Although the offseason isn’t over yet and perhaps another few free agent signings are expected (Please, Ray Shero, give us another year of Guerin!), it’s time to look ahead to training camp…or maybe that’s just me, impatient for hockey! I’ve been speculating lately about who will fill some roster spot for the Penguins. Who’s in the running? Who do I predict will be on the roster come October?

Here’s the roster with new summer acquisitions:

Kunitz—Crosby—
Rupp—Malkin—Talbot
Cooke—Staal—Kennedy
Godard—Adams—Dupuis

Orpik—Letang
Michalek—Martin
Goligoski—McKee

Fleury
Johnson

Who will fill up the empty spots? Are there any spots that aren’t safe? Here’s what I think.

DEFENSE:

Shero has been priming Ben Lovejoy for the big leagues for years. He’s finally ready. I think he’s on the roster this fall if he performs at his level at training camp. I think he takes McKee’s spot and McKee is the 7th defenseman….unless he is traded. McKee is a great veteran presence in the locker room. He knows his role and he plays it well. He’s also a solid player to put in if one of the younger guys (Letang, Lovejoy, Goligoski) has a slump. It will be a fool proof way of giving that player a kick in the rear while still providing solid help on the blue line. A possibility for the spot I gave to Lovejoy is Deryk Engelland. He proved last season on his call-ups to the big show that he can hold his own. He’s gritty and tough and tends to be a defender of the team through good, hard hits and a good bought of fisticuffs once in awhile.

GOALTENDING:

Fleury is the concrete number one. He’s part of the core of the team and won’t be thrown out of that starting seat. Johnson is a better than solid backup. He’s definitely an improvement over Dany Sabourin and I feel better about him in net than even Mathieu Garon, who finished the 2009 Cup-winning season with the Pens. The real question is which AHL goalie will be called to assist if Fleury or Johnson sustains an injury. Based on performance from last season, I would feel better about Brad Thiessen taking up that role. John Curry is a great goalie but last year he showed that he’s easily flustered. Until he can learn to control this (and his rebounds), I would be more confident with Thiessen in the net. Much depends on performance in training camp and also in Wilkes-Barre.

OFFENSE:

There are a few candidates for the hole in the first line. This position will most certainly be determined by performance in training camp. My favorite for the position is Eric Tangradi. Acquired from Anaheim in the Chris Kunitz/Ryan Whitney trade in 2009, the 21 year old winger is big and skilled. He will get pucks to Sid and getting his captain room. This leads to higher production from Sid and points for himself. There is also the possibility that the organization wants to give Tangradi another year to develop and Dupuis or Rupp will move up to the top line. Then there will be a spot open on the third or fourth line. Mark Letestu showed his skill in the corners last season and is good at getting the puck on the stick of his teammates. Chris Conner, although only 5’8”, plays big. His size makes him speedy and he’s a physical presence despite his stature. Dustin Jeffery, with his great hands and clever play-making ability could snag the spot with a good showing at camp.

All of this, of course, is all speculation. More will be concrete as the season moves closer. I look forward to updating my predictions during camp!

Erika Zimmerman
NHLHS writer
ezimmerman@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @hattrickkane

Penguins fans, forget about the Flyers.  It’s time to focus on our quickly developing rivalry with the Capitals. 

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, the Winter Classic will be held on Heinz Field in Pittsburgh against the Capitals.  Let the roaring Crosby v. Ovie debate begin. 

Wait...what’s that?  A new rivalry has developed?

Yes folks, while the better player rivalry between the sport's two superstars is still alive, a new player has stepped onto the ice.

On Tuesday, after the official Winter Classic announcement was made in Pittsburgh, Pens player Maxime Talbot was interviewed by a radio station and called Alex Ovechkin a “douche.”  He went as far as to say he was happy the Russian player wasn’t at the media conference.

Talbot recalled his first meeting with the superstar hockey player.  "Malkin knew Ovechkin and introduced me to him and the first impression wasn't great," said Talbot. "I'm not really gonna say what happened, but I'm like, 'OK, this guy is a real douche.'"

Ovechkin has not been reached for comment but you can bet his revenge will come on the ice when the teams meet up outside on the ice in January. 

