Gomez traded to Montreal....Live Updates bottom of post

The New York Rangers traded center Scott Gomez and two minor leaguers to the Montreal Canadiens for winger Chris Higgins and three defenseman including the 2007 first round pick Ryan McDonagh. Gomez had two disappointing seasons in New York, recording 70 and 50 points respectively. Higgins is a New York state native, who is coming off a down year recording 12 goals after notching over 20 goals the past three years.

My take: GM Bob Gainey will be run out of town if Scott Gomez plays the same way he has the last couple years. Especially considering Gomez has 5 years left making $7.3 mil a year. A truly atrocious contract by Glen Sather to sign him to but now that's not his problem. Higgins is reasonable at $1.9mil but he's an RFA. He's still young and has a lot of upside. He goes to the net hard and creates space with his big body on the power play. Look for the Rangers to not pursue Knuble as strongly because of this. But look for them to be in the hunt for some top notch guys: Hossa, Gabork, Havlat, and Cammallerri. They have cleared some cap and it should get interesting in the Big Apple.

UPDATE (7:28 pm): The Dallas Stars re-signed veteran forward Jere Lehtinen to a 1 yr $1.5 mil contract. The 36 yr old was injured most of the year but his defensive prowess and experience can still come to good use.

UPDATE (8:45 pm): The Calgary Flames signed defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to a 5 yr deal at $6.6 mil per year. The Flames acquired J-Bo's rights on Sunday from the Florida Panthers. The Flames have $13.1 mil invested in Phaneuf and J-Bo, both defenseman. The Flames will now have two deadly pairings on D, including Sarich and Reghyr on the 2nd pairing. Phaneuf and J-Bo are arguably two of the best all around D-men in the league, and they're still young. The Flames are very close to the cap, look for Jokinen to get dealt down the line.

UPDATE (8:53 pm): The Penguins Rob Scuderi, the Habs Mike Komisarek, and the Sens Chris Neil will all test free agency tomorrow. Scuderi still wants to return to the Pens but he wants to see what's on the market first. There's a 50/50 chance Komi returns to the Habs. And Chris Neil rejected the Sens 3 yr-$1.7 mil a year deal today. Scary to think Neil is worth over 2 mil, but a lot of teams could use some sandpaper including: Toronto, Detroit, and Florida.

UPDATE (9:18 pm): The Penguins have not come to terms with Fedotenko yet. The problem is he wants $3mil/yr and he might just get that on the open market. Both the Rangers and Wild will target him. The Pens can't afford to sign a player to that price, especially if it's Fedotenko. Hal Gill remains an option per TIOPS, he'd have to take a huge pay cut. If Scuderi doesn't re-sign, Gill could be a cheap option as our last defenseman. He is after all an excellent penalty killer and his size is hard to match. Per Rob Rossi: "We're down to specific sorts of players. If we don't get them we're willing to wait," said Ray Shero.

UPDATE (9:40 pm): The Senators and Oilers are discussing a trade which would send Dany Heatley to Edmonton for Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner, and Ladislav Smid. The Oilers are trying to get rid of Sheldon Souray and his pricey contract but the Sens aren't as interested in him. Penner also has a big contract and he's been a bust the last two seasons. GM Murray has a good relationship with Penner from his Anaheim days.

Latest Pens news and rumors

- The Penguins have broken off talks with forward Mike Zigomanis per Dave Molinari of the Post Gazette. This was expected after the Pens signed 4th liner Craig Adams yesterday to a $550k/yr deal. Ziggy made $650k last year and he wanted a raise so Shero in effect saved some money here. Plus there's still Dupuis to be worried about and his $1.4 mil, so letting Ziggy go was now a no-brainer. His faceoff prowess will be missed but 4th line centers aren't going to be the difference in winning or losing in the playofffs.

