Who is this guy? And why do I care? Part Two

Okay, if you were able to stay awake for the first part of this post, let me see what I can do in the second part to remedy that.  So, by now, you can see that watching the Penguins had become a big part of our lives and the lives of our children from 1980 through the time we could swing our first set of season tickets, A-28, seats 1-4, Row F, right next to the visitors' tunnel.  From that season on, it became even more of an obsession, especially for me.  I won't dwell a lot on the first season in those seats, other than to say that we loved the thought that we knew we could go every game as opposed to going to many games, but not always knowing for sure until that day.  As we got acclimated to our seats, the section became a small community, including Dan Kroll and Troy Ussack of the Penguins, who stood in the tunnel area.  The season was a blast, and for the first time in many years, the team made the playoffs.  Despite an early exit, you could see that there was an exciting future for this team!  The 2007-08 season marked the turn from rabid fan to fanatic for me.  My daughters became big fans of the team, and like all young girls, were especially into Sidney Crosby.  They also had a fascination with the gentle giant Georges Laraque.  I in turn, got even more into the game, as it had become a very regular time for us to enjoy together as a family.  My wife and I made the decision to build an addition on the home, with the lower level meant to be a shrine for the memorabilia I had collected over the years.  The kids were both interested in meeting some players and getting autographs, and I was interested as well, so that what I could hang in the new gameroom could be signed and personalized to either me or the girls.  The kids were off school on Martin Luther King Day, in early 2008, and I took them after practice for their first autographs, not knowing what to expect.  The players could not have been nicer.  I watched my girls' faces as they got their jerseys and hats signed by all of the main players from that team, including Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Fleury, Scuderi, Orpik, Sykora, and Laraque.  What a great day for us, and the beginning of an obsession for me to fill my new space with signed helmets, sticks, jerseys, pucks and photos.  I also realized how this time could be related to my work.  We do a lot of entertaining in my business, and I quickly realized that I could fill up my gameroom, AND score points with my clients by getting memorabilia signed and personalized.  Of course,  Crosby was the most popular request, but Big Georges Laraque was up there as well.  Both players were always willing to sign and personalize items, and after getting many happy clients as a result, I gave them each a card thanking them, with a treat for themselves.  The next time down Laraque asked for my phone number, saying that they refused to use my gift card for dinner, unless my family joined them.  I never expected to hear from him.  Days later, to my surprise, Laraque called, invited my family and I to dinner at Mitchell's in Homestead, and we spent a few hours feeling like we were kings as we ate dinner in a private room with Georges Laraque and his girlfriend Erin.  He fought me for the check after allowing us to just talk hockey, and ask questions.  How many pro athletes would take the time to do this?  It was an unbelievable experience for us all, and only further fueled my fanaticism for a team full of players like this.  I upped the ante about a week later getting the aggressive Penguin logo tattooed on my forearm.   During dinner with Laraque, we spoke about my immature need to harass the other team since they were so close to us.  Instead of agreeing that I was immature, Laraque said the right amount of heckling could occasionally get under the skin of the opposing team.  That was all I needed to hear.  That season, I turned my hatred for Scott Hartnell into my Fartsmell jersey, and spent a lot of time heckling him at close range, and man did he like to give it back.  I also converted a Rangers jersey into a Rump Rangers jersey, and name Queenhenry on the back.  I had a blast taunting the opposition, and was treated to an unexpected, and magical run through the playoffs and all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.  On the way, revenge was taken on Ottawa, the team who had sent us home the season prior, with Gary Roberts setting the tone in Game One, wanting to fight the whole Ottawa team.  There was something special about this team, we knew it.  There was also something special brewing at the Mellon Arena for us. In our second full season as STH, the section had become like family to us, and we embarked on a magical run together through the Rangers, and the hated Sean Avery and Jaromir Jagr, then the Flyers and the hated Carter and Richards, and ending with a loss in the Finals to the Red Wings.  The building was LOUD, there electricity in the air, super fans like Cy Clark and Steel Man were running rampant and my family was there for every minute of it. Although we did not get the big prize, I had never felt more a part of any sports team and its fan base than I did these Pittsburgh Penguins.   We knew we were going to win the Stanley Cup in 2008-09.  Then, as expected the Penguins lost heart and soul winger Ryan Malone to Tampa via free agency, and Marian Hossa jilted Shero and bolted for hated Detroit saying that he felt he had a better chance of winning the Cup there.  That spawned my Hosebag jersey with the front stating "Here is Your Cup" and having an athletic cup hanging from the front.  We also added Scruuruutuu for ex fan favorite Jarkko Ruutuu who had gone to Ottawa, and Smeliass for Patrick Elias of the Devils.   As much fun as I had bothering Hartnell, Lundqvist, Hossa, Ruutuu, and Elias, the season was not looking promising.  The Penguins were in 10th place in mid February, and the season was getting away from us.  Then came Bylsma, and the Penguins got red hot, finished the season in 4th place and made the playoffs.  Some highlights for us during the season included Hartnell despite all the nastiness back and forth asking to sign the jersey after the last regular season game and giving me his stick to Andreas Lilja of the Wings trading his helmet, stick and a puck for the Hosebag jersey, claiming it bothered Maid Marian, and they wanted to put it in his locker.  Then came the post season, and the Flyers again.  The team had an Unfinished Business attitude and made quick work of the Flyers in round one.  Then came the epic Ovechkin v Crosby series with Washington, the Pens fell behind 2-0 in the series and were in OT in game three at home.  Kris Letang got the game winner, and the building erupted!  The Pens dispatched the Caps in 7 games, then Malkin went CRAZY and single handedly dismantled the Hurricanes in a sweep in the conference Finals.  Again, the atmosphere for these playoffs at Old Lady Mellon was ELECTRIC!  Our basement had been finished, we added a 12 foot screen outside, and got to watch many of the away games in our gameroom or out by the pool with our friends and neighbors at the Mellon on our own big screen.  Between those parties and the home games, it was an early spring I will never forget!  Then came the Wings, again.  After falling behind 2-0 again in the series, the Penguins tied it up at home, lost game 5 BADLY in Detroit before winning Game 6 at home to set up the epic seventh game victory.  Trailing the series 2 games to 1, and the game 2-1 in Game Four, the Penguins took a penalty, putting Detroit on the power play, and a feeling a deja vu came over our section and the arena. It felt a little like the 2008 series with Detroit, and they had a chance to take over the series.  As long as I live, I will never forget the feeling of pure joy when Jordan Staal scored a shorthanded goal to tie it up!  The Kennedy tic tac toe goal to make it 4-2 brought the roof down, and we had another forever memory to take with us.  After a disappointing loss in Detroit, the Penguins came back needing to win Game 6 to avoid back to back losses to the Wings in the Finals.  After a hard fought game, led by Pittsburgh 2-1, Rob Scuderi stopped three Johan Franzen shots point blank to preserve the win for Pittsburgh and force Game 7!   He earned the nickname, the Piece for doing so.  For my part, I got to run an ignorant Detroit reporter out of our section pregame by unplugging the electrical cord during every attempt to get an ice level feed back home, and by getting our section to drown out her sound with Lets Go Pens!  We had a huge party at Dave and Buster's for Game 7 and stayed up all night celebrating our third Stanley Cup Championship! Our antics and Penguins room had begun to draw the attention of local media, culminating in a nice piece done by Mondesis House on our gameroom, and Empty Netters doing a piece on the Fartsmell experience.   In the offseason, I celebrated the championship by turning my Penguins tattoo on the forearm into a full sleeve including the championship ring, the Stanley Cup, a view of the City skyline, the Lombardi Trophy, all set in a fiery cauldron of molten steel complete with crucibles pouring the steel through a Steelers logo into the Cup.  I was ready for a repeat during the Final season at Old Lady Mellon!  This post has gotten quite long, so I will keep the 2009-2010 season brief.  Just like in 1993, the expected repeat performance did not happen.  After beating Ottawa in Round One, the Penguins lost in ugly fashion in seven games to Montreal.  I was at the decisive Game 7 on Mellon Arena ice, in what would be the final game played there.  I sat with my friend Jon amongst the throngs of Habs fans who rushed our section to celebrate the win until long after the game trying to soak every moment of time from that night in complete disbelief that we would never again sit in those seats in Section A -28, or high five our crew after every Penguins goal.  It was a bitter moment, both ending a season and an era at the same time.  The next time I would see a game, it would be at the brand new Consol Energy Center.

