As the Penguins took the ice for practice Monday morning, a number of familiar faces were missing.  Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek weren’t present.  Neither were Richard Park or Jordan Staal.  The most notable omission from practice however, was Sidney Crosby.  Crosby sat out the previous two games with concussion type symptoms thanks to multiple hits from the Boston Bruins last Monday.  Right as practice began, it was announced that Crosby would address the media after practice was over.  Not something that the media or fans wanted to hear.

“Not (feeling) bad. I’m not happy about watching, but I have to make sure with these sort of things that I’m careful and making sure I’m 100 percent before coming back,” Crosby said to a group of reporters huddled around him.

Even though Crosby passed his imPACT test, he said there is no timetable for his return.

Crosby said there are encouraging signs after he did well on the ImPACT test and he feels better than when he previously missed 10 months due to a concussion.

“I did my ImPACT test and it went pretty good,” Crosby said. “That was a good sign. It’s much different than previously going through that stuff. That was encouraging.”
Crosby’s demeanor was nowhere as bleak as it was in January when he first realized he was going to miss time with his concussion.

“I just didn’t feel right,” he said. “I skated the following day after that with a little bit of exertion. I just didn’t feel right. After talking with everyone I figured it was better to be cautious and not take any chances. That’s where I’m at right now.”

Crosby has 12 points (2 goals) in his first eight games back from the initial concussion suffered on Jan. 1 and Jan. 5.

Everyone was waiting for Crosby to return and were holding their breath each time he took a hit.  You have to wonder, will Crosby ever be symptom free?   The most important part for Crosby is his health, immediate and long-term, then hockey.  We heard for the past 10 months the criticism of Crosby for not “manning up” and he was a “wimp” because he wouldn’t play with his symptoms.  Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Penguins insider Josh Yohe said that he talked to multiple doctors.  They all said that the public is ignorant to the severity of concussions and they applaud Crosby’s honesty.  The real fans need to look outside of hockey for a minute and worry about his health.

Many like to point out that football players come back from concussions the next week or even the same game (Colt McCoy last Thursday).  What people don’t realize is that concussions affect each person differently and unlike a pulled groin muscle, they can’t be played through.  It’s hard for someone who never suffered the injury to realize the actual toll it takes on one’s life.  For every Aaron Rodgers and McCoy who returned quickly after concussions, there are the Marc Savard’s, Eric Lindros’s, Paul Kariya’s, Pat Lafontaine’s, Jay Beagle’s and now Sidney Crosby’s who don’t return right away or at all.

For those questioning the “toughness” of Crosby, here is a video you should watch on Preston Plevretes, a former LaSalle University football player who returned too quickly after suffering a concussion.  E:60 on ESPN did a profile on Plevretes and it will help give you some insight.  Thanks to my good friend Justin Welton for sharing this video ( Preston Plevretes ) .

The Penguins are battling through injuries this year as they did last year and surprisingly have one of the Eastern Conference’s top records again.  The Penguins can win without Crosby so there is no need to rush him back.  I’d much rather have a healthy Crosby for the next 10 years then the next two weeks and have another injury occur.  Take your time Sid and get well soon.

Photo Credits: www.nhlsnipers.com

Not since December 2000 has there been this much anticipation about a Pittsburgh Penguins home game.  In that year, Mario Lemieux returned to the league three years after retiring.  The captain didn’t disappoint with a goal and an assist.  Many fans won’t forget that night in Penguins history or when Lemieux flew out to Philadelphia after receiving his final radiation treatment and receiving a :90 second standing ovation from the Flyers fans.  Years down the road, Penguins fans will have another night to remember, that night is November 21, 2011.  Since January, Penguins fans have been speculating when Captain Sidney Crosby would return from his concussion injury suffered on January 1st against the Washington Capitals and January 5th against the Tampa Bay Lightning.  Many fans thought he would return during last year’s playoffs.  Many thought he would be ready at the beginning of the season.  There were even some who thought he may be done for good.  On Sunday afternoon however, it was announced that Crosby would return to action Monday night against the New York Islanders, 320 days after he last skated in an actual game.

