Penguins Trade Rumors

"Sydor has a year left on his contract and, while it's hard to predict what personnel moves the Penguins will consider this summer because of salary-cap issues, there's little reason to believe he won't spend it here. For starters, he has a no-trade clause in his contract, which means he would have to approve any deal general manager Ray Shero would work out."

"Q: Jaromir Jagr may be a free agent at the end of the season. Do you have any reason to think that he might be interested in coming back to the Pens?"

"Say this about Marian Hossa, he’s not one of those guys who elevates his game to a higher level only because his contract is coming up. The way things are going for Hossa — scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent July 1 — he might be playing himself back into the Penguins’ long-term payroll plans at an affordable price."

"Do not interpret Marian Hossa's growing interest in Pittsburgh's tax structure as a sign he plans to take permanent residence in the city. The place is growing on him, though - and that point could prove favorable to the Penguins' attempt at keeping Hossa, set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. "

"Hossa and Malone fill somewhat different roles, and figure to command somewhat different salaries if and when they hit the market as unrestricted free agents this summer. It's entirely possible that Malone will get a deal worth $4 million or $5 million per season, especially if he continues to perform well in the playoffs."

"Q: What are the chances of Brian Campbell or Marian Hossa coming to the Oilers as free agents?... A: Zip. Campbell, who's done some wonderful things in San Jose, will almost surely re-sign in San Jose for five or six years and $6.5 million a year."

"Q: Would you want to re-sign left wing Ryan Malone or right wing Marian Hossa if you were general manager Ray Shero? I think Malone offers more as a teammate than Hossa, so I think letting Malone go would be a huge mistake."

"Q: Would you want to re-sign left wing Ryan Malone or right wing Marian Hossa if you were general manager Ray Shero? I think Malone offers more as a teammate than Hossa, so I think letting Malone go would be a huge mistake."

"Psst wanna hear a secret? Some of the Pittsburgh Penguins don’t like coach Michel Therrien."

"Where Eaton will be playing in 2008-09 isn't clear; he hasn't discussed a new contract with the Penguins yet and might well be another player for whom they seek a less expensive replacement during the summer."

"A second consecutive early exit wouldn't necessarily doom Therrien, but it might induce upper management to begin pondering whether there was someone else better suited to lead the Penguins to the championship."

"Whitney probably doesn't qualify as an untouchable for the Penguins, but he isn't a guy you should expect them to aggressively market after this season, either."

"Q: I believe that Ryan Malone wants to stay in Pittsburgh. But if the money is right somewhere else, he could take it. With each goal he scores, he is worth a lot more. What do you think will make Ryan leave, and what is your view on him staying if he does?"

"In other hockey cities, they must look at Michel Therrien and see the NHL Coach of the Year. Here, it seems like there are those who can't wait for the Penguins to fire him."

"The reality is Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli tried to move Schaefer, 30, who has two years left on his contract at $2.3 million US per season, at the NHL trade deadline, but couldn't find any takers ... You can bet the Bruins are going to make a pitch for Pittsburgh RW Marian Hossa when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1. "

" Ray Shero gave up a large package for Marian Hossa at the trade deadline but acknowledged Hossa could be a pricey part-timer for the Pittsburgh Penguins. "I'm not sure, to be honest with you," Shero said during a conference call yesterday when he was asked if he expects Hossa to be back with the club next season. "I don't know. If I had to look into a crystal ball, it would be a little cloudy. "

"Like just about everything else in the NHL these days, the futures of Ruutu and Laraque figure to be determined as much by economics as by on-ice performance. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer, and if management decides it could find satisfactory replacements for either who would earn less money, odds are the less-expensive player would be signed."

"Q: Do you think that if the Pens are unable to keep Marian Hossa, they are going to aggressively pursue Pascal Dupuis? I love his work ethic. He has been a great asset since joining the team."

"If they are to win the Stanley Cup, the Penguins need left wing Ryan Malone to produce in the playoffs like he has during the regular season. That scenario would leave little time for general manager Ray Shero to work out a new contract with Malone before he becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1. "

"That's right, unload Crosby and his massive salary. For all his brilliance, and we're not disputing that, he's only the team's fifth-leading goal scorer. Think of all the young and low-salaried talent the franchise could fetch for Crosby."

