Penguins/NHL
Giguere not in the Leafs plans for now
The buzz in Toronto today is the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending situation. Vesa Toskala has not shown the ability to be a No.1 netminder and that was clear tonight. The Leafs have high hopes for young goaltender Jonas Gustavsson who is currently sidelined for 1-3 weeks with a groin injury.
Leafs GM Brian Burke has claimed on many occasions that the Leafs are not in rebuilding mode which has sparked speculation that Burke is looking for a veteran goaltender. Gustavsson is not a sure thing and will go through some learning pains but one goaltender currently not on the Leafs radar is Anaheim goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
McKee proving his worth
Jay McKee had 7 blocked shots against Toronto and has quickly become a popular player in the locker room. He’s regarded by his teammates as a player that will go to battle for anyone and is already proving his worth to the team.
Tonight he had his finest game of the season. McKee’s leadership on and off the ice has also been an added bonus for the Penguins.
Talbot progressing
Max Talbot’s rehab remains on schedule. Near the end of the month he will pick up his regiment and is hopeful to be cleared for contact by mid-November. That would put him in line to return to the lineup by early December. Mid-November has been the earliest target date but team doctors indicate he’s at least 6-8 weeks away from returning.
Guerin acquisition nixed trade for Jarkko Ruutu
The Pittsburgh Penguins travel to Ottawa for a meeting with the Senators Monday night. Just hours before last March 4th trade deadline, many inside the organization believed Senators winger Jarkko Ruutu was going to be returning to Pittsburgh.
In fact Pittsburgh had a deal in place to acquire Ruutu but Shero nixed the deal after going with the Guerin deal. Surprisingly, the price to acquire Ruutu would have cost the Penguins a lot more than the 3rd round pick they gave up for Guerin. Defenseman Alex Grant was believed to be going the other way.