There was no set timetable for his return, as his doctors were the only ones who could clear him to play.  Even coach Dan Bylsma said his wife gave her set of tickets away for this game just a few days ago.  Fans frantically searched for tickets anywhere they could.  Tickets that were going for $75 Sunday morning skyrocketed to over $350 by Sunday night.  This was the hottest ticket in town as Penguins forward Tyler Kennedy described it.  Versus picked up the game nationally and over 250 credentialed media members were at the Consol Energy Center waiting for the return of the kid.  Arron Asham said jokingly after warmups, “where is everybody going, I’m right here,” as the media members flocked towards Crosby’s locker as if it were the Stanley Cup.

Fans were given signs that said simply “Welcome Back Sid” on it.  Crosby was scheduled to have 12 minutes of ice time before the game and his predicted immediate impact varied depending on who you asked.  As the clock struck 7:08, the crowd erupted and gave 87 the standing ovation he deserved.  Even the biggest Penguins optimists couldn’t have expected what they saw on Monday.  With only 5:20 passing by, Crosby took the puck across the blueline, switched to his background and let it rip.  It seemed too good to be true, but sure enough Crosby tallied the first goal of the game.  He was far from done however.

Crosby added another goal on one of the prettiest backhands I have ever seen after reverse pivoting.  Crosby also added two assists on the night with goals by Brooks Orpik and Evgeni Malkin.  While his return doesn’t compare to Lemieux coming back from cancer, back problems and retirement, Crosby was every bit as good as “Super Mario.”  Four points in the 5-0 shutout – it looks as if Crosby hasn’t missed a step.

It’s undeniable that people will boo Crosby wherever he goes and his reputation of being a “whiny baby” – too put it politely – will stay with him.  Though whether you are a Penguins fan, a Flyers fan, a Red Wings fan or just a hockey fan, be happy that the face of the league is healthy and back in action.

Welcome back 87.

Sport is different things to different people.

For the student body, game-day is the pinnacle. Jubilation or despair when time expires, you can be sure a shindig or two will top it all off.

For the pro fan, game-time means TV gatherings and tailgates.

For the gambler and fantasy fanatic, the spectacle is only a numbers game.

And for the corporate mind, sport is a supercharged promotion vehicle. Nothing…not fantasy, not gambling, not violence, not even sex, fuels the coupé like celebrity.

Celebrity is what moves the markets and makes Presidents. It’s what sells merchandise and sends social media all a twitter. It puts quotes around LeBron’s “decision” and gets reporters by the truckload up to Minnesota to film Brett’s jet hitting the tarmac in 2009.

Every sport has their marketable mugs. In the NFL it‘s Peyton, Tom & Rex; b-ball, Kobe & LeBron; US racing, Kyle, Jeff & Danica; tennis, Nadal, Federer & the Williams; soccer, Messi, Ronaldo & Rooney.

Then there are golf and baseball. PGA hawkers are strategizing today for Tiger & Phil’s successors. And when ball players (MLBPA) ever concede to a blood test (HGH) and remove suspicion, celebrity will return to the sport from which it was born (King Kelly / Babe Ruth).

In hockey, it’s Nick Lidstrom, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby who’re the headliners.

But these are strange days for the NHL.

On the one hand, times are good.

In April, NHL brass inked a new 10-year, US market, TV agreement with NBC Sports Group worth a reported $200 million annually. The most lucrative deal of its type in hockey history, it includes an expanded slate of both playoff and regular season broadcasts (“NHL, NBC“ / NHL.com / 4-19).

The NHL’s also experiencing a renaissance of sorts, with four of its original six members having hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup in recent years after decades of drought. For the Rangers (‘94) & Blackhawks (‘09) it was short-lived euphoria, while only Detroit has built on their breakthrough Cup (’97-98, ‘02, ‘08). As for Boston: let the puck drop.

On the other hand, times are tough at hockey central.

