Blackhawks, Penguins take similar paths; opposite philosophies

By Paul Ladewski Chicago – The reassignment of former Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon came as no surprise to those that had monitored the situation closely. As far back as the final months of the 2008-09 campaign, there were signs that the organization had begun to groom assistant general manager Stan Bowman for the position.

Insider Report: Top 40 wingers on the Free Agent market

Follow TIOPS on Twitter Inside Look at the top right/left wingers on the free agent market. Players in bold are players of interest for Pittsburgh. Players are numbered from highest 08/09 salary to the lowest. Top 22 Right Wingers 1. Marian Gaborik 27 MIN $7,500,000 2. Marian Hossa 30 DET $7,450,000 3. Martin Havlat 28

The Latest from Montreal

A number of GM’s and agents have arrived in Montreal and the rumor mill is heating up. 1:31 p.m. – The growing consensus is that Wild GM Chuck Fletcher and Leafs GM Brian Burke will be the most active GM’s at the draft. 1:15 p.m. – 47 yr old Chris Chelios wants to play in

Havlat’s market value on the rise

The Chicago Blackhawks and talented forward Martin Havlat came very close to reaching long-term extension prior to the playoffs with a base salary in the range of $4.6 million per season. Havlat has expressed an interest in re-signing with the Hawks long-term and it is still likely that the Hawks, Havlat strike a deal before

Havlat to continue contract negotiations

General manager Dale Tallon is scheduled to meet with Martin Havlat’s agent Allan Walsh next week to continue negotiations for a possible long-term extensions reports the Chicago Tribune. League sources indicate the Hawks have offered Havlat a

The Latest NHL Buzz

Pressure on agents not to set the market before July 1 With the uncertainty of the salary for next season and beyond, there continues to be significant pressure on agents who represent mid-tier free agents. The top tier players like Marian Hossa and Jay Bouwmeester are going to get their money. The wild cards are

Morning Buzz

The Penguins have caught many around the league by surprise in their ability to overcome the losses of Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar. Ryan Whitney is skating and looks to be in the best shape of his career. Whitney is determined to resemble the player he was two seasons ago and I expect him to

Inside Report: 2009 NHL Free agency

What are the chances the Penguins pursue Brian Gionta next summer? Read more for an inside look on who will be the top available wingers next summer and which ones could be potential targets of the Penguins