"Q: What do you think Georges Laraque's future with the Pens looks like? I think it is imperative that he is on the team, with all of the young talent we have."

"Q: What are the possibilities of the Penguins being able to re-sign Marian Hossa and give Evgeni Malkin his new contract? A lot of people are saying it's a foregone conclusion that Hossa is just a rental. Will the new arena help the Penguins to get both signed?"

"Q: Lots has been said about Marian Hossa being a rental player because of the salary cap. One thing I haven't heard discussed is what is stopping Ray Shero from signing Hossa for, say, five years, then trading him prior to Evgeni Malkin's new contract (taking effect) in 2009 if he needs the cap room?"

" Jacques Martin shouldn't buy any real estate in Florida in the next couple of months. After being blocked by Florida owner Alan Cohen from dealing centre Olli Jokinen at Tuesday's NHL trade deadline, the Panthers' GM-coach probably needs to make the playoffs to save his job... You can bet the Bruins will try to sign Pittsburgh RW Marian Hossa as a free agent in the summer. He is close friends with his fellow Slovak, D Zdeno Chara, and would make a nice fit in Boston."

"Q: The Penguins have to think right wing Marian Hossa can be signed to give up top prospect Angelo Esposito, two good locker room guys in Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen, and first-round pick. But can the Penguins possibly sign Hossa and extend Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and give new contracts to Marc-Andre Fleury and Ryan Malone?"

"Marian Hossa is being paid $7 million this season. He might make more when he signs his next contract. But Hossa, the all-star right winger the Penguins acquired shortly before the trade deadline Tuesday, said yesterday money won't necessarily be the only factor that determines where he'll play next season."

"Q: Do you think it would be wise for the Penguins to try to sign Ty Conklin to a contract extension before he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer?"

"If things break right, perhaps Shero will be able to acquire that reliable, physical veteran his defense could use, or even a goal-scoring winger who would thrive playing alongside Sidney Crosby. And if they don't, well, Shero could end up with nothing more than a bloated phone bill."

"Q: How has Angelo Esposito done this season? As he was once a consensus first overall pick, has he continued to progress to the point where he is an "untouchable" in terms of trades?"

"It's believed the Ducks, Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames and Minnesota Wild all have made a pitch for Florida captain Olli Jokinen, who is being shopped. The Stars have been among the most aggressive because co-GM Brett Hull wants to make a big move at the deadline. Jokinen might not be opposed to a deal... Talk won't go away that Calgary left winger Alex Tanguay will be dealt to Montreal for right winger Michael Ryder... There has been little talk about Pittsburgh Penguins left winger Ryan Malone, who's eligible to become an unrestricted free agent July 1."

" Kings D Rob Blake could be dealt to the Avs, although he has refused to waive his no-trade clause ... There has been talk in NHL circles that the Senators may again ask D Wade Redden if he's interested in moving. Listening to Murray lately, that seems highly doubtful. Redden killed a deal to the Sharks for D Matt Carle and a draft pick earlier this month ... The Sabres have to make a decision on D Brian Campbell, who's also set to become an unrestricted free agent. "

"Gary Roberts... After seeing what he did for the Penguins -- and what they did for him -- following his acquisition at the deadline last year, a lot of teams have to believe his toughness and intangibles would be nice additions, even though he's still recovering from a broken leg."

"Because Ty Conklin is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this summer -- and, if he can sustain a level of play anything close to what he's done over the past two months, figures to attract some serious interest on the open market -- the Penguins dare not assume that he'll be on their roster in September, which means they can't simply shrug off the threat of losing Sabourin if he goes on waivers."

"A week ago, the Rangers and every other interested party seemed to be out of the running for Dan Boyle, who at the time appeared poised to sign a long-term deal with Tampa Bay. Now, however, the impending free-agent defenseman may be available, for The Post has learned that despite the Lightning's desire to lock up Boyle, little if any progress has been made toward that end... The Post has learned that in addition to the Rangers, the Flyers and Sharks have been closely monitoring the situation, with the Penguins and Senators recently joining the queue."