More Staal Trade Rumors

As the draft approaches there are more Staal trade rumours running rampant.  The latest rumor is coming from Chicago.  The rumor is that Chicago is willing to offer defensive guru Dave Bolland, and at least Brandon Saad in return for Jordan Staal.  There is some talk that the Hawks are very interested and flexible, possibily willing to include defenseman Nick Leddy or Niklas Hjalmarsson in the deal.  I would assume we would need to package somebody else with Staal to get Bolland, Leddy, and Saad.  Bolland is a great third line center who showed great playoff grit and shutdown capability in the Hawks run to Cup a year ago, and he can add some offense as well with 19 goals and 18 assists in the 2011-12 season.  He is a 3.4M player with two more years on his deal.  He does not have the offensive upside of Staal, but does play shutdown defense, with a 40 point per year offensive capability.  Prototypical third line center for this Penguins team.  Nick Leddy is a 21 year old defenseman who had 34 assists last year, to go along with 3 goals, and is signed at 1.1M per year with one more year left prior to being an RFA.  Leddy was also a -12, but is only 21 years old.  Leddy and Bolland would roughly equal Staal's cap hit, and would replace the defensive aspect of the third line center, and add another good young defenseman to the Pittsburgh core. This would give them more deal capability.  If they could also wrangle Brandon Saad, who is signed for several more years at 894K, and adds some young offensive ability at the wing, this could become quite tempting for Pittsburgh.  To give you an idea about Saad, he played a few games as a first year pro at the NHL level, and did not look out of place at all.  During his first season at Saginaw of the OHL he had 34 goals, and 42 assists and played to a plus 35 in his first regular season.  He added 8 more goals and 9 assists in 12 playoff games.  This deal  addresses several areas of need, stays cap friendly, and moves Staal to the West, where he is only an issue if we make the Finals.  Some people have Hjalmarsson as the other defenseman in the mix v Leddy, and I like him as a big player at 6'3" and 207 lbs with shutdown capability but he adds 3.5M in cap hit for the next two years.  A package of Bolland, Saad, and Hjalmarsson is very attractive, but would necessitate some salary movement the other way.  The upside is that Hjalmarsson is a big shut down guy who played to a plus 9 while adding a goal and 14 assists, which is just what the Penguins need.  Leddy on the other hand, had offensive capability, but was -12.  At 21 years old, there is great room for him to improve though.  Again, I am not a proponent of moving Staal, but if we HAVE to do it, I like getting him out of the East, and I like adding Bolland, Saad, and to me Hjalmarsson, all young players., all of whom would address immediate needs.  Adding the big defenseman would necessitate the movement of another player either in this deal or another, but I expect Pittsburgh to move Martin to a defense oriented team for a minimal return in a salary dump, which would more than allow for this deal to happen.  Interesting to think about.  Saad being a Pittsburgh kid would give the Penguins a very strong marketing angle in addition to an exciting top 6 winger prospect for the system.

Who is this guy?? Why do I care? Part One

If you are a personal friend or a long time reader of Mazmania some of this may sound redundant and boring, so feel free to skip it.  However, some newer readers, particularly as a result of my opportunity with Pens Report have asked who are you? how did you end up this crazy about hockey and the Pens in particular?  If you know me, you know that asking me a question about one of my passions is a mistake unless you truly want DETAIL!  So the LONG answer to the above is as follows: 