-Talks with Fedotenko and Ray Shero and his agent Allan Walsh continue to go on. Feds wants a 3 yr deal at around $3mil, but the Pens can't really afford that especially because they still need to sign a defenseman. Feds will get $3mil or possibly more on the open market and the Rangers/Flyers/Thrashers are among those interested. Shero does not like the 3yr that Feds wants, nor the $3mil/yr.

-Many reports indicate defenseman Rob Scuderi will re-sign with the Pens. He has said all the right things in the papers this week and he wants to return at a discount price. That price would have to be in the $2.5 mil range. Eklund from hockeybuzz also believes Scuderi will re-sign with the Pens. If he goes to free agency tomorrow, Montreal, NYI, Tampa Bay, and Phoenix will show interest.

-If Fedotenko leaves the Pens, which is looking more and more likely, the Pens will set their sights on a number of wingers to put alongside Geno on the 2nd line.

Top of the list: Mike Knuble (Phi), Ales Kotalik (Edm), Nik Antropov (Nyr), Steve Sullivan (Nsh)

Bottom of the list: Todd Bertuzzi (Cal), Maxim Afinogenov (Buf), Mikael Samuelsson (Det)

The Pens would look at the bottom three as cheap options or low risk/high reward type deals. Especially Afinogenov. He's had a couple 25 goal seasons and he's one of the fastest skaters in the league. I know I know, so was Konstantin Koltsov, but Maxim can score goals too and imagine him with Geno. Bertuzzi would also be a $1.5mil signing, he had 15 g to Fedotenko's 16g at half the price of Feds. But a guy like Knuble will be the main target as he has been the most consistent 25 goal scorer the past 5-6 yrs. The best bargain might be a guy like Kotalik who would sign for $2.5, potential 30 goal scorer.

Pre-NHL Frenzy News and Notes

- The Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis flew to Sweden the last couple days to speak with the Henrik/Daniel Sedin twins and talks aren't going over so well. The Canucks have offered a 5 yr deal/$25mil for each of them. It could go a little more/less depending on what they decide. The Sedins are looking for a longer term contract in the 10-12 yr range that's why their hasn't been a deal made with Van. If they get to free agency tomorrow look for Toronto, Montreal, Atlanta, and Minnesota to purse them hard and offer them some big bucks.

- The New Jersey Devils agreed to terms with defenseman Johnny Oduya on a 3 yr/$9mil contract. Oduya had a great season with the Devils with 7 g 22 a and a +21. He was previously making $600k, and a significant raise was expected.

- The San Jose Sharks re-signed their veteran defenseman Rob Blake to a 1 yr deal worth $3.5 mil. Even at 39, Blake has proven himself to be a steady contributor both offensively and defensively for the Sharks backend.

- The Edmonton Oilers have offered goaltender Dwayne Roloson a 1 yr deal worth $3 million. This is insane considering Roloson will be 40 and although he had a great season with 28 wins and a GAA of 2.77, there are better options out there for less than $3mil: Biron, Anderson, and Clemmenson. They have all proven they're capable of being starters.

Pens sign Guerin to a 1- yr deal

The Penguins came to terms with forward Bill Guerin to a 1- year $2 mil deal. But the deal could reach up to $2.85 mil with bonuses. Guerin told the Pittsburgh Penguins officials that he planned on signing with the Pens before July 1st. He took a significant discount to stay with team. He earned $4.5 mil last year after a contract the Islanders gave him.

My take: I like this signing because Guerin showed that he is capable of performing alongside Crosby. It's not worth going out and getting a more expensive player who's performance with Crosby you're not certain of. Guerin is a proven goal scorer even at 39. He's a veteran that provided great leadership this playoff run and it'll be nice to see him back. I originally was against re-signing Guerin but the more I thought about it the more I liked it.
What's next? I think Dupuis will be traded and look for Feds to walk and Scuds to re-sign.

Pens sign Craig Adams to 2-yr deal

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed UFA to be Craig Adams to a 2-yr deal at $1.1 million. He will get $550k in the next two seasons.

