Boyes tops list of four wingers Pens looked into at trade deadline who are PTO candidates this fall
Training camps open in 13 days and many quality NHL players still can’t find jobs. Marcel Goc and Max Lapierre, two players traded for each other last season, both signed in Europe this week. Scottie Upshall a solid bottom-6 player signed with the St. Louis Blues on a professional tryout on Tuesday. One veteran agent said the market has shaped up for established players to either accept an $800,000 offer or go to camp on a tryout. The Penguins have gone the tryout route twice already, signing Sergei Gonchar and Tim Sestito to professional tryout contracts in August. The Penguins brass, though, wouldn’t be doing their job if they weren’t looking to take advantage of the current market and exploring
Brandon Sutter signs five year extension with Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks today signed Brandon Sutter to a five year extension. The deal has an average annual value of 4.375M through end of the 2020.21 NHL season. Here is the official release from the Canucks
Rise of RFA paydays has Penguins spooked, already making new deal for Olli Maatta a top priority
LONG-TERM DEAL FOR OLLI MAATTA ALREADY A TOP-PRIORITY INTERNALLY
Day after signing Justin Williams to a bargain deal, Capitals trade for T.J. Oshie
The Metropolitan Division is already shaping up as one of the most competitive divisions in hockey and this week it’s been the division of big moves. First with the Blue Jackets acquisition of Brandon Saad, to Pittsburgh trading for Phil Kessel, and the Capitals in a 24-hour span, took a big step towards bolstering their top-6. The Capitals last night signed Justin Williams to a 2 year deal worth just $6.5 million, an excellent bargain in getting Williams at just two years, and moments ago the Capitals acquired T.J. Oshie in a trade with St. Louis. The Blues receive forwards Troy Brouwer and Pheonix Copley and a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. “T.J. is an outstanding skater with
Penguins are done top-6 winger shopping following Kessel acquisition, looking to add another bottom-6 forward
It took about a month to get done by Jim Rutherford nabbed his No. 1 target at the end of the day. “Very excited about what happened,” Rutherford said of the Penguins acquisition of Phil Kessel. “Worked on this deal with Toronto for about a month. Got a little bit of legs on draft night and heated up last night.” Rutherford noted that the Penguins “poked” around on other available wingers but Kessel was their main target from the get go. “Kessel was our main [No. 1] target,” Rutherford said. “Ideal player we were looking for.” Rutherford set out to add an impact scoring winger and he accomplished that goal. “When you can get a pure goal scorer…….that is going
Penguins, Leafs trade talks on Phil Kessel described as heating up in a “big way” this morning
LATEST PENGUINS BUZZ As anticipated, Trade talks between the Penguins and Leafs about Phil Kessel have picked back up this morning after cooling off a bit over the weekend. One source described talks
Penguins plan to target Mike Santorelli in free agency
The Pittsburgh Penguins plan to target versatile forward Mike Santorelli at the opening of free agency tomorrow, Inside Pittsburgh Sports has learned.
Former Penguins Gonchar, Kennedy interested in returning to Pittsburgh
We’ve talked about the Sergei Gonchar stuff for a few days and after meeting with Gonchar’s camp over the weekend, the Penguins remain open to the idea. Agent JP Barry confirming to Inside Pittsburgh Sports.com that he met with Penguins officials to “discuss Sergei” during the interview period, indicated today that the door is open to Gonchar signing with the Penguins but nothing is definite at this point. “We will see moving forward,” Barry said. Meanwhile, another former Penguin in Tyler Kennedy has very strong interest in returning to the Penguins but unlike the Penguins and Gonchar, it’s unclear whether the interest is mutual from the Penguins end. “From our side [Pittsburgh is] very attractive,” veteran agent Steve Bartlett said
Pressing question with July 1 looming is whether Penguins can help themselves and not spend on older players they’re mulling runs at
View image | gettyimages.com Jim Rutherford and the Pittsburgh Penguins left the draft Saturday without accomplishing their primary goal of acquiring an impact top-6 winger. Rutherford’s No. 1 priority continues to be to finalize a deal for Phil Kessel but it’s a deal that may take a while or it might not happen at all as neither side is ready to give in at this point. On the flip side, all of the Penguins so called “Plan B” Targets internally were also not traded, Patrick Sharp, Jiri Hudler, Jeff Skinner among them, but Kessel is the big fish Rutherford really wants, multiple sources continue to indicate. Some parameters were established in the Leafs taking on a few roster players, Chris
Despite talk of getting younger, Penguins not ruling out a run at Joel Ward on July 1
The direction of where the Penguins off-season is headed has been all over the map based on players the Penguins are pursuing in trades and considering runs at on July 1. Despite talk of Penguins wanting to get younger and saying they want to, they’ve been chatting it up with agents for players during the UFA window who are closer to 40 than 25.