I am a  blue collar kid from Munhall PA, who knew NOTHING about hockey at all and did not care for the first 15 years of my life.  As is typical of a blue collar Pittsburgh kid from that era, the Steelers were my passion.  My room was adorned with photos of Mean Joe, Jack Splat, Franco Harris, and Ernie Holmes.  I loved the Pitt Panthers second, then the Pirates.  I had no clue about the game of hockey.  Then came the 1980 Olympics, and by the end of those games, I was shooting hockey balls for hours against the side of the house, and playing in a street hockey league.  I began to follow the Penguins, and as you you know, those were some lean years, but all in all it was a fun game to watch and inexpensive to attend.  The first real hope came with the drafting of Lemieux, though success was not overnight by any stretch. I had no idea how much the Penguins would matter over the course of my life at that point, as I was a fan, but not a fanatic.  My first glimpse of fanaticism came during the 1988-89 season, memorialized by the "There's a team in the building" VHS tape.  I had just graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, and immediately got into a serious relationship with a girl who would become my wife of now 23 years.  The wedding occurred  not much more than a year after we started dating. Lisa was a fan of the Penguins, and worked for an insurance company who was the recipient of a lot of complimentary tickets from law firms and other vendors, so I had the benefit of not only a girl I was falling fast for, but one with great Pens tickets all the time!  There were several news worthy moments that year including taking my future nephew to the game on New Years Eve where Mario scored 5 goals 5 ways on the way to an 8-6 win, to a noteworthy night I have talked about recently with Tony Granato.  I was engaged to be married on Saturday night January 14th. 1989  at the LeMont, and as part of the weekend, we were staying at the hotel across from the arena.  As we were checking in that day, I wound up in the elevator with a young Tony Granato, and the Rangers enforcer at the time Rudy Poeschek.  I will leave it with this.  Words were exchanged, threats were made, and a cocky young Pittsburgher is probably fortunate that Poeschek did not kill him prior to his engagement!  Lisa and I were married on October 21, 1989 and the Pens lost to the Sabres that day. The day remains a highlight of my life despite the good guys losing to Buffalo!    After missing the playoffs the following year, we got to witness the Penguins transform themselves into two time Stanley Cup Champions, attending most of the home games along the way. We were even lucky enough to be behind the goal that Mario Lemieux scored with 12 seconds left to complete a great come from behind game one win in the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals!  I will never forget that feeling, or the sound of Old Lady Mellon at that point for as long as I live!  In the interest of brevity, I will move quickly through some highlights of the nineties.  I was in my room in our first home in Munhall as a couple, packing for a golf outing the next day when Volek beat Barrasso to help the Islanders upset Pittsburgh, ending our dreams of a three peat in a season in which the Penguins tore the league to shreds and seemed destined to win their third straight Cup.  I was speechless for two days. I also remember in April of 1997 watching a Penguins/Flyers playoff game with buddies in a bar in Philadelphia wearing a Penguins jersey against the advice of everyone.  However, I threw those Philadelphians a curve they could not handle.  I wore a Rick Tocchet Penguins jersey!  Their looks of hatred, turned to confusion, and ultimately turned into me making some pretty good friends for a night in enemy territory.  Some other interesting footnotes of the middle nineties include the following. My wife went into labor while we were watching the Pens v Capitals playoff game on 5/6/95, and my first daughter Alison was born the next day!  A night and day that forever changed my/our lives for the good, and despite the 5-4 loss, those two days are amongst the best days of my life as they brought me my first child, who, along with her sister became the focal point of our live. Despite the temporary change it brought to my family, nothing means more to me than being the husband and father in my family.   Just about the time we thought we MIGHT be getting used to having one daughter, we found out that Lisa was pregnant with our second daughter, Krista.  My second wonderful child was born on 12/30/96, again forever changing our lives for the better, and in an odd twist of fate, my favorite team was playing.....you guessed it, the Capitals, winning 5-3 this time. My wedding, and the birth of my two kids remain the three best days of my life, and oddly there was a Penguins connection to all three!  The next stretch of years saw less time for our passionate following of the Penguins, as Lisa and I were adjusting to and loving the task of raising two great young girls, and in 1999 I risked everything we had to start my company, Litigation Solutions, which took the remaining time not to devoted to my/our young family.  We followed the Penguins, but two infants/toddlers/young kids AND leaving a VP level job to start a company from scratch did not allow for a fanatical approach to fandom for us.  By the early 2000's that may have been a blessing since the Penguins were in financial trouble and basically giving away stars such as Jagr and Kovalev,while falling to the bottom of the pack in anticipation of the lockout.  The year leading up to the lockout, the lockout itself, and the year post lockout did three things for me/us.  First, it was part of a stretch starting in 2003 and ending in 2006 where the first round picks of Pittsburgh were Fleury, Malkin, Crosby, and Staal! It was tough to not be REALLY excited about a possible second "golden age" of Penguins hockey.  Second, my kids were getting older, my wife and I were thriving, and after some lean early years, my business was beginning to stabilize, then thrive, which allowed us more casual time and time to reconnect with a mutual passion.  Finally, the lockout itself was a smack in the mouth that made me/us realize just how much we loved this game!  I was overjoyed when the lockout ended, and on 8/4/2005, even more excited to learn that my favorite team had signed Caps defenseman Sergei Gonchar to a 5 year 25 million dollar deal!  Gonch, who scored two goals against the Penguins, the night my wife was about to give birth to Alison, and who was one of the best offensive defensemen in the game, was coming to Pittsburgh to support the young guns already in place! Anyway, the Penguins were not very good that year, but fun to watch, and we went to as many games as we could.  You could see Crosby's talent, AND my kids seemed to enjoy the game. And for the first time in my life, I could afford season tickets, and bought them for the 2006-07 season, A-28, seats 1-4, Row F, right on top of the entrance of the visiting team!!  The next several years, the Penguins would be a big part of the lives of my entire family, just as they had been for Lisa and I.  We went to just about every home game, some away games, built an addition on our home meant to be a Penguins party place that has been featured on local news, and on the NHL network, got a Penguins sleeve tattooed on my arm, and became the focal point of a Root Sports commercial for the Penguins.  Along the way, we had a lot of great moments with rival players and Penguins players, as indeed the second golden age of Penguins hockey was upon us!  I will chronicle as much of that as I can in Part Two of this post.

