Just a quick thought...

I'll have a much longer post in the coming days, but I wanted to get this idea out of my head before the possibility of it actually happening. If the Pens don't sign Gonch, I believe the Avs will sign him. Even though they want to build the team from the ground up, they need an experienced D-man. Just remember, you heard it here first.

Let the games begin

In the first of what may be many surprises this summer, Halak has been dealt to the Blues. St. Louis is the clear winner of this deal, having only given up two prospects. Even a member of Canada's Parliament wasn't too happy with the deal. (Thanks to EN for the link) In my opinion, he has done WAY more for the Habs than Carey Price.

Old news here, but Mike Yeo is no longer going to be screwing up...er, coaching the Pens power play. I'm just curious about who they are planning on hiring to replace him. Maybe Gonch can play and coach at the same time. Crazier things have happened (see above).

On another note, the Hawks may march in a gay pride parade. I'm personally straight as an arrow, but I'm all for gay rights, and this would be a great thing for everyone involved. Seeing as how Fraser, Versteeg, Ladd, and Brouwer made an appearance at the taping of an Ellen Degeneres special, I could see them showing up at the parade.

It's free agency time!

Now that the season has ended, everyone's minds turn to free agency. Here are my suggestions on what the Pens should do...although they probably won't listen to me.

1. Billy G- Although he started the season strong, he seemed a little worse for wear towards the end of the season. I think that after next year, he won't have anything left in the tank. Should the Pens keep him? I think so, but pay him no more than 1 million, and only sign him for one more year.

2. Fedostanko- Let him walk. He doesn't add anything to the team, and his numbers this year were awful. Some people may argue that he steps it up in the playoffs, but that was more of an argument last year. This year he had no points and was a -3 in 6 games. Absolutely not worth the 1.8 million he got this year. Dump him.

3. Matt Cooke- Re-sign him for 1 million per year for 2 years. The team needs a good agitator, and he is one of the best in the league.

4. Ponikarovsky- Get rid of him. So far, he's been one of the worst trades Ray Shero has made. I can't believe that they traded the Mob Boss (Luca Caputi) for his worthless ass. A 2.5 million dollar contract last year!? You have got to be kidding me.

5. Gonch- This one has been debated the most of all. While, like Billy G, he ran out of steam by the end of the season, there is no arguing that he brought a lot to the power play this year, and the power play needs as much help as it can get. He carries a hefty price tag though, and with his age, might tank out this season. So is he worth the risk? I say no.

6. Mark Eaton- I believe he is one of the most underrated players on the team, along with Craig Adams (one of my favorites). There are simply no statistics that will show how much of a difference his defensive play makes. Is he worth the 2 million per year that he has been getting? To be honest, I'm on the fence about the salary. I am not on the fence, however, on what he brings to the team. Re-sign him, but I'm not sure for how much.

7. Jay McKee- He brings size to the lineup, but I think the Pens would be better off bringing someone up from the minors than re-signing him.

8. Jordan Leopold- I've liked what I've seen from him this year, and I think he's a good fit for the team. Re-sign him for 1.5 million per year for 3 years.

9. Ben Lovejoy- He's an unrestricted free agent IV (as I mentioned in a previous post, I'm not quite sure what that means, and I haven't been able to find any more info on it). Please, please, please re-sign him and bring him up this year. I think he is a fantastic defenseman (which the Pens need badly), and I believe this could be his breakout season. I have high hopes for him. Give him half a million for one year, and if he does a good job (which I'm sure he will), resign him to a longer contract worth more money.

So there you have it. But I'm not a GM, so we'll have to wait and see how things pan out before July 1st.

* All salary information can be found at NHL Numbers.