Among the 43 dead from Wednesday’s plane crash in Yaroslavl, Russia was nearly the entire Lokomotiv (KHL) hockey team. Their roster represented “10 nations” and the NHL, including their coach Brad McCrimmon (Detroit). Two men survived in “very grave” condition. It’s one of the worst aviation accidents in sport history (“Russian Jet“ / AP / 9-7).

The mass expansion of recent decades produced dividends by way of titles (Ducks 07 / Canes 06 / TB 04 / CO 01 / Stars 99) and merchandise sales but hasn’t yet moved sun-belters to warm-up to the ice.

Every sport has its marquee franchise(s). Parity (hope) is a good thing but your banner team (Habs) better hoist the hardware once a decade. Montreal’s last Cup was ‘93 while Toronto hasn’t held Mr. Stanley since The Beatles went hippie in ‘67 (Sgt Pepper). Not good.

The recent death of former ice-fighter Wade Belak (8/31) was the third suicide / suspicious death of an NHL player in as many months, following the suicide of Rick Rypien and a reported accidental drug overdose by Derek Boogaard (5/28).

Gary Bettman and Don Fehr delivered the standard response to the string of tragedies that’s befallen the NHL family this off-season: ”We’re committed to examining, in detail, the factors that may’ve contributed to these events, and to determining whether concrete steps can be taken to enhance player welfare” (“Report: Wade Belak” / AP / 9-1).

Calgary Flames’ GM Craig Button had a more human take on the subject: “I don’t think anybody can stop until we really understand the impact it has (enforcing) not only physically, but emotionally as well (Report).”

Enforcers and the pain they inflict are at the center of controversy swirling around the NHL every season: excessive violence. Not just the too frequent fist-a-cuffs but the vicious hits that stop the action and sometimes stop careers. Both feed off eachother.

It’s that same thugery which may send into early-retirement the NHL’s marquee player, Sidney Crosby. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ star center has been inactive since suffering a concussion from a series of blindside hits in early January (“Crosby” / Lexis / 8-25).

Crosby puts up the numbers, wins cups and conducts himself in a manner reminiscent of the game’s greats. But the NHL doesn’t sell celebrity, not in the States, anyway. It sells fights. Physicality’s one thing, brain trauma’s another. And any fan who spouts-off different never got blindsided five-feet into cold space.

It’s a League where referees stand by and watch the melees. While most serious skaters won’t start fights, turning away isn’t an option. Like PEDs, if unions & owners ignore a problem many athletes eventually get sucked in. Leadership, or its absence, does matter.

As long as NHL brass appease fight-fans and let excess-violence dictate the action, hockey in America will remain a second-tier sport. But then NBC may think ‘Blood on the Ice’ is “Must See TV.” Given what passes for tube-fare today I wouldn’t say that’s a crazy strategy. Immoral maybe, hockey-ignorant definitely, but not crazy.

There’s a nip in the air up Northway and training camp is just around the corner (9/16). The Penguins are being cautious on Sidney’s return. Concussions are serious stuff (Lindros / Savard). Crosby spoke to his health at a Wednesday press event: “I’m very lucky. I feel pretty good (ESPN / 9-7).” Off the ice, he probably does.

With a new TV contract and expected wider audience, the NHL can ill afford an early retirement of its biggest star. The question is, with the current state of hockey and Sidney Crosby’s compromised condition, can the Pittsburgh center afford to return?

Street Fare

229 days.

229 is a long time and a lot of events have occurred in the past 229 days.  In sports, the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Mavericks, Auburn Tigers and Boston Bruins all won championships.  In society, the killing of Osama Bin Laden, Tornadoes across the country and the Anthony Weiner scandal all took place.  We’ve seen The University of Miami and The Ohio State Univerisity both scar their reputations forever.  The tragedies of Dodgers fan Bryan Stow being beaten into a coma and the death of Rangers fan Shannon Stone as he reached for a ball and fell over the railing also took place.  For Penguins fans however, the past 229 days have been a long wait.  For 229 days ago, is the last time that captain Sidney Crosby was in full health.