Will the rest of the players on the teams follow suit and turn this two-person battle into a full out team rivalry? 

While the NHL no doubt officially frowned on Talbot for his comment, you know it must secretly be jumping with excitement over the controversy it has become. 

The Ovechkin v. Crosby battle has been beaten to death since both players first stepped into the professional hockey ranks, but the Talbot v. Ovechkin battle is one that leaves many opportunities.

In one corner, you have one of the best NHL players of our generation that has never won a Stanley Cup.  In the other, you have the Stanley Cup hero who may be a cut under the best players in the league. 

Let the fun begin.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Talbot, who was being interviewed on a local Pittsburgh radio station, was referring to an incident when he was introduced to Ovechkin by teammate Evgeni Malkin.

While Talbot did not give a specific reason or detail the incident, he did say, “I hate the guy (Ovechkin).” Talbot went on to say, "I was actually at the NHL Awards last summer with (Evgeni) Malkin, and we brought the Stanley Cup over there after the season," Talbot told The X. Malkin knew Ovechkin, and introduced me to him, and the first impression wasn't great. I'm not really gonna say what happened, but I'm like, 'Okay, this guy is a real douche.'”

Talbot’s comments will surely fuel what is already one of the best rivalries in hockey, and it will be interesting to watch for a rebuttal from Ovechkin.

Until next time,

Peace!

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Despite a near-perfect summer day Tuesday, Pittsburgh already is thinking cold, as in what could well be a winter wonderland Jan. 1, 2011.

Some of the plans for the biggest event of the NHL’s regular season—the 2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic—will be unveiled during a Tuesday afternoon press conference at Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and site of this coming season’s Classic.

The fourth installment of the Winter Classic, to be played at the sparkling home of the Steelers, will feature the hometown Penguins hosting the Washington Capitals in a marquee matchup that will pit the game’s two biggest stars—Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin—against each other before a national television audience in a game broadcast by NBC in the United States and CBC in Canada.

Continue Reading:

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Seth Rorabaugh:

John Barbero, the longtime public address announcer at Civic and Mellon Arena has died following a lengthy battle with brain cancer.

According to a Penguins official, Barbero began calling Penguins games during the 1972-73 season.

EN Says: Think of what John Williams’ music meant to the Stars Wars trilogy. That’s what John Barbero meant to a Penguins game at Civic/Mellon Arena.

Continue Reading:

The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed Mason Raymond to a 2-year deal that will pay the speedy winger 2.5 million this season and 2.6 million in 2011-12. The deal happened right before both sides were going to present their case in Raymond’s arbitration hearing. Had the hearing gone on as planned, many believe that Raymond would’ve been awarded 3-3.5 million per year and that would’ve made it difficult for the Canucks to re-sign him considering their current cap situation.

Here’s what the two sides wanted, according to Jason Botchford:

Canucks: $2 million a year, similar to the deals that Ryan Callahan ($2.3m with NY Rangers) and Eric Fehr ($2.2m with Washington Capitals) received.

Raymond’s camp: $3.5 million a year, like Ryane Clowe ($3.6m from San Jose) and Travis Zajac ($3.8m from New Jersey) got in their deals.

Both sides were very happy to get the deal done without going to arbitration. While this pushed the team over the salary cap, there is still plenty of time for Mike Gillis to get that straightened out. Raymond took less money to stay with the Canucks and this is a great sign from the fan perspective. Management has continued to show their dedication and commitment to building a championship team (without tanking it several season to get high draft picks like Pittsburgh and Chicago did) and players want to play in Vancouver.

With players like Pavol Demitra, Michael Grabner, Kyle Wellwood, and Steve Bernier departing in the off-season and Alex Burrows (most likely) beginning the season on IR, Raymond will get a chance to get off to a great start and prove he’s worth the money he signed for. Let’s hope he has a great follow-up season and continues to improve on last years numbers.

Of course at the end of the day the Canucks could also trade him, since he’s now signed for 2 years and has a very reasonable contract for a player with so much potential.

Read the official Press Release from the Canucks

I-5 Canucks
NHLHS Canucks Correspondents
Hipcheck44@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @Hipcheck44 and @WCE71944