More ramblings of a frustrated fan

I find myself addicted to the NHL playoffs still, despite my bitter disappointment relative to another early exit by my favorite team.   As I watch this year's playoffs, a couple of things have become apparent.  First, the officiating sucks.  And that is being kind.  Second, they don't even call the game as dictated by the rules when it comes to interference as a method of slowing down the star power of the opposition.  The teams who remain have gotten to the final four of these playoffs have gotten there by using 4 lines they trust to produce, getting great goaltending, along with team defense and shot blocking.  The scoring though not dominated by anybody since Giroux's abuse of the Penguins, has been plentiful but balanced up and down the lineups of the successful teams.  When I realized that the NHL playoff scoring leader is STILL Claude Giroux with 17 points in 10 games for a 1.7 PPG average, I got to thinking about the criticism levelled at Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for not playing like stars in the Flyers series and "costing" Pittsburgh the series.  First, let's acknowledge Staal who had 9 points in 6 games for a 1.5 PPG average, which would still be second in PPG in the post season.  Great showing there. Malkin and Crosby had 8 points each in those same six games for a 1.33 PPG average.  The remaining NHL playoff scoring leaders are Dustin Brown at 1.14 PPG, Anze Kopitar at 1.07 PPG, and Ilya Kovalchuk at 1 PPG.  Outside of Giroux who feasted on weak goaltending and defense by Pittsburgh, all three of the Pittsburgh centers have more points per game than any remaining scoring leader.  Yes, we all expected MORE from 87 and 71 offensively, but in reality they were 3rd and 4th in the league behind Giroux and Staal, which is not bad at all.   The two headed monster played well enough in the current league environment offensively for Pittsburgh to advance.  The Penguins got poor goaltending, poor team defense, poor penalty killing, and could not clear the front of their net or block enough shots in comparison to the Flyers and the teams I am watching compete at this point in the year.  As I relate this to the three center debate, and general Penguins issues, it is tough to not feel that they need an upgrade at backup netminder, an upgrade in size and nastiness on the blue line., and some balance in the bottom of the 6 of the forwards.  The trick is the amount of money tied up in the top end talent down the middle including Fleury, and the cash into Martin and Michalek relative to their return.  The Penguins blue line is built largely for puck moving capability in what was supposed to be a more free wheeling league as opposed to a more physical group.  I think they need to do a couple of things here.  First and foremost, they have to move Martin.  Have to.  His 5M in cap space for the return they get is detrimental to the team,.  There are fits out there for Martin if we dont get greedy in the return, as his movement is addition by subtraction.  That cap space can be used to address the backup goaltending, sign Niskanen or a key third or fourth line character guy.  A blue line of Orpik/Letang, Michalek/Niskanen and Engelland/Despres with Strait and Bortuzzo or Lovejoy as the 7th would be solid, and still leave room for a MINOR tweak.  If management decides they need a major overhaul, it probably means the movement of one of the three centers, and despite my personal disagreement if that is the case, it is likely to be Staal, which bothers me based on his value defensively and on the PK.  If that is the case, I think the Pens will have lots of options, some of which I address based on the Yohe article naming possible dance partners, but I am sure there will be plenty of others.  Of the ones mentioned by Yohe, I am intrigued by the Leafs, as Burke values Staal more than most, and has a history of valuing Paul Martin.  If we could wind up without Martin's salary, as a deal sweetener for losing Staal and got back Luke Schenn who is big and nasty, as well as signed long term at 1.5M less than Martin, and a Tyler Bozak and David Steckel it could be a win/win.  We may need to throw in a mid round pick or a Lovejoy maybe, but getting Steckel gives the Pens a big face off winning center, Bozak, a solid third line center to replace Staal, and Schenn a big, tough, skilled blue liner. This  is a nice balance of grit and skill for Pittsburgh coming back at least.  The Pens would be moving 9M-9.5M  in cap hits, with Staal due for a big raise after next year, and getting back 6.2M in cap space with Schenn locked up long term and Bozak and Steckel up after the next year like Staal.  But they would have 3M still in extra cap space to continue adding to the team. That is enough for a solid backup goaltender with change left over.  With that change left over and Niskanen's salary, you might have enough cash for some additional secondary scoring.  Think of a blue line that has Orpik, Letang, Schenn, Michalek,  Engelland, and Despres, as Niskanen probably is gone if Schenn were added.  Add to that a more balanced group of forwardsm and better backup netminding.  Sounds a lot like the balance noted above for playoff success.  All conjecture, and none of it may happen, but it is fun to think of the myriad of possibilities for this team.  Also the ramblings of a mad man.

Mike Milbury vs. Jeremy Roenick over Dustin Brown hit (PUCK DADDY)

when idiots fight

Eric Tangradi 2011-2012 Highlights

Penguins GM Ray Shero is faced with many tough decisons in the offseason, and the one that is getting the most attention involves the efficacy of the three center model.  Another is the need to move Paul Martin if possible.  But another interesting decision involves Eric Tangradi, a 6'4' 232 lb winger who can play with an edge.  Tangradi was acquired along with Chris Kunitz on February 26, 2009 for blue liner Ryan Whitney, and many thought he was going to be the better long term asset in the deal. He drew favorable comparisons to legendary power forward Kevin Stevens, and was pencilled as a top six winger for Pittsburgh in the near future.  Tangradi who earned $845,000 last season is a restricted free agent this summer, and after
another season where Tangradi was unable to distinguish himself on the big club, Shero has to decide what to do about Tangradi. He played in 24 regular season games, earning just 2 assists and playing to a minus 4.  There is a camp who says that Coach Bylsma never gave Tango a fair chance by not playing him with top 6 caliber linemates, and I don't totally disagree, but in 24 games, he needed to show up much more than he did regardless of linemates. He played a bit better in the playoffs, playing in 2 games, earning an assist, a +2 rating and 3 shots on goal.  The Pens have to decide if another year or two is worth it to see if Eric can make the jump to the big club.  The kid was picked 42nd overall in the second round of the 2007 draft by Anaheim, wound up the captain of the Belleville Bulls of the OHL, and in 2007 posted 38 goals and 88 points in just 55 games which created the expectation of top 6 NHL power forward.  In his two seasons in Wilkes Barre Scranton in 79 regular season games played, he tallied 33 goals and  31 assists.  He added 4 goals and 5 assists in 10 playoff games this season, or nearly one point per game.  You can see the scoring touch in those numbers.  So, to me, it is apparent that playing in the top 6 for Pittsburgh is not in Tangradi's immediate future.  Despite the fact that this was the hope, that does not mean that Tangradi is not valuable IF he can use his size and physical edge to be a productive third liner.  The Penguins could use a player with some hands, who has size and some nastiness to play a regular shift in the top nine.  The issue for Tangradi will be his skating ability and his ability to be responsible defensively.  If Tango will sign another deal in a similar price range, it is worth it to me to see if he can bring some net front presence and a physical edge to the third line of the Penguins.  The Penguins may decide that he does not "fit the Bylsma system" and package him as part of another deal, or make a lower level deal on draft day, as I still believe that Tangradi's size and potential may make him a player who is of interest to another team whose system he may fit better.  Before you laugh, Sykora and Fedotenko who did not fit the system here are playing pretty prominent roles for two teams who are in the conference finals.  So, if the Penguins do not think he has a shot at filling a role on the third line, I do think they will try to move him this summer.  His size and physicality make him an interesting player and he is still young, but the clock is ticking here in Pittsburgh.   I would love to see him sign a reasonable deal, and fight for a top nine role with Pittsburgh for at least one more season, as that kind of size and nose for the net is hard to find.

Battling Man Caves

Hockey is a sport that engenders passionate fandom for lack of a better or real word.  Fans express themselves in many ways in their passionate support of their teams.  I went to youtube and typed in hockey man cave to see what would come up.  And this should not surprise me that two of the best were tied to Flyers fans, as they have a very passionate following.  I have posted the links to several man caves for your offseason enjoyment.  The two links above are great Flyers mancaves.  I will include mine, and another Penguins fan's mancave for your review as well.  As I find others with that kind of insanity, I will post for your review  also.

Alex Goligoski boarded by Ansi Salmela at World Championships

Two thoughts come to mind here for me. First, I remain a fan of ex Penguin Alex Goligoski and hate to see this happen to him, and second, scary thing for NHL franchises to have their top end talent subjected to injury with no return for them.  Glad most of the Pens opted out of this.