Reports this past week came out that Crosby was still suffering headaches and symptoms of the January 1st hit he received at the hands of David Steckel.  Crosby suffered what coach Dan Bylsma called a ‘minor concussion’ at the time and predicted he would be out a week or so.  Although general manager Ray Shero talked to the media and tried to downplay the situation, it has to make Penguins fans nervous that over seven months later; Crosby is still feeling effects of the hit.

“I think he is happy with his progress.  He’s pushed himself pretty hard, which is the good news. He’s never had to get to the point where he’s had to shut himself down or anything,” Shero told reporters on Monday.

“He continues to work out and has worked out hard during the summertime,” Shero added.  “We’ll see where he is during training camp. It’s a month away, so there’s no expectation for me that he won’t be ready or will be ready.  I don’t have Sept. 16 or Oct. 6 on my calendar for him.  My only concern is his long-term health, keeping in mind he’s a hockey player.”

“I want him to feel good about himself.  He’ll be back at some point to play hockey.  We’ll see another four weeks from now when he gets back, get him evaluated, and go from there.  I want to make sure that a year from now, three years from now, five years from now, that he’s still the best player in the league.”

Sidney Crosby still has lingering effects from New Year's Day concussion

I share the same feelings as Shero that I’m more concerned about his health as a person, but how promising does it look that he will play this year?  By the time the season starts, it will be approximately nine months since the initial hit on Crosby.  We’ve seen what lingering concussions have done to Eric Lindros, Pat LaFontaine and most recently, Paul Kariya.  Lindros was one of the most promising players in the league with the Flyers, but was never the same player after the concussions.  LaFontaine and Kariya were both forced to retire and brain damage has already come up in tests on Kariya.

The Penguins had a terrific season last year with Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal all on the shelf for half the season, but it isn’t realistic to expect the same again this year if Crosby can’t play.  Sure a healthy Malkin would help especially if he returned to his 2009 form, but when the best player in the league isn’t playing and the rest of the division has improved greatly, a repeat of last year can’t be expected.  Can the Penguins expect the same type of season from Tyler Kennedy or Chris Kunitz as they had last season?  I don’t think it’s fair to say so.

All along, I have said that making sure Crosby is healthy is the most important thing and I still feel that way.  However, after seven months, I’m starting to worry if we will ever see Crosby fully healthy and at the same level again.  When #87 does finally take the ice, expect NHL fans to applaud and at the same time, hold their breath for the first check that comes Crosbys’ way.

**Rating system for “Plus/Minus” Series**
+3 = Major Upgrade
+2 = Upgrade
+1 = Slight Upgrade
0 = Same as prior year
-1 = Slight Dowgrade
-2 = Downgrade
-3 = Major Downgrade

Team: Pittsburgh Penguins
2010-11: 106 points, #4 in Eastern Conference

GOALIES

Returning: Marc-Andre Fleury, Brent Johnson

Arrivals: N / A
Departures: N / A

Grade: 0

No changes in goal for the Penguins; expect to see a lot of “Flower in the cage”.

DEFENSE

Returning: Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik, Paul Martin, Zbynek Michalek, Matt Niskanen, Ben Lovejoy, Deryk Engelland

Arrivals: N / A
Departures: N / A

Grade: 0

Pittsburgh will enter training camp with no changes on defense. However, if Simon Despres proves he is NHL-ready, the Pens could potentially deal one of their blueliners.

FORWARDS

Returning: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, James Neal, Chris Kunitz, Pascal Dupuis, Tyler Kennedy, Mark Letestu, Matt Cooke, Aaron Asham, Craig Adams, Dustin Jeffrey

Arrivals: Steve Sullivan
Departures: Max Talbot, Mike Rupp, Alex Kovalev, Chris Conner, Mike Comrie, Eric Godard

Grade: +3*

While Crosby, Malkin and Staal are technically returning players, they missed a combined 120 games last year. Getting full seasons out of all 3 of their top players would have a tremendous impact on their lineup. Out of all of the players they are losing, the top scorer (Kovalev) put up 34 points. Replacing him will be Steve Sullivan which is also an upgrade to the top 3 lines.

