This offseason continues to get more and more interesting for the Pittsburgh Penguins faithful. It seems that every day there is a new name added to the rumor mill, whether it’s a trade target or an ex-Penguin that would like to return.
The most recent rumbling coming out of free agency is that Tyler Kennedy would like to return to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pens fans will likely remember Kennedy as a member of the best third-line in hockey throughout the 2008-2009 season in which Pittsburgh won the Stanley Cup. Paired with Matt Cooke and Jordan Staal, they provided a scoring punch along with overwhelming speed and aggressiveness.
That being said, there’s simply no place for Tyler Kennedy on the current Pittsburgh Penguins roster. He had his moments, but was quite underwhelming for most of his career. Over the last three seasons since leaving Pittsburgh Kennedy has tallied just 31 points in 105 games with both the San Jose Sharks and New York Islanders. No thanks.
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Along those same lines Matt Cooke was released by the Minnesota Wild on unconditional waivers in order to buy him out. I’ll keep this short, as it doesn’t involve much discussion. Cooke’s impact is minimal at this point in his career, and Steve Downie is a much better option for that type of player if you’d like to keep an aggravator around.
Rob Rossi reported some interesting items to note today on Trib Live Radio. According to Rossi, Evgeni Malkin is in favor of the Pens signing Sergei Gonchar and luring Alexander Radulov back to the NHL. He also stated that Malkin isn’t a fan of Semin, and neither is Sidney Crosby.
Realistically, it will be tough to sign Radulov. He still has one year left on his KHL contract that pays him 300 million rubles per year, which translates to around $9.2 million US dollars. Clearly, there is no team in the NHL willing to pay him that kind of money.
There’s also concern about his last stint in the league, as things clearly ended on a very bad note with the Nashville Predators. Would it be any different if he has the chance to play alongside a close friend in Malkin?
Despite the rumors, I don’t foresee this happening. While he’s a very good player and fits exactly what the Pittsburgh Penguins need, I would expect him to honor the remainder of his KHL contract and then maybe there’s a shot at another stint in the NHL. Along those same rumors, Sergei Gonchar could likely help on the power play but I’m personally against adding him to this roster. He’s a liability defensively and offers little outside of quarterbacking the power play.
So, remember those Patrick Sharp to Pittsburgh conversations?
Per NHL source, CHI currently asking for 1st rd pick, A-level prospect & top 6 forward on entry-level contract for Patrick Sharp #isles
— B.D. Gallof (@BDGallof) June 19, 2015
I like Patrick Sharp, but not for that price. If that’s truly the asking price for him I’ll assume that he won’t be joining the Pittsburgh Penguins next season. Giving up those type of assets for aging players is what put Pittsburgh in their current predicament.
Of course, no one really shows their true hand right away. It’s no surprise the asking price is steep, but there’s a good chance it drops when an actual deal is made.
With all of the speculation and rumored player movements coming down the pipeline just days after the Stanley Cup Finals concluded, it seems that we’re in for a very eventful summer in the hockey world. Keep it here and follow me on Twitter at @Michael29Angelo for all the most recent conversation and rumors.
Next: Revisiting the 5 Worst Trades in Pens Franchise History