Penguins/NHL
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Carolina Hurricanes winger Ray Whitney is regarded around the league as a perfect fit for the Penguins. Whitney, 37, has 16 goals and 23 assists on the season and would be an instant fit on the Penguins top-2 lines and a nice addition to one of the league’s worst power play units.
However, the Penguins and Hurricanes have not held any kind of substantive talks regarding Whitney to this point.
The main reason for that is Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford is looking for a 1st round pick in return for Whitney. With a number of teams expressing significant interest, including the Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and the Calgary Flames, Rutherford is looking to sell high.
Pittsburgh which doesn’t value the current winger market as strong, will not move a 1st round pick for Whitney under any circumstances. Until Rutherford’s asking price comes down, Pittsburgh won’t be a serious suitor in the Whitney sweepstakes.
*Pittsburgh continues to get calls about young defenseman Kris Letang. The Penguins don’t have intentions of moving Letang but they will listen to the right offer.
Among the most interested teams is the Dallas Stars I’m told. The Stars had significant interest in Ryan Whitney last winter but would not balk at Pittsburgh’s asking price of James Neal.
The asking price for Letang would be Neal once again, so the Stars don’t appear to be a team that would catch the Penguins eye with any kind of offer.
more to come