OVERALL RATING: +3
2011-12 Prediction: #1-#3 in Eastern Conference

The Penguins are in a tough division, but at the end of the day I see them as the team to beat in the Atlantic…if everyone stays reasonably healthy.

The Penguins held a player development camp this past week at Consol Energy Center to give them a little taste of what playing in Pittsburgh is all about.  With minor-league prospects and non-roster invitees included, the prospects had a week full of training with the Penguins brass.  Highlighted by Eric Tangradi and first-round draft picks Joseph Morrow (2011), Beau Bennett (2010) and Simon Despres (2009), as well as Robert Morris defenseman Andrew Blazek, the Penguins were working hard with the players of the future.

The prospects worked closely with new player development coach Bill Guerin and strength and conditioning coach Mike Kadar throughout the week.  Kadar wanted to instill the same regimes the current Penguins go through to the prospects at camp this week.

“I think the biggest thing is how to become a professional hockey player and how to do the proper things correctly,” Kadar told Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins Ice Crew. “That all stems from how we lift, how we present ourselves and how you come in and test. All of those things are going to play a part, as will the on-ice activities where they’re learning the systems and learning the Penguin way.”

Although the Penguins prospects knew they would be hard at work all week, the countless hours of working out would pay off on the final day of camp, as they broke into two teams to scrimmage each other.  The Penguins opened the scrimmage to the public and upwards of 4,000 fans showed up to support the team, many more than the Penguins expected.

Team black was highlighted by Bennett, Keven Veilleux (who stole the show in the post game shootout), Blazek, Phillip Samuelsson (son of former Penguin Ulf Samuelsson) and Sean Whitney (younger brother of the former Penguins 2002 first-round pick Ryan Whitney).  Team white was highlighted by Tangradi, Despres, Morrow and Scott Wilson.  The scrimmage started off five on five and very slow until Tangradi found Scott Harrington on a three-on-one break for the first tally of the game.

Things quickly changed however as the teams went four-on-four for the majority of the remaining time, with some three-on-three mixed in.  While the score doesn’t really matter, the white team did in fact win, 8-5, but how the players played is more important than the final score of a scrimmage.  The player on the ice that most impressed me was Morrow.  Morrow had two assists in the game and showed off an impressive shot from the point early on.  He did a good job protecting against the dump in the defensive zone and worked very well with his line mate Despres.  Seeing Despres and Morrow together on the ice could be a regular fixture in Pittsburgh starting in a few years.

While a lot of these players may never reach their ultimate goal on playing in the NHL, this past week was a good learning tool of what to expect.

“You’re not the strongest kid when you come into camp anymore like when you went to junior camp.  It was a little bit eye-opening. It was fun to see. It kind of gives you a mark to work toward, and you can gauge yourself against everybody else,” Morrow told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Penguins training camp is only a couple months away and if over 4,000 showed up to support the Penguins prospects, I can only imagine the crowd that will be there for the open practices.  With a strong nucleus already at the NHL level, the Penguins of the future are looking to continue the great tradition of hockey in Pittsburgh for years to come.

Photo Credit: Sean Montgomery

After general manager Ray Shero decided to take the offer for Jaromir Jagr off the table, it was time for the Penguins to move ahead and focus on how to further help their team.  Shero’s first task was re-signing Tyler Kennedy to a two-year deal worth $4 million.  It originally looked like the Penguins would let Kennedy test the free-agent market, as Shero felt Kennedy was overvaluing himself.  Kennedy stepped up in a big way last year with all the injuries that took place and made himself into a household name.

Kennedy scored 21 goals and had 24 assists in 80 games last season and trailed only Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Chris Kunitz in points for the year.  Kennedy said that he turned down more money to stay with the Penguins because he loved it in Pittsburgh and felt this was his best chance to win.  While Kennedy will go back to more of a role-player, it’s at least nice to know what he is capable of when called upon.  At only 24, Kennedy is still young enough to be able to test the market again in two years and then cash in similar to the path that Max Talbot took.

