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Sergei Gonchar News & Rumors

Sens' Gonchar, Pens' Malkin together again
November 26
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Ottawa Senators defenseman Sergei Gonchar was always as much a big brother to center Evgeni Malkin as a teammate during their four seasons with the Penguins. Gonchar is in his second season with Ottawa, but the bond remains. The Russians spent Thanksgiving together — Malkin's girlfriend did the cooking — and Gonchar sounded proud of Malkin's progress since injuring his knee in February. They worked out together in Russia during the summer. "To me," Gonchar said, "it seems like he is making that next step and maturing. He is more serious about his job. Last year, he didn't have a successful season like everyone expected him to have, so obviously, he was hoping to play better." Malkin's"
Gonchar likes Malkin's maturity
November 26
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Ottawa defenseman Sergei Gonchar and Penguins center Evgeni Malkin have been close for years. Malkin was Gonchar's tenant for part of the time that Gonchar played with the Penguins. The two also use the same summer training facility in Moscow. This year, Gonchar knew Malkin was rehabilitating from knee surgery during the offseason, but he also noticed that his former teammate was working out with more purpose. Despite being slowed early by soreness in the knee, Malkin has had a strong first quarter this season. He had 18 points in 15 games before facing the Senators Friday night at Consol Energy Center. "To me, it seems like he is making that next step," Gonchar said. "He's maturing. He is"
Gonchar returns to face Jets
October 20
Ottawa Sun
 
"Sergei Gonchar is expected to make his return to the Senators lineup when they face the Winnipeg Jets at Scotiabank Place Thursday. The Ottawa power play missed him while he was gone. Gonchar missed one game — a 7-2 loss to Philadelphia Tuesday — after blocking a shot in Washington on the weekend."
Gonchar putting lost season behind him
October 6
Ottawa Sun
 
"Sergei Gonchar can only look back on last season with disappointment and frustration. After a signing a three-year, $16.5-million deal on July 1, 2010 with the Senators, he turned in a miserable season under a coaching system by Cory Clouston he didn't like. "Yes I was (disappointed)," said Gonchar after a practice Tuesday at the John Labatt Centre. "I don't think I was the only one. I think everyone else was disappointed. "We had pretty high expectations going into the season and then everything just went south on us. It was a bad season for me, but as a team we didn't play well either.""
Gonchar's season could finish early after suffering concussion
March 21
Ottawa Citizen
 
"The Ottawa Senators will be on the ice today following an off day Sunday, but defenceman Sergei Gonchar isn't expected to be back. In fact, there's considerable doubt whether Gonchar will even return for the final 10 games of the season after suffering a concussion in Saturday's 3-2 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Gonchar left the game after his head smacked off the glass following a second-period check by Lightning rookie Mattias Ritola and the Senators finished the game with five defencemen. "I don't know the severity of it and I don't know if you can gauge the severity of it," Senators coach Cory Clouston said following the game. "It's unfortunate. He hit the side of his"
Concussion threatens to end Gonchar's season
March 21
Ottawa Sun
 
"Sergei Gonchar's season could be over. The veteran blueliner, who left Saturday's 3-2 comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning after getting run into the glass by Mattias Ritola, is out with a concussion and there is no timetable for his return. Senators GM Bryan Murray told the Ottawa Sun that under the NHL's new concussion protocol, Gonchar must miss at least a week before he can have a baseline test to see if he can return. With two weeks left on the schedule and league emphasis on making sure players don't return from concussions until they're fully recovered, it's quite possible we won't see Gonchar again this season. "I don't know how bad it is," said Murray. "You never know"
Senators' Gonchar improving after slow start
March 16
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Sergei Gonchar turns 37 next month and has pretty much seen it all during his 16 seasons in the National Hockey League. Some of it, twice. Like how he struggles to settle in with new teams. He joined the Penguins as a free agent in 2005 and, for the first few months of the 2005-06 season, looked like a guy who had just taken up the game during training camp. He subsequently became the cornerstone of a defensive corps that made the Penguins' 2009 Stanley Cup possible. In the previous offseason, he accepted a three-year contract worth $16.5 million offered by Ottawa. By the holiday break in December, he had a plus-minus rating of minus-19 that was easily the worst on a team that he hoped"
Veteran Gonchar in 'refocusing' mode
March 4
Ottawa Citizen
 
