Penguins fan blasphemy?

Admittedly, I probably should invest in a life sometime. When I am left with idle time outside of work and family, there seems to be nothing I think about other than hockey.  One of the most fun things a hockey addict can think about this time of year, how could their team be improved at the deadline to be more of a contender for the Stanley Cup run.  Some people dream of players coming in and going out with little regard for salary, contract term, etc.   I like to take the time personally to have some idea as to cap space, need etc.  I am not bad at it, calling Neal or Benn as targets at last year's deadline due to cap hit, Dallas being western conference, the Pens' need for scoring up front, and the Stars' need for a puck moving defenseman.  That does not mean anything in the grand scheme, but I wanted to give myself SOME credibility.  I am going to toss one out there today just for fun, though it has no chance whatsoever of happening given the rivalry between the teams, and the FIT and respect this players seems to have with his coach.  He is HATED by Penguins fans, but that is exactly the point.  Let me step back a minute.  When you hear people talk about what the Penguins need to be better, you hear that they need another scoring winger, along with size and grit.  They need to be "harder to play against."  They need bigger bodies with an edge.  There is one player who would give the Penguins more scoring up front, make them bigger, meaner, and much harder and more annoying to play against.  That player?  Scott Hartnell.  As my fellow Penguins fans knash their teeth and talk about the many moments Hartnell pissed them off due to his rough or "borderline" play, or yapping, you are making my point.  Penguins fans loved how Jarkko Ruutu was physical, and got under the skin of the other teams' better players.  It was/is the same with Matt Cooke, at least prior to his defanging at the hands of the NHL.  What would be wrong with having a guy who got under the opponents skin in the same manner, but had size at 6"2" and 210 pounds, along with a scoring touch.  And a force on the power play, which can change the course of a game?  Scott Hartnell, along with pissing off opponents all year long, has 25 goals thus far this season, and he is tied with James Neal at 13 power play goals.  For those who want to say that this is a fluke, Hartnell has 210 career goals, 451 points, 71 power play goals and 1214 PIMs.  He is a +18 this year, and has been a plus player, including +18 and +19 in six of his past seven seasons.  He is pacing for 35 plus goals this year, and has been over 20 goals in 5 of the past six, including a 30 goal season in 2008-09.  He has had as many as 8 game winning goals (05-06), and four to this point this season.  I know, he can't skate well.....in fact he skates so bad, there is a website at hartnelldown.com that tracks the number of times Hartnell falls in a game/season.  Before you use this as a way to dismiss the notion of Hartnell in Bylsma's system, remember that Peter Laviolette employs a very similar aggressive and uptempo system and Hartnell seems to be flourishing in it.  If you watched 24/7 you can see the passion and commitment expected by Laviolette, and you can see how often he seems to reference Hartsy's passionate play.  It is tough to watch that without getting the picture that Hartnell is a VERY well respected and admired part of the locker room in Philadelphia.  As you watch the Penguins play, and watch Michalek and Martin struggle to meet the high expectations the Penguins had for them and  watch opponents stand in front of the cage with hardly a nudge, is it so hard to think that the Penguins may be a tougher match up if you took the 4M cap hit of Michalek and moved it to bring in the 4.2M cap hit for Hartnell?  Hartnell is signed at that number through 2012-13.  Could you see them plugging that gap on the blue line with a veteran rental if they were not ready to hinge their cup run on Orpik, Letang, Martin, Engelland, Lovejoy, and Niskanen?  There are some solid rentals available at the deadline, and the Penguins have plenty of prospects to pull off even a longer term hockey trade if necessary.  You have to figure that Martin or Michalek will be off season trade bait to make room for Despres, and to create the cap space necessary to retain James Neal among others.  Listen, I don't see Philadelphia being a willing dance partner for many reasons, including the value they see in Scott Hartnell, but I can easily see him being a formidable addition to the Penguins group of forwards.  As I watch Hartnell this All-Star weekend, I see and hear how affable he is off the ice, and how well liked he seems to be, I began to think what many yinzers think would be blasphemy.  Fartsmell would look great in black and vegas gold!  I think adding him to the second line with Jordan Staal, and maybe Pascal Dupuis, or even Jeffrey or Sullivan on a wing would make the Penguins a lot tougher to play against, a lot tougher to push around, and a lot more dangerous and balanced both even strength and on the power play.  Though it will never happen, I know that the notion of that will create controversy given the hatred Hartnell has garnered here, but that only MAKES my point when combined with his ability to put the puck in the net and play a game "on the edge."  I am pretty confident that it would not take more than a handful games the way Hartnell has played the past two years in Philly for him to be a fan favorite here too.  Okay, Tuesday brings real NHL hockey back to the CEC, when Toronto, who trails the Penguins by only 5 points, comes to town for the first game of a home and home series.  Go Pens!