Speaking of Talbot, he joined Jaromir Jagr in Philadelphia for a five-year $9 million deal and Mike Rupp signed with the New York Rangers for a four-year $9.5 million deal.

“My foundation is going to stay in Pittsburgh. It was six years, and I worked hard to establish that knowing I could be somewhere else someday. The money I raise there will stay there. It’s not like the base of fans I created — at least I hope not — won’t support my charity work,” Talbot told Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.  “I don’t want to be thought of as a traitor. I know it’s emotional for fans for me to be leaving for the Flyers, but I hope I’ll still have some support. It’s going be tough for fans to accept. If people are upset, they are allowed to be, but I hope they say, ‘Max helped us a lot and tried to do stuff in the city and stuff like that.’

While the fans were upset losing Talbot and Rupp, the Penguins wasted no time in add winger Steve Sullivan.  Sullivan, who turns 37 on Wednesday, played in only 44 games last year due to injury, but still scored 10 goals and had 12 assists.  The 5’8, 161 pound Sullivan signed a one-year deal for $1.5 million on Friday.  Sullivan, who has had a history of back problems and underwent sports hernia surgery in March, says he’ll be fine for this year and Shero thinks so also.

“He’s still a pretty dynamic player,” Shero said.  “Looking at what we’re trying to do – which is improve our power play – he’s a guy that can potentially help us there. He’s a right-hand shot that plays the off side and can play up high as well. He’s got really good speed and is a very smart player. He can play with good players as well.”

With Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the way back, the Penguins didn’t have to splurge into the free-agent market to help their team.  Keeping players with the organization that will take less money because they want to win, is the exact recipe for success that Shero has in mind.

Just over a week ago, I wrote an article on why I didn’t think the Penguins should have gone after Jaromir Jagr.  While the rest of Pittsburgh was clamoring over a possible return and the hashtag #jagrwatch was the number one trending topic on Twitter for Pittsburgh, I stayed with my argument.

“The mullet has to come back to the ‘Burgh” or “He can still score,” people would say to me.

While I agree it would have been a nice flash from the past to add Jagr to the lineup for sentimental reasons, I just didn’t think he was worth the money.  Pens general manager Ray Shero announced Tuesday that the Penguins put out a formal offer for $2 million for 1 year.  Needless to say, after the most hectic three days in recent Penguins offseason memory, the Penguins have officially withdrawn their offer for Jagr.

My reasoning for not wanting Jagr was that I felt they could have spent the money more wisely, not that I felt he was still the immature player he was towards the end of his stint here in Pittsburgh.  After the past three days, it has become clear to me and the rest of Penguins nation that Jagr hasn’t grown up one bit.

Two years ago, Jagr told Lemieux that he wants to come back to Pittsburgh and he would even play for the league minimum.  After the Penguins officially put their offer on the table, Jagr was supposed to make his appearance in the United States on Wednesday and confirm he was playing for the Penguins.  It was as good as done.  Even ESPN reported on SportsCenter Wednesday that the Penguins and Jagr have agreed on a 1-year deal worth $2 million.

The problem is that Jagr officially took over the identity of Carmen San Diego, because no one knew where in the world he was.  He missed his flight from the Czech Republic on Wednesday night, was reported to be at Wimbledon, there were turtles on the runway that didn’t let his plane land and even his agent, former player Petr Svoboda, said he was clueless as to where he was.

As Wednesday passed into Thursday, there was more pessimism amongst Pittsburgh, but everyone tried to stay optimistic that Jagr was coming back.  Until his agent announced that it wasn’t just Pittsburgh and Detroit in the running anymore, but Montreal and Philadelphia of all teams were in the Jagr running.  The excitement of a Jagr return and the forgiveness the fans were showing him, slowly dwindled away.

At 11:40 a.m. Friday, general manager Ray Shero officially withdrew his offer for Jagr.