My take on the which of the three centers do we trade debate

The debate around the Penguins right now seems to be which of three big centers will have to b traded given the cap space issues and probable desire and availability of Staal to earn 6 to 7 milllion dollars per year AND be a key player on a team v a support type player.  The general consensus seems to be that the Penguins will move Staal as the other two have the ability to claim "best in show" on an annual basis.  That is more than true on both counts too.  However, if the talk is about the fact that the team cannot keep BOTH mega talents, then the consensus seems to be that Malkin is the guy to go.    The one thing that does not seem to be in play is the idea of Sidney Crosby being available should the Penguins have to abandon the three star center model.  Why?  Hey, if all else is equal relative to health, I think Crosby and Malkin are neck and neck in terms of who is the better player.  I give Geno the nod in pure talent, and I give Crosby the edge in the intangibles and "breathing the game" factor.  No argument can be made that those two are in a rarified air that cannot be breathed by many others including Jordan Staal.  That said, there is an argument to be made, particularly as I watch the current playoffs, that the type of game played by Jordan Staal is more complimentary to either Malkin or Crosby, and that the two of them create a redundancy that is great to have if you can, but not a luxury that can be afforded in the current cap situation.  I am a believer that Staal at 6.5M per year, at 24 years of age, with his size and two way play is a guy you want to keep.  I make a few arguments here.  First, his game translates well in the post season, an area of recent failure for the Penguins.  Second. the team has won to a level that kept them at the top of the league with Staal as the second line center while Crosby was out, AND 8.7 in cap space unable to be used for supporting cast.  Third, at 6.5M, Staal is 3 to 3.5M per year cheaper than either Malkin or Crosby will be, allowing you to add ANOTHER top quality ingredient to the mix with Staal v what you could do with Malkin or Crosby.  For example, the Penguins could have Staal and Luke Schenn for the cost of a Crosby.  You could have added Schenn and Kessel for argument sake to the lineup this past season for what an injured 87 took up in cap space. 

Fourth, we have seen first hand, that sometimes when you have two kings, you don't always get full value for both of them, as one is thinking the other may deliver.  You also have a specific issue on the power play on this team where it is better with one of the kings as opposed to both.  Real issues in a two king world.  We have seen it, in this case Geno seems to fall back a bit with a healthy Crosby.  I am not sure if the recent KHL announcement that salaries of returning NHL players will not count against the cap will make Geno a big target for the KHL to throw huge tax free dollars at in an attempt to lure a big whale to their league.  This could factor in to any decisions made though.

If all else were equal in the health department, I would keep Crosby and Staal, and try to get the Brinks truck to back up in return for Malkin.  Again, I LOVE Genos game, but if reality means you have to move one, if all were healthy that would be my inclination.  However, all have not been healthy.  Despite the fact that people say that all players are one hit away from having a concussion, the fact is that Crosby is more likely to sustain that injury based on recent history, AND the injury seems more likely to be longer term.  For that reason, on the surface, I favor keeping Malkin and Staal, and backing up the Brinks truck for the return Crosby would bring.  Again, the team was top 5 in the NHL playing without 87 much of the year, so they have PROVEN they can win without the Kid.  Add the bounty that would come back for 87 to the team that played last year, and you have one helluva team.  The real answer to me if you cannot keep all three though is one of the following.  Keep all three this summer, and see what the first half of next year brings.  Decide who if any you have to move in December, based on health, chemistry, etc.  If you cannnot wait, then you let the league know that you cannot keep all three of your centers, and that you are listening to offers for all three.  You then decide which offer is best for the team's short and long term ability to win the Stanley Cup. All three players are front line players, and losing any of them would make me ILL, as I have come to love all three of them.  If however, they cannot all be  kept, NONE of them are bigger than the franchise, and the one whose trade offer best positions the team to win over the longer run is the one who MUST be dealt.  That is true even that person is the guy who was supposed to be the face of the franchise and in fact, the league at one point.   Like this or not, but committing 10M per year to Crsoby will KILL this team if he cannot remain healthy enough to play most of the games under that contract.  Given recent history, a heavy long term deal for Crosby may carry high reward, but it also comes with high risk.  Eric Lindros, Marc Savard, and Keith Primeau are prime examples of careers cut short by repetitive head injuries.  Something to chew on.  I remain hopeful that all three are kept, and the team uses its youth on defense, and the movement of some other players to tweak its lineup for next year.  The only way to evaluate what is best for the TEAM is to evaluate what each of them would bring back in a trade if that is necessary, and picking the best scenario as a result of real offers.  Finally, a new development that has come into play that might make you think twice about the long term future of Russian or other Eastern European players is the fact that the cash rich KHL has now said the former NHL players will not count against the cap space if they are current stars.  What would Geno do if two years from now he was offered 20 Million per year TAX FREE to play in mother Russia, similar to what some team payed for an aging Jagr?   Could you blame him for leaving?  That has to at least be thought about in the equation until Malkin is locked up for a longer term.

Starkey says trade 71

Starkey: Goodbye to Crosby, Malkin or Staal?

by JOE STARKEY

Last Modified: May 13, 2012 12:30AM

Their greatest strength has become their biggest question: How do the Penguins keep three elite centers, each headed for his third NHL contract?

Short answer: They probably don’t.

Sidney Crosby. Evgeni Malkin. Jordan Staal. You have come to know them and love them, but you had to figure a breakup was possible someday.

And, yes, Crosby belongs in the discussion, at least in theory. Moving him is a notion that never would have arisen if not for his concussion crisis. It’s now a fair topic.

This coming summer, though complicated by an expiring collective bargaining agreement, could change everything. To deny the strong possibility of one of The Big Three leaving is to deny reality.

Penguins general manager Ray Shero won’t dodge the issue. He knows better than anyone just how real it is.

“We have these three center icemen, which is an unbelievable thing,” Shero said. “But in a salary cap system, when guys get into their second contracts, it’s difficult, let alone their third. How’s that going to shake itself out?”

Staal and Crosby have a year left on their deals. Malkin has two. The Penguins can open negotiations with Crosby and Staal on July 1.

Sure, they could lavish all three with mega deals, but at what price to the rest of their roster? And even then, Staal would have to want to be here. Still just 23, he is the key. If he is willing to maintain a support role and take less than the open market might offer, beautiful. Problem solved.

But why would he do that?

Would you?

If Staal’s wishes are to play on a top-two line and a No. 1 power play, can the Penguins appease him?

“Well, we’ve got Crosby and Malkin, I mean, they’re unbelievable players,” Shero said. “The good news is that Jordan has developed into one of the top two-way centers in the game — and the center-ice position is almost impossible to find.

“The question is a valid one in that here he is, a third-line center, as they say. He’s a third-line center that plays 20 minutes, I know, but what can his potential be? Those are the questions he might be asking himself.”