"Life hasn't gone as planned for Sergei Gonchar. When the veteran defenceman signed with the Ottawa Senators as a free agent last summer, he had his eyes on another shot at the Stanley Cup, hoping to create offensive magic with a group that included Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Alex Kovalev and Mike Fisher. Now, when Gonchar looks around the dressing room, he sees a cast of youngsters with their eyes on the future. Alfredsson is injured, perhaps for the rest of the season. Kovalev and Fisher are gone, chasing the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators, respectively. Even after beating the Atlanta Thrashers 3-1 on Thursday night, the Senators (22-33-9) rank 29th"
Campoli, Gonchar injuries leave Sens in disarray
February 17
Ottawa Sun
 
"The struggling Senators have now been reduced to a patchwork blue line. Defencemen Chris Campoli and Sergei Gonchar, who both left Tuesday's 4-3 OT loss to the Islanders with lower-body injuries, are on the shelf and won't play against the Boston Bruins Friday at Scotiabank Place, or against the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Saturday. While Matt Carkner could return from a lower-body injury that has forced him to miss the past six games, the Senators will likely recall Derek Smith from their AHL affiliate in Binghamton."
Gonchar OK after shot hits foot
February 15
Ottawa Sun
 
"Sergei Gonchar will be fine. The Senators defenceman left the ice with 20 minutes remaining in practice Monday after taking a shot off the foot, but he was walking around afterward and will be ready to suit up against the Isles Tuesday. "He should be OK. He just took a puck in a bad spot and he need to get off (the ice)," said Senators coach Cory Clouston."
Frustration mounts for Ottawa Senators' Gonchar
December 21
Ottawa Citizen
 
"Sergei Gonchar emerged from the Ottawa Senators dressing room almost an hour after Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals, the strain of a dreadful start to his career with the Senators written all over his face. The Senators' prized summer free agent signing was expected to put a spark into the Senators power play and all-around offensive game. Instead, he ranks 26th among NHL defencemen in scoring, with four goals and 12 assists in 35 games. More glaring, however, are his defensive mistakes, including an inexcusable gaffe early in the second period Sunday that helped the Capitals change the game's momentum and overcome an early 2-0 deficit. Gonchar now owns a plus-minus rating of"
Colossal flop Gonchar has no answers
December 21
Ottawa Sun
 
"You respect the guy for the great career he's had, the offensive numbers he's put up and the Stanley Cup he helped win. You thought he was a good signing, too. Oh, the term was too much at three years, with him being 36, but hey, that's where the Senators needed to go to get him, so they went. At least they did something. And he seems like a good addition to the dressing room, and a quiet, pleasant, polite man to the visitors who ask to speak with him. But on the ice, through his first 35 games as a Senator, Sergei Gonchar has been a colossal disappointment, and that's the only thing that really matters. Asked Sunday night if he's ever gone through anything like this in his previous 15"
Sens stick with new pairs
December 13
Ottawa Sun
 
"The Senators will keep their new look on the blueline. Trying to get better defensive zone coverage and make off-season acquisition Sergei Gonchar comfortable, Senators coach Cory Clouston shuffled his pairings midway through Ottawa's win Friday night over the New Jersey Devils. The new combos will remain tonight as the club tries to create a two-game win streak Monday against the Atlanta Thrashers. Gonchar will skate with Filip Kuba, while Gonchar's old partner Chris Phillips is going to be alongside Erik Karlsson. The only duo that is going to stay together is Matt Carkner and Chris Campoli. Gonchar is minus-16 and hasn't been good. "He knows he needs to be more responsible defensively,""
Gonchar stays upbeat
December 8
Ottawa Sun
 
"Cold out, eh? Well how do you think Sergei Gonchar feels? It's a very chilly minus-14 in his world. The Senators highest priced defenceman entered Tuesday's game against the Habs with a plus-minus rating that was tied for 729th best — out of 734 skaters — in the NHL. With a minus-14, Gonchar is in sniffing distance of James Wisniewski's league worst minus-18. "To be honest with you, I don't think anybody would be happy having that stat," Gonchar boldly stated after the morning skate. "At the same time, I'm old enough to understand some time these stats aren't showing exactly what you're doing." Of course not. An opponent can score just as you're stepping off the ice. Or while your goalie"
Gonchar right on target
November 4
Ottawa Sun
 