“We made what we thought was a very fair contract offer to Jaromir on Tuesday, based on his stated interest of returning to the Penguins,” said Shero. “We made our best offer from the start, given our salary cap structure, in an attempt to facilitate a deal. But now, after several days, with an extended time frame for making a decision, and additional teams getting involved, we have decided to move in a different direction. It was never our intention to get involved in a free agent bidding war, and we have to focus on our team.  Jaromir is one of the greatest players in Penguins history, and we wish him all the best.”

Could anyone have expected less from Shero?  This isn’t Craig Patrick we are talking about that would suck up to Jagr.  Pittsburgh hockey fans are in a state of shock and disappointment.  This shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise to people though, as they were too quick to forgive Jagr.  This is the same Jagr that wanted to be traded and sulked around the clubhouse asking why he is even getting paid.  Yes, the same Jagr that said he was “dying alive” in Pittsburgh before enough was enough and he was traded in July of 2001 to the Washington Capitals.

What Jagr did in Pittsburgh shouldn’t be forgotten or overlooked.  He is the second greatest player (sorry Crosby) in Penguins history as of now, but he will be looked at as an enemy and booed for the rest of his days in Pittsburgh.  He may have cost the Penguins a chance to re-sign Mike Rupp or Max Talbot.  The Penguins did pull off a last second deal with Tyler Kennedy worth $2 million over 2 years before free agency started, someone who actually WANTS to be in Pittsburgh.

Wherever you end up Jagr, best wishes to you.  Just know that the “city your heart was in” forgave you once, but not again.  You said “you owed it to Mario”, but really you owed it to yourself to retire where you started.  I hope the extra money is worth it Jagr.

The Pittsburgh Penguins had a shockingly good season despite losing Sidney Crosby to a concussion and Evgeni Malkin to injury as well, and so don’t expect GM Ray Shero to absolutely dismantle his team this offseason. The biggest additions to this team will be (hopefully) the return of their 2 superstars in top form.

The Penguins are set in goal with “Flower in the cage” and quality backup Brent Johnson. When healthy, the Penguins boast a deep and talented group of defensemen, headlined by emerging superstar Kris Letang. On forward, coach Dan Bylsma is hoping to try Jordan Staal as the #2 center with Malkin on his right and potentially Chris Kunitz on his left. James Neal struggled since coming over in a trade with Dallas, but in his defense, he has yet to play alongside #87, which is specifically why he was brought in. Mark Letestu is expected to be the team’s #3 center, with rookie Eric Tangradi expected to crack the roster as well. With a lot of players re-signed over the past few days (Dupuis, Adams, Asham), only 2 holes remain at the forward position.

Pittsburgh has just over $5.5M in cap space to add a RW to play on their top 3 lines, and a #4 center. It is expected that Jaromir Jagr will be returning to the Penguins to finish his career, but if he changes his mind, they could look to Tyler Kennedy to fill that spot. Both could conceivably be brought back, but that would likely mean Tangradi will be spending another year in the AHL. With the departure of Mike Rupp, a fourth line center who can win faceoffs and kill penalties is needed. A guy like Zenon Kenopka could fill that void, although he may be a bit pricey. If they want some more cap space, the Pens could always trade Matt Niskanen to make room for top prospect Simon Despres, who was fantastic in the Memorial Cup and appears to be NHL ready.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 2011-12 ROSTER (using CAPGEEK CAP CALCULATOR)

FORWARDS
James Neal ($2.875m) / Sidney Crosby ($8.700m) / Pascal Dupuis ($1.500m)
Chris Kunitz ($3.725m) / Jordan Staal ($4.000m) / Evgeni Malkin ($8.700m)
Eric Tangradi ($0.845m) / Mark Letestu ($0.625m) / TOP 9 RW ($0.000m)
Matt Cooke ($1.800m) / 4TH LINE C ($0.000m) / Craig Adams ($0.675m)
Arron Asham ($0.775m)

DEFENSEMEN
Paul Martin ($5.000m) / Zbynek Michalek ($4.000m)
Brooks Orpik ($3.750m) / Kristopher Letang ($3.500m)
Deryk Engelland ($0.566m) / Matt Niskanen ($1.500m)
Ben Lovejoy ($0.525m)

