the Stars’ org for a few years.

     http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app?page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8472368&service=page

164. bag o' pucks

     Jul 4, 01:39 PM

     Oh, boy! Eklund is at it again, or still! Here’s his latest headline:

     Jack Johnson joining friend Crosby? (E2)
     “The rumor mill is a buzz at this witching hour over this. I mean really, really buzzing!”

     It’s “a buzz”, folks!! For those few of you who don’t know who Eklund is, he runs the best hockey comedy site on the net. Unfounded rumors, baseless speculation, absolute garbage. It’s always worth a hearty chuckle.

     The only page on his site worth anything other than that is the Cap Central page. I still wish NHLscap was independent…

165. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 4, 01:48 PM

     @Bag, McKee is my hope at this point. He seems to be a less lanky Gill. The Pens need that additional physical presence on the blueline. Being that he has occasional lapses defensively, I think he would be a nice partner for Letang, who plays a good defensive game, as opposed to Goligoski, who could use a more reliable partner like Eaton. Something tells me McKee will sign today.

     Cooner appears to be a nice veteran signing. I suppose guys like Taffe and Minard wanted a fresh start with a new organization.

     As for Eklund’s page, there are a few other areas worth paying attention to. Most of the writers not named “Eklund” are legitimate. Pens writer Brian Metzer, for example, is a great guy who has helped out at FF a decent amount.

166. Moq

     Jul 4, 02:06 PM

     Hockeybuzz should be visited for some of the bloggers and “Cap Central” (and perhaps Julie). Eklund is just the retarded sidekick.

167. bag o' pucks

     Jul 4, 02:21 PM

     Matt, yes, Metzer is good. Moq, Julie is hot, but she’s a Flyers fan. Some things I just can’t forgive. =)

168. bag o' pucks

     Jul 4, 04:27 PM

     @Matt. I like the Eaton-Letang partnership. If Eaton is a bit more reliable than McKee, Eats is with the right guy. Letang takes more risks than Gogo, he needs Eaton to back him up. Plus, I’d like a bigger body with Gogo, as Gogo isn’t nearly as physical as Letang. Of course, this is completely moot if McKee decides to play elsewhere.

169. REBEL

     Jul 4, 09:12 PM

     Did any of you see that the Blackhawks erred with their offers to their RFA’s and they may be declared UFA’s? Versteeg is one of those players. I can’t wait to read your comments!

170. bag o' pucks

     Jul 5, 07:21 PM

     Pens sign veteran minor league d-man Chris Lee. He fills a need WB/S was lacking in: a left-handed offensive d-man. Lee scored 30 pts from the blueline for rival Bridgeport last season.

     http://hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=81455

     That likely rounds out the WB/S blueline: Lee, Engelland, Guenin, D’Avewrsa, Grant, Bortuzzo, Strait. Although WB/S will have a few guys on AHL deals, perhaps Reid Cashman, Elgin Reid, etc.

171. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 5, 11:39 PM

     @Rebel, I saw this. I think it will amount to nothing, though, as it has been handed over to the NHLPA. As long as the players are fine with it — and I think they will be — this will be nothing more than a blip on the radar of an otherwise excellent offseason for the Hawks.

     @Bag, just added it. Sorry, with the Fourth Weekend and whatnot, computer access for the FF crew has been minimal.

     With Lee, they now have seven defenders with an NHL contract and an additional two or so signed to AHL contracts. What I am gathering is that Lovejoy will be in the NHL and Mormina will be moving on.

     There is a possibility, though, that a few of these guys could move up or down. For example, maybe Lee or Guenin earn a spot as the seventh defenseman? Might be a better option for one of them to ride the pine than a guy like Lovejoy. Or maybe one or several of Bortozzo, Engelland, or D’Aversa play their way to the ECHL.

     Shero always says he likes 10 NHL-capable defenders. Right now, he has five NHL’ers, plus Lovejoy, Guenin, and Lee. I still think we’ll see a veteran added to the mix as a top-six skater. The question is, does Shero view Engelland, D’Aversa or Strait as NHL-capable? If not, does he re-sign a guy like Mormina or sign someone else? Or does he stand pat with nine?

172. bag o' pucks

     Jul 6, 11:23 AM

     @Matt, I think that’s the primary question to this point. I think Shero would be comfortable with:
     Pitt – Gonchar, Orpik, Letang, Eaton, Gogo, Lovejoy, plue one more (McKee?, etc.).
     WB/S – Lee, Guenin, Engelland, Strait, D’Aversa, Grant, Bortuzzo.
     Plus a couple guys, say Reid Cashman and Elgin Reid (or, insert names here) on AHL deals. If Cashman beats out Bortuzzo at the start, so be it but, really, Bortuzzo’s the only guy I could see legitimately starting in Wheeling. The club is too high on guys like Strait, Grant & Engelland for that to happen, and it’s unlikely with Guenin, too. D’Aversa has only an outside chance of being demoted.

     I think Shero would be comfortable with Guenin, Engelland, & Strait in the 8-10 slots. But, injuries always have a way of completely disregarding a good plan. So, I expect one more NHL-type signing and that’s it for the blueline until necessity dictates the roster be revisited.

173. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 6, 11:38 AM

     @Bag, we’re definitely on the same wavelength. By all accounts, the guy in heavy pursuit is Jay McKee. I wouldn’t mind seeing him at all.

174. bag o' pucks

     Jul 6, 05:22 PM

     @Michael. Kovy is 2-yrs, $10M total, $5M cap hit. Dang.

175. Moq

     Jul 6, 05:28 PM

     The ridiculous rumours connecting Pittsburgh with either Kovalev or Beauchemin can finally be put to rest.

176. bag o' pucks

     Jul 6, 06:07 PM

     @Moq. Amen. “But all we’d have to do is trade Dupuis and we could make a run at Kovalev!” XD

177. bag o' pucks

     Jul 6, 09:29 PM

     The PA has filed a grievance with the NHL regarding the status of Kris Versteeg and Cam Barker (the other three who were intially involved have re-signed), indicating they should be UFA immediately and free to negotiate with any team.

     No surprised on the PA’s behalf. I’m sure the league will fight this and an expedited hearing will be called. Curious from an observer’s point, no doubt.

     http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=283900

178. Moq

     Jul 6, 09:52 PM

     Cam Barker just signed with Chicago and I suspect Versteeg will follow. That would nullify the relevance of any hearing.

179. bag o' pucks

     Jul 6, 10:31 PM

     Chicago’s eventually going to have to make a move of some sort, they’re currently over the cap.

180. Moq

     Jul 6, 11:01 PM

     After the NHLPA voted not to renegotiate the CBA, I believe the bonus cushion is back in operation from this season. In essence it’s possible to exceed the salary cap by 7.5% to pay bonuses. There’s a downside, however, the bonus amount that exceeds the cap is subtracted from next year’s salary cap.

     Chicago currently has a maximum bonus amount of approx. $3.7M. That gives them a possible (legal) cap hit of:

     $56.8M + $3.7M = $60.5M.

     If that happens and all bonuses are met, then they’ll lose $3.7M worth of salary cap next year.

     If Jack Skille stays in the AHL and Versteeg doesn’t demand an outrageous sum, they shouldn’t exceed the cap by that much. But they may make a move nonetheless.

     Sorry about any confusing scripture, it’s rather late here and bed is calling.

181. bag o' pucks

     Jul 6, 11:45 PM

     There’s really no way for Chicago to realistically defer any of their cap to 2010-11. The only salary they have dropping off next summer is Madden’s $2.75M and Keith’s $1.475M. Even if they don’t try to re-sign Keith (which is doubtful, because he’s their best all-around blueliner) they have several guys who are RFA next summer, including Toews & Kane. Those two alone will get huge raises. To defer cap will be extremely problematic for Chicago.

182. Moq

     Jul 7, 07:51 AM

     Realistically, I don’t think they’ll defer salary but that temporary bailout option remains nonetheless. Everything suggests that they’ll have to move a player or two before the season starts.

     From a Pittsburgh perspective, I wouldn’t mind if Shero where to contact Chicago about Jack Skille. He’s on the last year of his entry deal, and will probably have to spend it in the AHL due to cap problems, unless he’s destined to replace someone bound for movement elsewhere. A right shooter with promise.

183. bag o' pucks

     Jul 7, 11:14 AM

     Skille may end up replacing Versteeg as soon as this season. You’ve gotta figure Versteeg thinks he’s worth as much as Bolland, who got $3.375M/yr. Hawks can’t afford that. I wouldn’t be surprised if, once the dust settles from this QO flap, Chicago starts peddling Versteeg.

184. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 7, 11:25 AM

     @Moq, Skille is a guy I’ve wanted to see around these parts for more than a year, now. I don’t have the slightest clue what value he would have in a trade, as he’s yet to be the consistent contributor the Hawks were hoping he would become. But, seeing as how he remains on his entry level contract, you would think it would at least take a bit of prying to get him away from Chicago. Remember, he has little NHL time to use as a bargaining chip when negotiating a contract, which makes him a likely cheap option for Chicago to lean on next year when their cap situation becomes problematic.

185. ForgedMissionOrders

     Jul 7, 02:28 PM

     Obviously way off topic, but anyone else hear about “Savran on Sportsbeat” getting canned? He was one of the few local sports shows worth watching IMHO. And he showed a good deal of hockey knowledge even when the Pens were down. FSN needed more time to show Best Damn shows, but I hope Stan lands somewhere else, he deserves a place to talk Pittsburgh sports

186. bag o' pucks

     Jul 7, 07:03 PM

     Woywitka to Dallas, two years, $1.3M total.

187. bag o' pucks

     Jul 7, 10:11 PM

     Boston inks two former Pens, Dany Sabourin and Drew Fata.

     In other news, Tom’s resorted to trolling JB’s blog about Mormina. It’s just sad.

188. Pens1967

     Jul 8, 07:27 AM

     I have to wonder what Holmgren is doing in Philly signing Pronger to a ridiculously long contract. Apparently he learned nothing from the previous Hatcher signing.

189. Moq

     Jul 8, 07:30 AM

     Though the CBA is poorly worded in the section describing the “Over 35” rule, I believe Pronger isn’t included by it.