Here's what GM Ray Shero had to say: “Craig is a steady, reliable, physical player who was an important part of our mix this season,” Shero said. “He plays with a lot of grit, but he also contributed some key goals in the playoffs and was very effective as a penalty-killer. We’re glad to be able to sign him for two more years.”

My Take: This was a great signing by Shero as Adams took a slight pay cut ($50k) to stay for the two year duration as a Penguin. He's a tremendous role player and does all the little things well. This likely spells the end of Dupuis and his $1.4 mil salary which would save us $850k if we were able to deal him. Several teams are interestedin him including Min, NYI, and Edm.
This might also spell the end of Zigomanis, although they need a 4th line center. Could Dustin Jeffrey be put in the mix next year? We'll see. But signing Adams for this contract and dealing Dupuis would still give them money to sign Ziggy, 2 forwards, and a defenseman (or 2).

OTHER UFA news: The Carolina Hurricanes came to terms with their UFA to be Jussi Jokinen at a 2 yr/$3.4 mil deal. The Canes picked Jokinen off waivers near the end of the year and it turned out to be a great addition. Jokinen had one goal and 11 points in 25 regular season games but scored seven goals and 11 points in 18 playoff games. Including a couple game winners in overtime. Not bad playoff numbers for a mid-season waiver pickup.

Pens free agency thoughts and feelings

We are three days away from witnessing yet another exciting July 1st. A day filled with eww's and ahhh's and holy god's and are you kidding me? But being a Pens supporter we are safe to assume one thing, GM Ray Shero will not go quietly into the night. Since his hiring in May of 2006, Shero has been moving and signing players like it's nobody's business. In his first summer as GM in '06 he signed UFAs Mark Rechhi, Jarko Ruutu, and Mark Eaton. People cringe when they hear Rechhi's name after how bad he played his last few months as a Penguin. But it was a very young and inexperienced Pens team a few years ago, Crosby was only a sophomore and Malkin/Staal were rookies. Rechhi added important veteran leadership and Ruutu was an immediate fan favorite for his agitating antics.

Shero also traded for Nils Ekman (who turned out to be a bust) and handy role player Dominic Moore. In the summer of '07 after the Pens made the playoffs for the first time in 5 years, Shero was active again. This time he added proven goal scorer Petr Sykora and steady veteran Darryl Sydor. While Ryan Whitney and Crosby were re-signed to long term extensions. Now last summer as we all remember, was a little different. There was the long awaited moment for Hossa to decide whether he'll sign long term with the Pens or leave to go elsewhere. He surprised everyone by taking a 1-yr deal with the Red Wings. And also Ryan Malone took more money to go to Tampa and now he's miserable about it.

But Shero panicked and after he lost out on plan B: Marcus Naslund/Brian Roloston/Kristan Huselius, he was forced to go after whatever was out there which happened to be Satan and Fedotenko. Now Fedotenko wasn't a bad signing, especially at a $ 2.5 mil price tag. He was a proven playoff performer and a solid 20 goal guy who could "hopefully" provide some net presence. But Satan at $3.5 mil turned out terrible for the Pens. He was supposed to be that sniper for Sid's line and nothing came of that. A couple weeks into free agency the Pens made a signing I loved in Matt Cooke. Cooke added some grit and energy we lost when Ruutu left. But when it came down to the playoffs, even Satan turned up useful in a 4th line role. Remember goal 1 in game 1 vs. Carolina on the breakaway? The man has still got skills.

Now in the next few days there will be several talks between the agents of Fedotenko, Scuderi, and Guerin with Shero regarding new contracts. Fedotenko wants to stay, the question will be for how much/how long. For $2.5 mil/yr and 2-yrs the Pens should lock him up. And it looks as if Shero really wants Guerin to come back as well. His calmness, veteran leadership, and play alongside Crosby all seem to have a big impact on Ray Ray. Scuderi will get $3.5 mil-4 mil in the open market, he knows that. But he also knows Ryan Malone took more money and ended up being miserable, and Orpik took less money ($3.75 instead of $6 offered by LA) and he won a Stanley Cup. Scuderi loves it here, he wants to stay, and I think he'd accept a $2.5 mil/yr deal.