Staal hasn’t said much, but his answer to the Trib’s Rob Rossi was telling. Asked how The Big Three could remain content long-term in Pittsburgh, Staal replied, “That’s a very good question.” The only answer could be a trade.

So who?

Blasphemous or not, moving Crosby might make the most sense. He is the biggest risk to sign but could fetch the sweetest return.

The franchise would survive. Crosby would have given the Penguins everything they could have imagined the day they won his rights: stability, a new arena, a Stanley Cup. His legacy would be secure.

Then again, how do you say goodbye to an icon who remains the most prolific point producer on earth and is only 24? It’s unthinkable that Mario Lemieux would part with a such a player, not to mention a de facto family member.

More likely, Crosby signs a monster deal. Which is hardly a bad thing, so long as he stays healthy. A full summer of workouts should have him primed for next season.

That would leave Malkin or Staal. No easy choice, but I’m keeping Staal. The puzzle makes more sense that way. Staal is the perfect No. 2 center, a massive defensive presence and a rapidly emerging offensive threat.

In terms of a potential role, Staal complements Crosby, whereas Malkin replicates him. The Penguins have two of the same in Crosby and Malkin: two franchise centerpieces, two No. 1 centers, two guys who like to run the power play from the same spot.

It’s a “problem” every team would take, of course, but in the Penguins’ unique conundrum, it’s probably time to pick a lead horse.

Any route they take will be fraught with risk.

My guess is the Penguins will move Staal, viewing Malkin as an insurance policy for Crosby. But if I’m Lemieux, co-owner Ron Burkle and Shero, and I’m dead set on rolling the dice with Sid, I sign Staal and fortify my roster with the return for Malkin. His value — likely league MVP with two years left on his deal — is sky-high.

It’s the best answer to an impossible question.

Joe Starkey co-hosts a show 2 to 6 p.m. weekdays on 93.7 “The Fan.” His columns appear Thursdays and Sundays. He can be reached at jraystarkey@gmail.com


I would be interested in feedback on this idea.  I am not in favor of moving Malkin, largely due to the fact that I like the fact that Staal is different or complimentary to the big two as Starkey notes, ableit he use Crosby as the example.  I need to know does he say this due to the fact that he does not see any chance the Penguins move Crosby, and he really believes in Staal?  Or does he think it is Malkin either way?  Starkey is getting crushed for this idea, and part of it is due to the fact there is not attempt to quantify what comes back in a Malkin trade, and who is the target?  I don't embrace the idea of moving 71 given the health risk of Crosby, but I don't get angry when some others propose this, as it is in agreement with the thought I have of too many superstars, just selects a different mega power to trade.  Thoughts on this?  Interested to see if anybody has the balls to propose a Crosby trade?

Yohe article and some of my thoughts

Staal sweepstakes could heat upBy Josh Yohe
Tribune-Review

Published: Sunday, May 13, 2012, 12:30 a.m.Updated 10 hours ago

Myriad reasons exist for Jordan Staal’s name continuing to surface in trade speculation, and postseason comments by himself and the organization did nothing to squash such rumors.

When asked about the Penguins’ “three-center model” following a first-round playoff exit against Philadelphia, general manager Ray Shero said, “It has worked in the past. Whether it works in the future remains to be seen.”

Staal, whose contract expires next summer, recently was asked whether he, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin could enjoy long-term happiness in Pittsburgh.

“Good question,” he said.

Shero told the Tribune-Review in December that signing Crosby, who has one more year on his current deal, to a new contract was the organization’s “top priority” this summer.

Malkin’s deal has two years remaining, and the Penguins intend to give him a new deal. History says Malkin, 25, will remain with the Penguins. Only three multiple-time NHL scoring champions — Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr and Phil Esposito — have been traded, and all were older than Malkin when they were dealt. Malkin won his second Art Ross Trophy this season.

Then there’s the economic reality: The Penguins have $40 million locked up in 10 players for the 2013-14 season. That figure doesn’t include Crosby, who probably will make about $10 million that season.

As the current salary cap stands — and should a new CBA be passed this summer, the cap number of $64 million could decrease — the Penguins would have more than a dozen players, including Staal, to sign but only about $14 million to spend.

On the open market, Staal could command at least $7 million per season, those in his camp say.

Other teams, notably Philadelphia, have abandoned one-time plans in favor of constructing teams built around younger, cheaper players. The Flyers’ plan worked, at least for one series, as Shero and the Penguins saw up close last month.

Letting Staal walk when his contract expires — Nashville, where Shero once was assistant general manager, is facing that situation with star defenseman Ryan Suter — is not something the Penguins want. Receiving a heavy bounty in return for Staal is more to their liking.

Staal, 23, has one year remaining on a contract that pays him $4 million annually. He produced a career-high 50 points in 62 games last season and led the Penguins with six goals and nine points in the playoffs.

Reports have surfaced from Raleigh, N.C., and Edmonton, Alberta, that the Hurricanes and Oilers, respectively, are interested in Staal. Trade rumors likely will only intensify as summer nears.

Here are the most logical trade partners for the Penguins:

1. Carolina Hurricanes

Staal’s brother, Eric, plays in Raleigh. Also, consider the following: The Hurricanes could use a dominant No. 2 center, they’re $20 million under the salary cap for next season and have plenty to offer the Penguins.

Don’t discount the fact that Jordan Staal doesn’t particularly enjoy media circuses. He’s a quiet kid who likes to play hockey. He is getting married this summer, and raising a family in the same neighborhood as his brother’s family is appealing. His youngest brother, Jared, is also in Carolina’s system.

Raleigh makes sense on many levels. The Hurricanes know it, and so does Staal.

What the Hurricanes have to offer

Carolina likely will make a strong run for Staal this summer and dangle center Brandon Sutter as part of a deal. He’s a strong, young center who would look good behind Crosby and Malkin. The Hurricanes also boast the No. 8 pick in the upcoming draft and a number of strong prospects.

2. Toronto Maple Leafs

It has become known that Toronto general manager Brian Burke is a big Jordan Staal fan. In fact, every GM in hockey is a big Staal fan, but Burke is said to particularly covet him.

Burke and Shero are friends and have conducted business together. Think they would like Staal, a Thunder Bay native, in Ontario?

What the Maple Leafs have to offer

Center Nazem Kadri is the most talented player in Toronto’s system, and he thrived late in the season with the Maple Leafs. He’s a pure goal scorer. Also, defenseman Luke Schenn is the kind of physical, stay-at-home defenseman the Penguins badly need. The Maple Leafs are willing to deal Schenn.

