Penguins/NHL
Tanguay continuing talks with a number of teams
Winger Alex Tanguay missed 32 games last season and scored just 41 points as the talented winger remains unsigned after making over $5 million per season in 2008-2009.
All indications are that Tanguay will sign a one year deal to give himself an opportunity to cash in next season. A reason there has been brief talks with the cap strapped Pittsburgh Penguins.
Playing with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin would give Alex Tanguay a prime opportunity to cash in next season.
Surprisingly Ritch Winter reached out to Ray Shero three weeks to gauge interest in his client.
Winter and Shero had an on-going battle last summer during the Marian Hossa negotiations, where the Penguins feel Winter was using them as just another offer.
Due to Pittsburgh’s cap issues, there has been no progress towards a deal.
For now the two teams in strong pursuit of Tanguay have been the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Minnesota Wild.
“Alex has been on the phone with Chuck and I’ve been on the phone with Chuck,” Tanguay’s agent Ritch Winter told the Star Tribune. “We’re working on some other teams, too. We’re just doing as much homework as we can to help Alex make an informed decision.”
“This will be a decision that is based largely on opportunity,” Winter continued. “Minnesota or somewhere else will be a place he’s going to go to have a career year. We’re continuing those discussions, and the Wild is very, very much on his radar.”
The Wild and Lightning have the cap space to offer over $3 million per season but according to league insiders, Tanguay has yet to receive an offer over $2.5 million per season.
A report two weeks ago surfaced that Tanguay’s highest offer was $1.2 million from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
If Tanguay doesn’t sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning, that could lead to some movement on the Petr Sykora front. The Lightning have an offer on the table to Sykora but Tanguay is their top choice.