What do I think will go down in Chinatown? It's hard to say, but I do think Guerin and maybe Scuderi will re-sign. I don't think Fedotenko's production on the 2nd line was significant enough during the regular season. I'd rather have a guy like Knuble, Kotalik, or even Maxim Afinigenov. These guys will all be in the $2mil-3mil range. Knuble adds a net presence and a consistent 25 goal scorer, Kotalik has a wicked shot who's also capable of netting 25-30. And Afinigenov would be a low risk high reward type deal. He'd definitely sign with the Pens for $2 mil/yr because he has to prove to critics and to himself that he can still play. Maxim's speed is on the Pavel Bure level. He would love to play alongside Geno, who wouldn't?

Shero should try and dump Dupuis and his $1.4 mil salary and maybe even Mark Eaton. I'd rather see a guy like Moen on the 4th line or Jeffrey/Wallace. We need another physical defenseman at a good price. Montador, Boynton, or even Semenov come to mind. Eaton is good and he played much better this year, but even if we re-sign Scuderi I'd like to see some more size and physicality. Especially since Hal Gill will be gone. The Pens other playoff competitor (not named Washington)the Flyers just got a lot better with Pronger in the backend. This means we have to strengthen our top 2 lines while having enough money to sign a defenseman. We can do this by re-signing Guerin and letting Fedotenko walk. If Shero can get Crosby a sniper, I think the Hart Trophy/Conn Smythe winner deserves one too :).

Pronger to Philly trade breakdown

ANALYSIS: Not many people in Pens nation were pleased when the Flyers acquired Chris Pronger last night. The Flyers had to pay a steep price to get a guy who's going to be a UFA next summer and is seeking a long term extension worth 5-6 mil/yr. Top 6 winger Lupul, talented youngster Sbisa, and 2 first round picks went to the Ducks. Lupul was their biggest trade bait, he cleared a ton of cap space ($4.5 mil), and because they have Claude Giroux waiting to crack the top 6 Lupul became expendable.

Sbisa played in 37 games last year with the Flyers at only 19. He's got an immense amount of offensive talent. Another puck moving defenseman who will likely take over the reign of Niedermayer once he retires in a couple years. The Ducks will have a ton of offense from the blue line to look at down the line: Ryan Whitney, James Wisniewski, and now Luca Sbisa. Great deal by Ducks GM Bob Murray, they weren't going to sign either Niedermayer or Pronger so one of them had to be dealt, and what a return they got.

From the Flyers standpoint, they have added the best defenseman on that team since Mark Howe from the 80s teams. They have brought in a shutdown guy who can bring everything: nasty play, can play point on the power play, and has a great first pass. Pronger fits right in Flyer nation. The Ducks Bob Murray believes they have a legit shot at the cup now with Pronger. Do I agree? Maybe, the big question again will be there goaltending but getting Pronger will truly help in trying to beat the Flyers biggest threats in the conferece: Pens and Capitals.

I think Pronger will get paired with Timonon as Timonen is a similiar player to Niedermayer. They'll have Ryan Parent, Braydon Coburn, Matt Carle and Randy Jones to fill out their core. Alberts looks to be gone with this deal. Philly will have an interesting mix of big, puck moving, and in your face defenseman. They will now have 2 good groups of defense to try and stop Sid's line and then Geno's line. Mmmmm, the Pens Flyers rivalry just got a tad bit nastier. But if the Flyers don't win the cup in the years Pronger is there, this will go down as one of the worst trades in Flyers history. Especially considering the upside of Lupul, Sbisa, and 2 1st round picks!
I think the Pens should look to get tougher come July 1st. UFAs : Mike Knuble, Eric Cole, and Chris Neil should be considered. At a cheaper price a younger guy like Travis Moen could be looked at. Moen would be a great 4th line or 3rd line guy to have.