3. Edmonton Oilers

No team, not even the Penguins, has hit the lottery jackpot like Edmonton. The Oilers are about to pick first in the NHL Draft for the third consecutive year. They will take winger Nail Yakupov, yet another highly skilled winger.

The Oilers are young and talented. They need a player accomplished enough to teach them how to win but young enough to be a leader for a long time.

What the Oilers have to offer

It’s pretty simple: The Oilers don’t want to deal any of their young guns, but multiple reports out of Edmonton suggest that the Oilers would consider dealing the top overall pick for Staal. In January, former Penguins coach Scott Bowman said Yakupov — whom he scouted in December — reminded him of former NHL star Pavel Bure.

4. Minnesota Wild

Minnesota is a no-name squad looking for an identity and players who bring credibility.

Enter Staal.

He would be the perfect leader for this team, and there are Penguins connections everywhere here. Remember Mike Yeo, the former Penguins assistant who now is the Wild head coach? Chuck Fletcher, Shero’s assistant and now current Wild GM?

Bonus for Staal: St. Paul, Minn., is a six-hour drive from Thunder Bay, making it the closest NHL city to Staal’s hometown.

What the Wild have to offer

Right wing Cal Clutterbuck is the kind of player Shero and Penguins coach Dan Bylsma would love. He would be an upgrade over Tyler Kennedy on the third line. Minnesota also likely would be willing to include right wing Devin Setoguchi, who could score 30 goals on Crosby’s line, in such a deal. Minnesota also owns the No. 7 pick in this year’s draft.

About Josh Yohe

Tribune-Review Sports reporter Josh Yohe can be reached via e-mail or at 412-664-9161 x1975.

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If you believe what you hear and read EVERYWHERE, no matter what Crosby is going nowhere.  I have always loved Crosby, but I don't like that thought at this point given the question marks around his ability to play a full season.  If healthy, he is the best in the world, but that is one large if.  I am in the camp that the superstar model may work best with one MEGAPOWER, and I also believe that the big body and two way style of Staal is exactly what the Penguins need MORE of, not less of during the post season.  It does not matter, as it seems that the franchise covets Crosby over all else, and that leaves Malkin and Staal as the trade bait if the need to regain cap space means the three center model is no longer viable for Pittsburgh.  The team had a great regular season campaign with Malkin and Staal carrying the tag of one and two center, and Staal played the best in the playoffs of the three.  Malkin and Crosby of late seem to water each other down quite a bit as well.  I also think the Pens could make cap space elsewhere and let Staal play a wing with either Malkin or Crosby, while having him as insurance should either get hurt, but that would come down to Staal's interest in that, and willingness to be no more than 6M per year.   It would also be contingent on a salary dump with Paul Martin.  The Pens could hedge their bets and do nothing at first with Crosby to see how far into the season he gets, and gamble they can sign him mid season if healthy, or reconsider if he suffers a head injury early in the season.  If Crosby is hurt again, his trade value plummets, BUT you avoid a long term anchor on the team's ability to compete for a Cup if you avoid a long term high dollar deal in the process, while not losing him during the evaluation phase.  All of that makes sense to me, BUT from everything I read and hear, us Staal fans need to brace for what seems like the inevitable mistake in my opinion.  Of the above deals, I offer the following comments:


Carolina would have a lot of appeal for Jordan Staal, and it should for that franchise as well.  Jordan Staal was a second overall pick, who is only 24 and still improving who will likely post 35 goals on his upside AND play a strong physical game and kill penalties while offering a threat to score on the PK.  I like the thought of a young solid 3 line center, so Sutter sounds good as part of the deal, but to me it STARTS with Sutter AND the 8th overall pick plus another player.  I also consider the idea of asking the Canes to take Martin as part of the deal as a cap dump for Pittsburgh, which opens up the space for further moves during the summer.  If the Pens can dump Martin in this deal, and maybe get the 8th pick and Sutter plus a solid role player or prospect, if we have to make a move, maybe we can live with that.  If it makes such sense for Carolina to unite the Staal's and it sure would sizzle for marketing purposes, the Penguins should leverage that to their advantage.

Toronto has some assets of interest for Pittsburgh, Luke Schenn being the nasty defenseman that Pittsburgh needs.  Schenn is a young nasty defenseman at 6'2" and 229lbs who is signed through 2015-16 at a reasonable 3.6M.  Adding Schenn would add size, grit, and longer term stability to the Penguins blue line.  Kadri on an entry level contract and has interesting upside, but not sure of his fit if all centers are healthy, as he does not seem like a 3rd line center.  I like the thought of Steckel at 1.1M as a fourth liner with strong face off abilities or Tyler Bozak at 1.5M who could be the third line center, and comes with a 1.5M cap hit.  Give me Schenn, Bozak and a 3rd rounder here, and if we have to throw in a prospect, I can live with this move if Staal HAS to go.  Also, let's not forget that it was Toronto GM Brian Burke who thought enough of Martin to hold his spot on the US Olympic team despite Martin's broken arm, with no tryout, until the last possible second.  Is there an ability to make a move here as well as a contingency to getting Staal?   Dumping the Martin contract as part of this deal would be a huge benefit to Pittsburgh.  Schenn, Bozak and a pick fro Staal, Kadri and a pick for Martin?  Finally, the Leafs possess the fifth overall pick in the draft, and the Penguins around the 22nd.  Would the Pens be able to get some sort of swapping in the draft, to any deal here? 

Minnesota has some assets mentioned here as well.  I do like the idea of Cal Clutterbuck coming back as the type of third line center with some grit and size at 213lbs.  He is signed at 1.4M for one more year, and then is only an RFA.  He also chipped in 15 goals, so he is not without offensive production abilities as well.  Setoguchi could look good with Crosby, and he is signed at 3M per year for 2 more seasons, and added 19 goals for Minnesota.  I would still like another asset added to this deal in terms of a draft pick or swapped picks in round one, allowing Pittsburgh to move up in that round. Minnesota has the 7th overall pick in the draft, so a swap of picks and Clutterbuck would be interesting in return for Staal.