"Sergei Gonchar finally got it right. From the right point on the power play, that is. The Senators defenceman moved back to his preferred spot on the man advantage Tuesday against the Leafs in Toronto and it paid dividends as Gonchar had a goal — his first with Ottawa — and assist on the power play in a 3-2 win. "It's great feeling," Gonchar said of scoring his first goal as a Senator. "It's been a few games. The most important thing is that we won the game and that makes it more special for me." Gonchar, who is looking more and more comfortable with his Senators teammates, also set up Erik Karlsson's third of the season on a blast from the point with the man advantage. Gonchar didn't ask"
Gonchar set for 1,000th game
October 26
Ottawa Sun
 
"Sergei Gonchar phoned a friend in Russia to see if the guy wanted to attend his 1,000th NHL game Tuesday at Scotiabank Place. "He said, 'already 1,000?' " Gonchar laughed. "Believe me, it seems like those 1,000 games just flew by. It seems I just got to the NHL and started playing. It's an achievement I'm probably going to be proud of." Gonchar, who has played eight of those games in a Senators jersey, made his NHL debut Feb. 7, 1995 in Buffalo. "I was called up from the Portland Pirates," said Gonchar, a Capitals prospect at the time. "I remember it was a tight game, 2-1 or 1-0 ... a very defensive style at that time. I just remember it was a great feeling. Obviously when I was growing"
Gonchar gets standing ovation from Penguins fans
October 19
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Sergei Gonchar didn't lose the affection of Penguins fans when he signed with Ottawa on July 1. In his first game against his old team, Gonchar received a standing ovation from the Consol Energy Center crowd following a first-period video showcasing highlights from his five years with the Penguins. Gonchar and another former Penguins star, Alex Kovalev, assisted on Daniel Alfredsson goal. ? All fans at Monday's game received "Hockey Fights Cancer" T-shirts in conjunction with a league-wide effort to promote cancer awareness. The Penguins hosted a number of cancer survivors."
Sens Gonchar back in his Pen
October 18
Ottawa Sun
 
"Unlike others returning to play their first game in a rink they called home for a significant chunk of their career, Sergei Gonchar isn't able to joke that he hopes he goes to the right dressing room for the morning skate. In this case, he doesn't know where either of them are. But Gonchar is sure to have a few laughs seeing his old friends with the Penguins before facing them Monday night in the fifth-ever game at the Consol Energy Center. Fourteen of them are still around from the 2008-09 Stanley Cup championship season that stands as the highlight of Gonchar's career. "Obviously, it's going to be something special," the Senators defenceman said of his return to Pittsburgh — a city he"
Gonchar: 'It won't be easy' facing Malkin
October 18
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Two friends had a lunch date planned for Sunday afternoon, but their favorite Japanese restaurant -- Umi in Shadyside -- wasn't open. So, they adjusted. Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar have been doing a lot of that the past few months. The biggest adjustment will come tonight at Consol Energy Center, when Malkin's Penguins play Gonchar's new club, the Ottawa Senators. "We were talking about that at lunch," Gonchar said. "He's playing a new position (right wing), and I'm going to be playing defense on him at some point. It won't be easy. I can't give him too much room." Gonchar seemed relaxed the eve of his first game in Pittsburgh since signing as a free agent with Ottawa on July 1. He is"
Gonchar returns as ex-Penguin
October 18
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"There is every chance some of the Penguins will be tapping their sticks on the Consol Energy Center ice tonight and calling for the puck from Sergei Gonchar. Just like old times, only not quite. In this case, the home club would be trying to tempt its former member to turn the puck over. "I can tell you from experience after I left Washington, it seems like you want to pass the puck to the guy on the other team," Gonchar, now with Ottawa, said by phone. "It's going to be kind of hard that way." He will be playing in Pittsburgh as a visiting player for the first time since he signed with the Penguins in 2005 coming out of the NHL lockout. The Senators play the Penguins at 7:08 p.m. Gonchar,"
Sens count on Gonchar
October 6
Ottawa Sun
 
