Pens plan to keep Kennedy, land Jagr
The Penguins cut Tyler Kennedy loose Monday, but general manager Ray Shero said he wants to re-sign him before NHL free agency begins Friday.
Shero also hopes to reach a tentative agreement on a one-year deal with Jaromir Jagr before Friday, industry sources told the Tribune-Review last night.
Mike Comrie and Alex Kovalev -- won't be re-signed. "I'm not sure what Mike's going to do," Shero said. "He might be leaning toward retirement." Comrie, 30, was signed as a free agent last summer. He had a strong preseason but sustained a right hip injury in the second game of the season that eventually required surgery in December. He returned to play sparingly late in the season, finishing with one goal, six points in 21 games. He did not crack the lineup in the playoffs.
Penguins, Jagr a connection worth chasingConnecting the various dots, it would appear that the Penguins are interested in mending fences with Jaromir Jagr , and that Jagr is interested in returning to the NHL. Add into that his hat trick Wednesday against the United States in Slovakia and, man, that sure sounds to me like a connection worth making. In fact, it sounds like a win-win-win.
Pending free agency links Adams, Dupuis, TalbotThey are all different players, of course. Max Talbot doesn't score as often as Pascal Dupuis; Craig Adams isn't as good on faceoffs as Talbot. Dupuis doesn't register as many hits as Adams. But they also are alike, in a lot of ways. Each usually fills a blue-collar role. They are responsible defensively. They kill penalties well. And they are all about to become unrestricted free agents.
Penguins: Bring back Kovalev? Ten days ago, all indications were that general manager Ray Shero would be facing a difficult decision as the NHL trade deadline, set for 3 p.m. Feb. 28, began to close in:
Should he go out for a long lunch, or just take a nap?
The Penguins, you see, barely had enough salary-cap space to add a guy capable of dressing himself, let alone someone who could fill a meaningful role during the stretch drive and playoffs.
Shero likely to be a player at trade deadline The Penguins aren't quite ready to acknowledge that Evgeni Malkin won't play again this season, although that is nothing more than a formality at this point.
Putting him on the Long Term Injured List will free up $8 million or so in salary-cap space (the precise figure changes day to day, but it is Malkin's $8.7 million cap hit, minus the amount separating the Penguins from the cap ceiling of $59.4 million).
Shero has decisions to make on free agents Max Talbot's place in this city's sporting lore is secure forever.
His place with the Penguins probably is not.
Talbot, of course, scored both of the Penguins' goals in their 2-1 victory in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup final in Detroit, one of the great clutch performances by anyone who has played here in any sport.
Fleury's poor play to start the season could lead to more time for Johnson Coach Dan Bylsma was uncharacteristically candid about -- and critical of -- the work of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in the minutes following a 4-3 loss to Toronto Wednesday at Consol Energy Center.
His team had outshot the Maple Leafs, 25-14, and had held them, by Bylsma's reckoning, to about eight scoring chances.
Pens Hope Grand Finale for Grand OpeningThe Pittsburgh Penguins are set to begin another chapter in their up and down history ushering in a new building.
With a top heavy lineup that includes the best group of centres, a revamped defence and solid goaltending, the team would love nothing more than to bring the championship back to Pittsburgh after a 1 year hiatus. What better way to open up new digs than to decorate it with a championship banner.
If the team is hungry enough and motivated enough and gets something from their no-name group of wingers, the team just may very well win their 2nd championship in 3 years.
The Pens trading Malkin. Good or bad idea???I know there are some who want to lay the blame for the Pens playoff failure on Geno's shoulders, but overall the team played the wrong system against the Habs and it cost them. Now come the rumors that
Malkin could be had for the right price. I for one would put him out there to see what offers come in, and I will propose a couple for you to comment on, good or bad. I will try and maintain the salary cap, but if I put a wrong cap hit for a player, please let me know.