Edmonton has the number one pick in this draft, which seems to be the consensus Nail Yakupov, who many NHL scouts compare to Pavel Bure.  Some say they are not sure that Staal is worth the top overall pick in the draft, but let's not forget that Staal was the second pick, and you KNOW what you get with Jordan.  Yakupov is unproven, though highly regarded.  This an interesting possibility, and could add the benefit of Pittsburgh dumping Martin's 5M deal with 3 more years left in return for Shawn Horcoff's 5.5M dollar deal for a change of scenery addition to help both teams.  Horcoff was the captain, so he adds some leadership and size at 207 lbs.  He scored 13 goals, and could be a great 3 line center for Pittsburgh.  The deal could allow Pittsburgh to get a top 6 winger to replace a great center, dump Martin, and add back a good replacement third line center, who is overpaid, but the net affect is still positive as Yakupov would have an entry level deal, and Pittsburgh would lose the Martin contract, and still have 3 center model that could be very viable. The deal allows center/wing balance for both clubs, and allows both to move a bad salary where a change of scenery may benefit the players involved.  I am no GM, I had little time for detailed research today, and do not like the idea of Staal moving at all.  However, it seems as if all of the feedback points in that direction, so I gave some thoughts to the possible scenarios painted by Josh Yohe today.  Jordan
Staal is a former 2nd overall pick, with size, grit, 30 goal plus capability, PK dominance, and tremendous 2 way play, who at 24 STILL has upside.  If we have to move him, we better take advantage and get the right return.   I would love feedback, positive or negative to my thoughts.

Penguins and Core Stix

Game 6 Pre-game 5/11

Game 6 Pre-game 5/11  Baby Pens win 4-2 to force a Game 7

Penguins face an off season of questions

I had planned a very long detailed post mortem of the Penguins season after their third straight early dismissal from the playoffs.  Then I made the mistake of watching other teams play the post season game, and truthfully for the first time in a LONG LONG time I was too pissed at my favorite team to put the time into a post as detailed as needed.  In fact, I had no interest in writing about them at all.  As you can see from the number of posts over the past three years, that is not the norm for me.  I have enjoyed watching almost every playoff game since the departure of the Penguins, and to my dismay, they looked like they played the 16th best as a team of the 16 playoff teams.  I can't think of too many Penguins player of coaches who lived up to expectations.  Staal did, other than his mis play on Voracek that ended up in the back of our net in Game One in OT, but he played his heart out and led the team with 6 goals and 9 points. I thought James Neal played a physical series, but lost his mind in game three.  The coaching was not up to par, Malkin and Crosby were adequate, but did not do anything to really take over a game and lead the Penguins. Fleury, despite 42 wins, and poor defensive play in front of him, was still VERY subpar for the third post season in a row. The league's third best penalty kill was atrocious   in the post season, allowing the Flyers to score on more than 50% of their power play chances.  The power play, allowed THREE shorthanded goals in the series. THREE.  At any rate, I am not going to get bogged down in the stats a bunch here.  I want to address in general the quandry of the Penguins in the offseason.  Many people think the Penguins need to blow up this core, as three straight post season departures, two of which ended in embarrassing performances to get eliminated means they cannot repeat the glory of 2009.  And you can make that argument.....SEE ABOVE....at the same time, this team weathered tons of injuries, played in the toughest division, and still put up 108 points this season, and have been an elite team since 2008 in the regular season.  If you look at that, a tweak here or there, and or some systems changes may get it done, right?  Some say Fleury has proven that the Cup was a fluke and that he is not the elite, franchise goaltender people say he is.  His past three post seasons make it pretty tough to argue that.  However, he has been to the finals twice, won a Cup and has been arguably the team's co-MVP each of the past two years during the regular season.  Is it that easy to decide he is NOT the guy?  I tend to think that the Penguins need to get a better back up, who can play more games, and push Fleury for ice time to get the MAF we all love to show up in the post season again.  The Penguins defense did not help Fleury either, and to me, Pittsburgh has to address that.  Of the 30 Flyers goals in the series, 20 were scored within 15 feet of the net.  That tells me that the blue line is too soft to clear that area.  If I am Mario and Ray Shero, I make Letang untouchable because he is a Norris caliber player, and I make Engelland untouchable because his cap hit of around 600K and his physical play make him a good value to Pittsburgh.  I would see if I could sign Niskanen for a reasonable number around 2.5M, and I bring Despres up.  I dump Martin for anything to anyone.  I listen to offers for Michalek, Orpik, and Lovejoy.  I try to get bigger and a little nastier on the backend.  I look to get a better backup for Fleury, and I try to add a little more sandpaper to the third and fourth lines.  Those are the easier decisions. The big question  seems to be centered around the 3 center model.  Popular belief is that the Penguins will trade Jordan Staal due to his value, and the fact that the two headed monster is so talented.  Further, pundits cite the fact that Staal could up to 7M per year, and would like to be a top 6 player, which he may not be here.  I would not trade Staal if the decision were mine.  I would do anything I could to keep him, selling him on opportunity here at 6M or 6.5M(dumping Martin and Z if necessary), make him a winger for Crosby or Malkin, and tell him with Crosby's head history, he will get lots of ice time as a second line center.  For some reason, it seems that there is no chance that either of the other two stars could be considered as the trade bait to add depth and grit to the team, and I think that is a shame.  Que the fan boys quoting how great 87 and 71 are, and how stupid I am.......all done?  I know how great both of them are.  I know that both will put up more offensive numbers.  I know that when healthy there is not a better player in the NHL than 87, and I know that one of the FEW who could challenge for that distinction is 71.  I get it.  I also know that Crosby or Malkin will likely get 10M or more per season, and I think Staal could get done for 6M, 6.5M at most.   That extra 3.5 to 4M could be one hell of an additional player like a top notch defenseman, or another winger to complement Staal and the remaining mega star.  In addition, if you put 10M into Crosby and he is hurt half of the year, you have hamstrung your team in an unbelievable way.  The team was a top threat all year long with Malkin and Staal as the top two centers  and the 8.7 in cap space for Crosby keeping them from adding anything else.  Can you imagine what the return would be on Crosby?  The Flyers added scoring depth, youth, cap space, and balance moving their captain and Jeff Carter this past summer.  If you added a solid back up goaltender, another big skilled winger, and an extra veteran defenseman to this team this season in Crosby's absence how good would they have been?  If you think Crosby is healthy, and you think Geno is an issue longer term, you have the same solid one -two punch AND a huge return to add to the core if you kept Crosby and moved Malkin.  I worry about the ability to get the max return on both kings in a two king world.  I love all three players (Crosby, Malkin, Staal), but if it were me, I would keep one of the kings with Staal, and move the other king to add more depth of scoring, and defense to this club.  That wont happen though, as I also recognize the risk in moving a player of the caliber of either Malkin or Crosby.  Watching these playoffs and seeing the success of the team with one or both kings out, I favor the idea of moving one of the mega stars and keeping Staal.  It will be interesting to see what the Penguins do.  Watch the above video, and then tell me if you are willing to listen to anything that means we don't ever hear or see this shit again in RD 1.

TSN’s Dreger: Penguins Should Consider Trading Malkin Before Staal « CBS Pittsburgh

TSN’s Dreger: Penguins Should Consider Trading Malkin Before Staal « CBS Pittsburgh Interesting listen here.......Obstruction, MAF, defense, Geno, Staal