"The Senators need their defencemen to get more offensive this season. And if the plan is to have any success, Sergei Gonchar will be leading the way. Signed as an unrestricted free agent on July 1, the veteran blueliner is expected to be an impact player and kick-start the offence. The Senators weren't happy with their 21st-ranked power play or their offence from the back end last season. They are hoping the 36-year-old Gonchar can help get them on track. Right now, Gonchar is taking a chemistry lesson. He is trying to get used to the way the Senators work the power play and move the puck. He has spent a lot of time talking to sophomore blueliner Erik Karlsson. "What I'm hoping is I can"
Gonchar's power-play replacement up for grabs
September 25
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Penguins coach Dan Bylsma made it clear Friday that Sergei Gonchar's replacement on the top power play unit is still up for grabs. Bylsma said Alex Goligoski and Kris Letang and newcomer Paul Martin were all under consideration and will receive the opportunity to quarterback the top power unit at some point this preseason. Martin doesn't possess a booming shot from the point but did register 70 career power-play points in 400 games with New Jersey. Goligoski (25 career power-play points) and Letang (27 career power-play points) also will be in the mix, with no one emerging as a clear favorite yet. ? Speaking of the power play, Bylsma acknowledged that he and assistant Todd Reirden are"
Gonchar's settling in with Senators
September 22
Ottawa Citizen
 
"National capitals? Sergei Gonchar has known a few. Washington, D.C., was Gonchar's first NHL home, after he spent two seasons in Moscow, with the famed Dynamo club. And his hometown of Chelyabinsk is capital of the Russian region by the same name. Only in Canada's capital, as a new member of the Ottawa Senators defence corps, has Gonchar and his family truly seen the light. They arrived in Ottawa this summer, Gonchar, his wife, Ksenia, and two young daughters. The youngest is little more than a year. "She doesn't know what's going on," Gonchar says. The older daughter, Natalie, soon to be 8, was missing her friends from Pittsburgh and worried about how she would manage in a new city. After"
Phillips-Gonchar a suited pair
September 19
Ottawa Sun
 
"Chris Phillips has had his share of defensive partners come and go over the years. He started out with veteran Igor Kravchuk in 1997. Spent some time with Patrick Traverse. Had a stint with Lance Pitlick. There were four seasons with Zdeno Chara before he left for the Boston Bruins in 2006. The last four were with Anton Volchenkov, who has packed his bags for the New Jersey Devils. So as the Senators took the ice Saturday for the first day of training camp at Scotiabank Place, it was no surprise that Phillips was skating alongside off-season acquisition Sergei Gonchar."
Aging Senators and Gonchar a good fit
September 11
Ottawa Citizen
 
"The Ottawa Senators have made the playoffs in 12 of the last 13 seasons and that's an impressive statistic. But for a city that hasn't won a Stanley Cup since 1927, it's only the first step. Playing in the postseason will be expected of the Sens in 2010-11, but how far they go will depend on the health of key veterans and the impact of newly acquired defenseman Sergei Gonchar. Using last season as a barometer for this year's outlook isn't fair, considering key injuries undermined the Senators' quest for postseason glory. Ottawa fought valiantly in the 2009-10 playoffs before falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games, and did so without key regulars like right winger Alexei Kovalev,"
Third year clinched Gonchar signing
July 11
Ottawa Citizen
 
"Sergei Gonchar wanted to stay with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the Ottawa Senators wanted him more. "When you're in a city for five years and you win a Stanley Cup, and things are going well, it's hard to leave," Gonchar admitted Friday as he made the rounds at his new hockey home. "Up to the last minute, I was hoping I would get the deal done with Pittsburgh, but unfortunately it didn't work out and here I am in Ottawa." The deal-breaker in Pittsburgh was the 36-year-old's defenceman's request for a third year on a contract, but the Senators were ready to oblige with what ultimately became a deal worth $16.5 million U.S. once free agency began on July 1. "There were a few other teams,"
Gonchar hopes to bring playoff success to Senators
July 10
Ottawa Citizen
 
"The Ottawa Senators are "very close" to a being true Stanley Cup contender, according to their new No. 1 defenceman. Speaking with with the press in Ottawa for the first time since signing a three-year, $16.5 million contract on July 1, Sergei Gonchar argued his squad is well positioned to skate with the big boys in the Eastern Conference. "Hopefully, with my addition, we can go far in the playoffs and win the Cup," he said Friday. Gonchar certainly has some credibility when discussing the Senators' fortunes. The former Pittsburgh Penguin has, after all, faced his new team in three times over the past four postseasons and knows what to expect from the likes of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason"
Gonchar: Cup is my goal
July 10
Ottawa Sun
 
