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Pittsburgh Penguins Offseason Ramblings: Latest Rumors, News, and Thoughts

By Mike Necciai

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With August now in the rear view mirror and Pittsburgh Penguins hockey just around the corner, it’s nearing the time that I will retire my offseason ramblings and move on to in-season discussions. The great thing is, there’s plenty of news around the league to discuss in the meantime.

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Recently, I discussed that Jim Rutherford made some comments that could lead you to believe the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t done tinkering with their roster just yet. I truly believe this to be the case. However, with recent rumors such as interest in Kevin Shattenkirk surfacing, it’s important to note that I don’t believe any sort of blockbuster trade will occur in the near future.

Those rumors surfaced with no reputable sources and if the rest of the summer is any indication, no one will know about a deal until it’s officially released by the team. Rutherford has done a great job this offseason of keeping his negotiations hush. The Phil Kessel trade was really the only deal that was made public by an insider before the transaction was completed.

In other news around the league, Cody Franson is still sitting at home with no contract. I feel like this has been discussed weekly by all hockey outlets but it continues to surprise me that he isn’t signed. Some believe that he has a deal in place with a team that needs to unload cap first but at this point it’s all speculation.

Recent rumors have Franson pegged to end up in Buffalo but the talk of Boston isn’t going away either. ProHockeyTalk.Com mentions Pittsburgh as well but as of right now there’s simply no way of fitting him under the cap. Could they be the team that has a deal in place and is waiting for a trade to occur? Maybe, but doubtful.

The fact that Franson is a right-handed shot and can play a top-four role is huge for a team like the Pens. Acquiring him would essentially mean that Rutherford and the Pittsburgh Penguins possibly completed the perfect offseason. I won’t get my hopes though.

Patrick Kane found himself the topic of conversation yet again today due to an article by Mark Lazarus for the Chicago Sun-Times. Lazarus suggests that trading Kane may be the best option considering his continuous issues and Chicago’s attention to their image. It’s important to note that there are no indications a deal is in the works or even being talked about by the team. But, he reports that at least five teams inquired shortly after the announcement of these accusations and expressed interest in acquiring him.

It isn’t my place to comment on the case considering there are no real facts to form an opinion from. But, I’ll say this. The idea of trading Kane seems extremely premature at this point in the game. And, the idea that teams inquired that quickly is quite concerning for a league that is looked at in a different light than other professional sports and makes you wonder what kind of values those GM’s have. No matter the outcome, this is a terrible situation for the accuser, Kane and the Blackhawks. It’s been a rough offseason in Chicago.

On a much brighter note…

The Pittsburgh Penguins are showing up in droves to skate at the new practice facility in Cranberry. The question I want answered is, when will Kessel show up?

Hockey is in the air. It won’t be long before we’re analyzing camp and then beginning the regular season. Keep it here and follow me on Twitter at @Michael29Angelo for all the Pens news, analysis and opinions you can handle. And, maybe some that you can’t.

Next: 3 Training Camp Battles to Watch

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