GOALTENDERS
Marc-Andre Fleury ($5.000m) / Brent Johnson ($0.600m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000
CAP PAYROLL: $58,662,500
CAP SPACE: $5,637,500

Assuming Jagr and/or Kenndy signs with the Penguins, and assuming Crosby and Malkin are 100% in terms of health, this could be the deepest and most dangerous group of forwards Pittsburgh has boasted in a long time. Factor in a reliable and consistent top 4 D and a top 10 NHL goalie, and you have the makings of something very special in 2011-12. Penguins fans might be in for a real treat this year!

As free agency officially opens tomorrow, July 1st, Pittsburgh Penguins’ fans have been eagerly awaiting a decision by Jaromir Jagr and his agent Petr Svoboda to see if Jagr will be returning to where it all started.  As we all know by now, a decision was supposed to be made by Jagr on Wednesday, but there have been a number of reports as to where Jagr even is right now.  The Penguins general manager Ray Shero has put a deal on the table for Jagr for 1-year and is rumored to be for $2.1 million.  Getting lost in all of the Jagr hype, are the signings that have taken place and what they mean for the other Penguin free agents.

The Penguins have re-signed forward Pascal Dupuis for a 2-year deal worth $1.5 million annually.  Dupuis, who came to Pittsburgh in the February 2008 deal for Marian Hossa, was one of the many Penguins who stepped up his game with the absence of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the second half.  Dupuis finished with the third highest amount of goals (17) and points (37) in his career last season.  A fixture on the top-ranked penalty killing unit, Dupuis was tied for fourth in the NHL last season with four shorthanded goals, a career high.

It was also announced yesterday that the Penguins decided to bring back Arron Asham for another year for $775,000.  I was quite surprised at this signing as I felt he was one of the more expendable players.  Asham battled injuries last season and only appeared in 44 games for the Penguins.  However, Asham led the team with three goals and tied for the lead with four points in the playoffs last year.  If Asham can stay healthy this year, then he will be a good fixture on the fourth line with Craig Adams and hopefully some of his past playoff heroics, will transfer to the regular season.

While it is good news that the Penguins signed Dupuis and Asham, it also signals the end for a couple fan favorites.  The signing of Dupuis all but guarantees the end of the road for Max Talbot in Pittsburgh.  The Penguins offered Talbot a multi-year deal, but he turned it down.  On Tuesday, the Penguins traded his rights to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but they were unable to work out a deal with Talbot.  With a weak free agent class this year, it looks like Talbot will cash in and I’m happy for him.  He will always be remembered for the fight with Daniel Carcillo of Philadelphia in 2009 and more importantly, his two goals to win Game 7 of the Stanley Cup in 2008.

The signing of Asham also signals the end of the road for Mike Rupp in Pittsburgh.  Going into the offseason, I felt Rupp, after Adams, was the most important free agent for the Penguins to sign.  Again with the weak free agent class, Rupp wanted more than the Penguins were willing to pay and will get a good deal with another team.  Rupp’s size will be missed in front of the net and he isn’t afraid to step up for his teammates when needed.  It’s no guarantee that Rupp won’t be back, but with free agency starting tomorrow, it isn’t looking promising.

What does look promising for the Penguins is that with Rupp looking to be on the way out, it looks like Eric Tangradi will make the opening day roster.  Tangradi came over in the 2009 deal with Chris Kunitz for Ryan Whitney.  Tangradi played 15 games for the Penguins last season before being the victim of the Trevor Gillies cheap shot in Long Island.  Tangradi does have a big body like Rupp and showed net-front presence last season as he was instrumental in the Penguins first powerplay goal of the playoffs by screening Dwayne Roloson.

When tomorrow comes, the madness will officially begin.  Tune into www.prosportsblogging.com or follow  @prosportsblog and @MichaelWaterloo on Twitter for constant updates on free agency and whether Jagr and Tyler Kennedy will be returning to Pittsburgh next year.