"Sergei Gonchar wasted no time declaring his goal when he arrived in Ottawa Friday for his first visit as a member of the Senators. Even before taking his first question from reporters at a Scotiabank Place press conference Friday, the veteran defenceman was talking Stanley Cup. "I feel like I'm joining a very good club, with very good hockey players," said Gonchar, who signed a three-year, $16.5 million deal with the Senators moments after the free agent market opened July 1. "We're close. Hopefully with my addition we'll go far in the playoffs and win a Cup.""
Gonchar offers parting words for Pens
July 4
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Sergei Gonchar is not sure what he will miss most about Pittsburgh. "It has not hit me yet that I will not be back," he said Friday from his offseason home in Miami. "Ask me in a few months when I am not there every day." Gonchar, 36, signed a three-year contract that totals $16.5 million with the Ottawa Senators within 30 minutes after the NHL free-agent market opened at noon Wednesday. By autographing that offer sheet, he ended a five-year career with the Penguins. The notable numbers: 54 goals, 205 points, a Stanley Cup and a pivotal role mentoring fellow Russian Evgeni Malkin. During an exclusive interview with the Tribune-Review, Gonchar referred to the Penguins as "we," the Senators"
Gonchar a good gamble for Sens
July 2
Ottawa Sun
 
"Another free agency period, another aging, $5-million Russian on his way to Ottawa. Last one hasn't worked out so great, has he. On Canada Day, that was the hey-your-beer-glass-is-half-empty-again way to look at the Senators' signing of 36-year-old Sergei Gonchar. On the flipside, there are probably only 29 other teams that would have liked to land the veteran defenceman. At what cost? That is the good question. There was some talk that Gonchar wanted to stay in Pittsburgh, and was willing to do so for less than the Senators paid him. If that's the case, the deciding factor had to be term. GM Bryan Murray gave Gonchar a three-year deal while others, including the Penguins, would have been"
Penguins lose defenseman Gonchar, but sign Michalek
July 1
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"The Penguins have signed free-agent defenseman Zbynek Michalek, formerly of Phoenix, on the opening day of NHL free agency. Michalek, 27, was signed for five years at a total of $20 million, an annual salary of $4 million that will count against the salary cap. Michalek, a defensive-minded player, is a reputable shot blocker and possesses an underrated outlet pass. He earned $1.5 million last season. The Penguins project slightly more than $7 million in remaining available cap space, and they are not done pursuing defensemen on the market."
Sens sign defence star Gonchar
July 1
Ottawa Citizen
 
"Sergei Gonchar is coming to the Ottawa Senators. The former Pittsburgh Penguins all star defenceman signed a three-year, $16.5 million deal on Thursday, only minutes after the league's unrestricted free agent period opened. Gonchar, 36, scored 11 goals and 39 assists for the Penguins last season. The deal also includes a no-trade clause. Senators general manager Bryan Murray has said that he wanted to club to become more mobile on defence and the Gonchar signing answers that question. The look of the club's defence will change dramatically as Gonchar will now effectively replace Anton Volchenkov."
Penguins lose defenseman Gonchar to Ottawa
July 1
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Defenseman Sergei Gonchar is an Ottawa Senator. Gonchar's five-season run with the Penguins ended today when he signed a three-year contract with Ottawa for a total of $16.5 million, an annual salary-cap hit of $5.5 million. Canada's TSN first reported the deal, but his agent confirmed it to the Tribune-Review at 12:23 p.m. via e-mail. The contract includes a no-trade clause. Gonchar was the Penguins' top defenseman the past five seasons. He also ran their power play."
Report: Senators sign Gonchar
July 1
TSN.ca
 