"Still, the Penguins' mostly solid play since Sidney Crosby got his high ankle sprain a month ago -- they are 6-4-2 without him -- likely lessens any temptation Shero might have to stray from his patient, deliberate approach to building a team that can be a perennial contender."

"Indications are that some prominent veterans on the cusp of unrestricted free agency -- guys such as Toronto center Mats Sundin and Atlanta winger Marian Hossa -- could go on the market in the coming days, if they aren't there already. The Penguins, though, almost certainly will pass on big-name talent that will command a steep price in a trade and might be on the payroll for only a couple of months."

"Q: What will it take to give coach Michel Therrien a long-term deal? Other than Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the hiring of Ray Shero, he is the biggest reason for the Penguins' turnaround."

"Q: With Marc-Andre Fleury set to return soon, what do you think about the trade value of Dany Sabourin or Ty Conklin, especially with the fairly reasonable possibility that Sabourin would not clear waivers if the Penguins would send him down?"

"Although there's no indication the Penguins made a serious pitch for Peter Forsberg -- who last played in the NHL last season with Nashville -- TSN reported the Penguins are one of several clubs Forsberg has crossed off his list."

"It seems a virtual certainty that Forsberg will be back in the NHL in the near future, but it also seems fairly clear that he doesn't have any interest in playing for the Penguins, regardless of whether they would be inclined to sign him. Philadelphia is widely regarded as the frontrunner to get him, although there are reports of numerous clubs -- from Detroit to Vancouver, Ottawa to Colorado -- making a pitch for him."

"Q: Since Sidney Crosby is going to be out 6-to-8 weeks, will this alter Ray Shero's plans for the trading deadline?"

"Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, free to sign with any team. But the one he'd like to play for most is the one he is with already. Even though there have been times this season when Orpik has fallen out of favor with the coaching staff, he said he'd be "very receptive" to negotiating a deal to remain with the Penguins."

"The suspicion here is that Shero will look to tweak his roster and perhaps reinforce his depth in a few spots, but not to pursue big-name players like Marian Hossa or Mats Sundin. Unless, of course, he could land one of those guys while surrendering nothing more than a sixth-round draft choice and the rights to a non-prospect cashing his checks in the ECHL, which isn't going to happen."

"The Blue Jackets are known to be interested in Pittsburgh center Erik Christensen, who's stuck there behind three world-class centers. But it might take Ole-Kristian Tollefsen to swing the deal."

"The Pittsburgh Penguins might be willing to move centre Erik Christensen for help on the blue line. The Columbus Blue Jackets covet Christensen and would part with defenceman Duvie Westcott. New York Rangers assistant GM Jim Schoenfeld has been watching Columbus closely, but it's thought the Jackets are not ready to deal defenceman Adam Foote. With the news this week that Steve Sullivan is done for the year with back trouble, the Nashville Predators will be in the market for a scoring forward."

"There's no question that Hossa has the potential to be a real difference-maker for some team this spring, even though his personal playoff history is rather lackluster (13 goals and 22 assists in 55 games), but it does not make sense -- on several levels -- for the Penguins to pursue him if the Thrashers put him on the market."

"I spoke at the Monday morning skate with general manager Ray Shero, and I feel confident in predicting the Penguins will not land Atlanta forward Marian Hossa -- barring a complete brain cramp by Atlanta management."

"If Crosby needed somebody to play and think the game at his level, well, Malkin looks like the ideal fit... So many people want the Penguins to make a big-splash move. One rumor had the team considering a deal to send Staal to Atlanta for high-scoring winger Marian Hossa."

"Q: Alex Ovechkin got a $124 million contract for 13 years with the Capitals. How much will this affect the Pens trying to resign Evgeni Malkin? Do you think we'll still have a good shot at re-signing him when the time comes?"

"I spoke at the Monday morning skate with general manager Ray Shero, and I feel confident in predicting the Penguins will not land Atlanta forward Marian Hossa -- barring a complete brain cramp by Atlanta management."