Around the NHL

  • 39 year old veteran Billy Guerin continues to wait patiently on the open market. While Guerin remains in contact with the Penguins, Guerin’s agent Bob Murray is aggressively exploring other options but Guerin has yet to receive a firm offer.
  • Pens’ contacts tell me while there is believed to have been some inquiries, Guerin has yet to come to Pittsburgh with an offer for the team to match or come close too. The Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins have reached out to Guerin at somepoint since July 1. However, the Flyers and Rangers have either moved on or are moving in other directions.  
  • The market is slowly starting to pick up leaguewide and former Penguin Alexei Ponikarovsky is moving closer to finding a new home.
  • According to a league source, Ponikarovsky is mulling over an offer he has received in the past 72 hours. It’s the first offer Ponikarovsky’s camp is considering since free agency began.
  • When contacted this morning, Rick Curran the agent for Ponikarovsky confirmed Alexei is mulling over an offer they have received in recent days. 
  • “We have received an offer to consider, ”  Curran told Inside Pittsburgh Sports, shortly after 10:00 a.m. this morning.
  • League sources tell Inside Pittsburgh Sports, Ponikarovsky has drawn interest from the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers of late. However, the Rangers are pushing forward in talks with Alexander Frolov. LA appears to be the most likely landing spot for Ponikarovsky.
  • The Rangers are believed to be inching closer to a multi-year deal with winger Alexander Frolov that will pay Frolov upwards of $3 million per season.
  • The Rangers expressed early interest in Frolov then backed off but have now pushed forward in talks. Progress towards a deal has been made between Don Meehan, the agent for Frolov and Rangers GM Glen Sather. Just last week, it appeared to be a certainty that Frolov was headed to the KHL.
  • Frolov, 28, is a former 35 goal scorer but his stock plummeted due to a subpar 2009-2010 season (14 goals) and character concerns.