     Philadelphia may be idiots, but I don’t see them signing Pronger to a contract like this without having an army of lawyers checking the consequences of early Pronger retirement. Then again, it is Philadelphia.

190. mbizzle

     Jul 8, 08:13 AM

     I feel like the only reason Holmgren ever signed Biron was because he saw he fought Ray Emery in that all out brawl between Ottawa/Buffalo last year I think it was. Search it on youtube, it’s really entertaining to watch.

     We know that Philly doesn’t base their players on talent necessarily, but how many PIM (Carcillo #1) they got during a season or how many fights they got into (Cote was at the top), or if they ever cheapshot someone in the past (Gauthier, Alberts, Pronger, Downie). A couple of those guys are now gone, but there’s no doubt they will find equal replacements who can provide terrible hockey and many suspensions.

     @Forged, Yeah they’re saying Savran’s show on FSN will be discontinued. Apparently his contract is expiring and/or FSN doesn’t have enough money to keep the show running. It’s a financial move and nothing personal against Stan. I agree he’s great, but I hope they can get some new/younger guy who has more expertise in hockey than Stan did. Stan was more football saavy than he was hockey IMO.

191. Moq

     Jul 8, 08:49 AM

     I was wrong, Pronger is subject to the “Over 35” rule, hence retirement won’t remove Prongers cap hit.

     That’s just terrible.

192. bag o' pucks

     Jul 8, 11:23 AM

     @Moq. I don’t think the over-35 rule applies to this deal, as Pronger won’t be 35 until Oct 10th. At any rate, $34M of the $35M in the contract will be paid to him in the first five years of the deal.

193. bag o' pucks

     Jul 8, 11:25 AM

     Never mind what I just posted, like Moq, I just realized that the deal he’s on has a year left so this extension isn’t in effect until next summer. What an awful deal, hahahaha. Damn, I love Philly…

194. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 8, 11:49 AM

     @Forged, Fox Sports is becoming a joke. From what I understand, the goal is to essentially eliminate all local coverage aside from Penguin and Pirate games. These teams would be wise to look into signing on with, say, CW, or some other network when their contracts expire.

195. bag o' pucks

     Jul 8, 12:40 PM

     Fox has always been a joke.

196. bag o' pucks

     Jul 8, 01:28 PM

     TSN is reporting that Jiri Hudler has signed a one-year deal in the KHL for $2M. At first blush, this makes no sense to me. He’d have gotten at least that much from his arbitration hearing.

197. mbizzle

     Jul 8, 01:34 PM

     @Bag O,

     Jiri Hudler is a talented/skilled young guy, but he’s soffff. Did you see him get rammed by Mike Brown of the Ducks in Rd. 2? He’s probably had dreams about that hit ever since or has some concussion problems. He was nowhere to be found in the Finals.

     I’m assuming he just wants to play in a
     more laid back atmosphere, but you’re right he’d def. receive more with Det.
     Detroit isn’t worried they only have: Helm, Abdelkader, Leino, and many more waiting to become the next Zetterberg’s and Datsyuk’s of the world.

198. Jon

     Jul 8, 02:43 PM

     I’m not positive, but I seem to remember reading something about the KHL offers being tax free, which would be appealing to a lot of players. So essentially Hudler can play there for $2,000,000 and keep more of it, or play in the NHL for $2,000,000, but lose a bunch to state and federal tax. But I’m not expert on the matter.

199. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 8, 03:26 PM

     @Jon, also worthy of note is that many of these European players — Hudler included — may choose to take a little les than they’d make in the NHL to play in the KHL, as they’ll be closer to home.

200. bag o' pucks

     Jul 8, 04:18 PM

     I’m more surprised at the term, really. I understand if a guy’s bolting to Europe to play in a softer league or for tax free dollars. But he could only get a one-year deal out of it? I would think someone over there would’ve given him a three-year deal. Then again, maybe he’s playing one year to increase his value. Whatever. See ya.

201. Matt Bodenschatz

     Jul 8, 04:37 PM

     @Pucks, per Kukla’s Korner, the contract is for two years, not one.

202. bag o' pucks

     Jul 8, 05:23 PM

     Yes, reports for both one and two years out now.

203. Pens1967

     Jul 8, 09:41 PM

     Matt, I would love to see KDKA, WPXI, WTAE or WPGH use one of their new digital channels and turn it into a local sports haven. They could bid for the rights to all the local pro, college and high school games. The best part is you wouldn’t have to pay for FSP on cable, you could get the channel over the new, free, digital broadcast channels airwaves.

204. bag o' pucks

     Jul 9, 02:16 PM

     The dream is dead for Tom. Joey Mormina signed with Philly, so he’ll be a…I don’t know. The Phantoms folded, I don’t know where Philly’s new AHL club is located.

205. anthony

     Jul 9, 03:18 PM

     mara or mckee?

     with only 3mil left in cap space, and needing to sign lovejoy @800k and curry @600k that leaves roughly 1.5mil for one defenseman. would either mara or mckee sign for a one year 1.1 to 1.25mil dollar contract?

Commenting is closed for this article.