How will Letang feeling disrespected by the organization impact negotiations & more buzz

• The Penguins announced their pre-season schedule today. The team will open up the preseason vs the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, September 15 at 6:00 p.m. at Nationwide Arena. The team will play their first home preseason game vs the Detroit Red Wings on Monday, September 16 at 7:00 p.m. The six-game preseason schedule also includes home games against Columbus on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 4 p.m. and Monday, Sept. 23 against the Chicago Blackhawks at 7 p.m. The Penguins will also play road games at Chicago on Sept. 19 (time TBA) and Detroit on Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
•  I’m hearing GM Ray Shero has taken some heat inside the organization for not calling the Penguins playoff run“unacceptable” during his season ending press conference on June 12th.  I was told team President David Morehouse was furious Shero called the Penguins being swept by the Bruins “disappointing” and not “unacceptable”. Shero has not come off as being angered about the Penguins being swept but some very high ranking people in the organization were and still are.
• The talk of Kris Letang being upset and feeling disrespected by the Penguins is very real.

Leaks have come out of the organization that the Penguins don’t view Letang as a franchise player and feel Paul Martin was a better defensemen last season. It has Letang’s camp playing a cat and mouse game.

They have yet to tell the Penguins what they’re seeking from term to money and the Penguins as of last night had yet to make an official offer. You have to wonder how this will impact negotiations going forward. The Penguins are expected to make an offer before the draft on Sunday. The Penguins have not told teams they are moving Letang yet. Things could get ugly if Penguins make an initial offer that Letang’s camp feels is a low ball offer.

• I’ve been getting lots of questions about Ryan Malone and the Penguins. There’s been rumblings of Tampa Bay buying him out because of their cap situation but word is the Lightning are confident they will be able to trade Malone and his $4.5 million cap hit for the next two seasons. Tampa is said to have no interest in taking any of the cap hit back. Pittsburgh will not be in the mix to take on a $4.5 million cap hit.