Latest Pens Chatter: Comrie, Panthers & more rumblings

MORNING BUZZ

The Christmas roster freeze is December 19th and the Penguins like many contending teams do not expect to search for any personnel needs until after the new year and closer to the February 28th deadline.

The Penguins currently have 23 players on their active roster and Jordan Staal’s progress from a broken right hand over the next 10-to-14 days will dictate whether the Penguins are forced to make a roster move before the December 19th roster freeze.

If there’s one good thing to come out of Staal’s extended stay on LTIR, the Penguins are saving money on their cap everyday.

TOP-6 WINGER

A report surfaced this weekend speculating that the Penguins will target winger….

Cory Stillman of the Florida Panthers. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes, “Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero will likely go shopping for a Top 6 winger. Don’t be surprised if the Penguins make a pitch for Florida LW Cory Stillman. He’s going to be part of the cash cleanup by Panthers’ GM Dale Tallon and has Stanley Cup rings from Tampa (2004) and Carolina (2006)….”

Put that rumor in the “not happening” category.

Stillman, 36, won’t be a target from the Penguins. He has 3 goals and 5 assists on the season and a cap hit of $3.5 million. Adding a older veteran like Stillman who has Cup experience is the type of move the Penguins needed to make in 2006-2007 not in 2010.

If the Penguins are to make a run at a Panthers forward, Christopher Higgins would be the likely candidate. The Penguins liked Higgins early in free agency who has offensive intrigue. Higgins though won’t be a top target by any means.

He is off to another disapointing season, collecting 3 goals and 3 assists in 22 games played.

COMRIE LATEST

A league source told me forward Mike Comrie is the only player on the Penguins roster that GM Ray Shero has made available at this time. A few teams have been kicking the tires on Comrie, including the Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators but executives believe he will be waived when Jordan Staal returns in the next couple weeks, so it’s unlikely the Penguins get a bite from an interested team.

Comrie has fallen out of favor with head coach Dan Bylsma.