"Veteran defenceman Sergei Gonchar has signed a three-year contract with the Ottawa Senators worth $5.5 million per year. The contract also includes a no-trade clause. Sens GM Bryan Murray had been said to be looking for a puck-moving blueliner and he did so in acquiring the Russian powerplay quarterback. Gonchar had 11 goals and 39 assists for the Pens last season."
Sergei Gonchar opts to test free-agent market
July 1
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"The odds of defenseman Sergei Gonchar remaining with the Penguins appear to be slim. As of late Wednesday, Penguins general manager Ray Shero and agent JP Barry had not agreed on a new contract for Gonchar, the Penguins' top defenseman of the past five years who will likely test the NHL free-agent market that opens today at noon. "No movement," Barry said via text message, referring to the three-year deal he seeks for Gonchar, 36. The Penguins prefer a two-year term at no more than his previous $5 million annual salary, and Barry said last week a two-year deal would need to include an average annual salary raise. Gonchar will be among the most sought after free agents in a weak market - as"
Gonchar, Guerin heading for free agency
July 1
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Penguins general manager Ray Shero remained in his office long after regular business hours Wednesday, trying to get some of his free-agents-to-be under contract before they go on the market at noon today. From most indications, he should have knocked off early and gotten out to enjoy the nice weather. Shero acknowledged through a spokesman that defenseman Sergei Gonchar seems certain to explore free agency, and the same is true of right winger Bill Guerin. He also passed along word that he was "still in discussion" with defenseman Dan Hamhuis' camp, apparently making a conscious effort again not to use the word "negotiations" to describe the Hamhuis talks. The Penguins sent a third-round"
Shero must keep options open
June 30
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"If either Sergei Gonchar or Dan Hamhuis want to play for the Penguins, each veteran defenseman is likely short on hours to make that happen. The NHL free-agent period that opens at noon Thursday is a world of unknowns, and the Penguins are going after defensemen who will help upgrade the current corps. That won't change. The players they wanted were Gonchar and Hamhuis, hence months of contract discussions with the former and a trade last weekend to acquire exclusive negotiating rights with the latter. However, if Gonchar and Hamhuis opt to test the market - an increasingly likely scenario after Tuesday night arrived without progress on deals for either player - the Penguins will have"
Gonchar has right to leave
June 27
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 columnist Ron Cook
"There's not much doubt that winger Matt Cooke took less money to stay with the Penguins last week than he could have found as a free agent on the open market this week. Good for him. Like teammates Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Brooks Orpik, he put a value on playing here in front of hockey's best fans, playing for owners Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux and playing for a Stanley Cup contender. Good for all those guys. Defenseman Sergei Gonchar appears ready to take a different path if I'm reading the Penguins' trade Friday night for the negotiating rights to free agent-to-be defenseman Dan Hamhuis correctly. Although things could change, Gonchar seems ready to take a run at free agency and"
Signing Gonchar and Hamhuis is goal
June 27
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"It's a vision the Penguins like. A lot. They will find out soon if they can bring it to life. They see a defense that includes Sergei Gonchar, Dan Hamhuis, Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski as their top five. They are willing to sacrifice bringing in a high-profile winger or two this offseason to turn it into reality. "That would be the way we would go with our team, with the strength on defense," general manager Ray Shero said Saturday. "We would go with the guys we have up front and give some needed opportunity to some younger players." The Penguins are strong in the middle with centers Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal. After following a Stanley Cup championship"
Penguins negotiate resigning Gonchar
June 26
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"The Penguins and defenseman Sergei Gonchar have reached a point in contract negotiations where one side apparently will have to give if there is to be an accord before Gonchar would become an unrestricted free agent next Friday. "I think we're down to a decision by both sides," general manager Ray Shero said tonight before the NHL draft at Staples Center. "I think in the next couple of days we should have some resolution one way or the other." Shero declined to say whether he was optimistic or pessimistic that the Penguins will be able to re-sign Gonchar, 36, who is at the conclusion of a five-year, $25 million contract."
Pens should make call on Gonchar now
June 23
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Sergei Gonchar is the Penguins' best defenseman, and would be again next season, too. However, he shouldn't be a Penguin after July 1, and general manager Ray Shero should set a deadline of Friday to resolve Gonchar's future with the franchise he helped win the Stanley Cup in 2009. The way of life in this salary-cap era NHL is for franchises to make difficult decisions. The situation with Gonchar is exactly that. He was one of the best players at his position over the time of his previous contract, an expert power-play quarterback and a quiet but respected leader for the Penguins. However, Gonchar is 36. He has missed 77 games the past two regular seasons. All indications are that he"
Penguins may trade Gonchar's negotiating rights
June 22
TSN.ca
 columnist Darren Dreger
"The Pittsburgh Penguins may consider trading veteran defenceman Sergei Gonchar's negotiating rights. Gonchar has a no-trade clause and the Pens would still like to extend his contract, but sources say there's a good chance Gonchar will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, so the possibility of following a trend of trading a player's rights will likely be explored. Pittsburgh is a cap team, but on the open market, the 36-year-old Stanley Cup champion could lure upwards of $6 million. Over the past decade, offensively speaking, Gonchar has produced on a neck-and-neck pace with Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom as the NHL's top point-getters among NHL defencemen. Meanwhile, firm offers for"
Penguins negotiating with Gonchar
June 20
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Talks have turned into negotiations between the Penguins and representatives for top defenseman Sergei Gonchar. General manager Ray Shero and agent JP Barry discussed contract terms and numbers Saturday, and negotiations are expected to resume Monday. Specifics of the negotiations are not known. The respective policies of Shero and Barry are not to divulge details of contract negotiations, and each declined comment. Gonchar, 36, has scored 53 goals and recorded 259 points in 322 regular-season games since signing a five-year contract worth $25 million with the Penguins in July 2005. He was the club's No. 1 defenseman and power-play quarterback. He is seeking a multi-year deal, and despite"
Penguins' talks with Gonchar, Cooke heat up next week
June 2
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Penguins general manager Ray Shero is headed back to the Stanley Cup final. This time, though, he will not have a vested interest in the outcome. Shero will join his fellow general managers today in Philadelphia, where Game 3 of the Cup final between the Flyers and Chicago will be played tonight, for a meeting held during the championship round each year. One major topic will be the salary-cap ceiling for 2010-11. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has projected a $2 million increase over the $56.8 million figure for the season now winding down, and that figures to have an impact on how Shero approaches negotiations with players who are eligible for unrestricted free agency if not re-signed by"
Gonchar's last stand in Pittsburgh?
May 15
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"If the Eastern Conference semifinal series against Montreal goes down as his last stand with the Penguins, Sergei Gonchar admits he is unsatisfied with the way his five-year tenure ended. Gonchar would prefer not to be remembered for allowing Canadiens winger Travis Moen to get past him at the blue line to score a short-handed goal in the Penguins' 5-2 Game 7 loss Wednesday at Mellon Arena. "I am not satisfied, and it has nothing to do with free agency," said Gonchar, who becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1. "As a team, I felt like we had a good chance in that series. But it didn't work out." Now, Sarge is in charge of his future. The team's top defenseman and power-play quarterback"
Malkin, Gonchar to play in worlds
May 15
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
 
"Thanks to a Slovak, a couple of Russians are headed to Germany. Penguins center Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Sergei Gonchar will play for Russia at the IIHF World Hockey Championships, currently taking place in Germany. They will try to help Russia make up for an embarrassing, nonmedal effort at the Vancouver Olympics. Malkin and Gonchar will depart for Germany in the next few days, the players said Friday at Mellon Arena. "It's my national team," Malkin said. "They called me. I need to help my team, and I can go. I'm not saying no." Gonchar, who has never participated in the event, said he decided to play because he is 36 and running out of chances. Russia lost a quarterfinal game to"
Malkin, Gonchar to play for Russian team
May 15
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Center Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Sergei Gonchar of the Penguins have accepted invitations to play for Russia in the ongoing world championships in Germany. Both represented their country at the Olympics in Vancouver this winter. Gonchar is scheduled to head to Germany tonight, while Malkin is not expected to leave until Saturday."
Malkin, Gonchar to play for Russian team
May 14
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"Center Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Sergei Gonchar of the Penguins have accepted invitations to play for Russia in the ongoing world championships in Germany. Both represented their country at the Olympics in Vancouver this winter."
Letang, Gonchar solve Halak; Penguins take 3-2 series lead
May 9
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
"This is not how the Penguins usually expect to score goals. Or even how they want to most of the time, for that matter. After all, that is why they keep high-priced talent such as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the payroll. But Montreal has made a point of sealing off the area around its net during its second-round playoff series against the Penguins, which means Penguins forwards rarely have had room to breathe, let alone get off an uncontested shot on goal. The antidote -- or, more to the point, the only recourse -- to the Canadiens' strategy is to attack from the outside, and the Penguins did that well in their 2-1 victory Saturday night at Mellon Arena in Game 5. Defensemen Kris"