NHL Rumors II: Penguins Checklist and the Oilers
  • Dean Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review: A checklist for the new GM whenever he is hired.

    1. Fire the coach.

    2. Hire a coach – Kovacevic suggests Rick Tocchet.

    3. Trade Kris Letang – Letang’s limited no-trade clause starts on July 1st. Trading Letang’s eight-year, $58 million contract would free up money for concerns in other areas.

    4. Trade James Neal – You have to give up something to get something. The Penguins have to many perimeter scorers and not enough drive the net types. Neal is only 26-years old with a $5 million cap hit.

    5. Sign Matt Niskanen – they must re-sign him and possibly have the new coach put a letter on his sweater.

    6. Wish Brooks Orpik and Jussi Jokinen well – both are UFAs and should not be brought back.

  • David Staples: If the Oilers are going to be looking to sign a big, slow, hard hitting bottom pairing defenseman, Matt Greene is better than Deryk Engelland. GM Craig MacTavish should be able to do better though.
  • Jonathan Willis: Anton Belov said he was offered a contract by the Oilers, but he decided not to sign it. David Staples: Staples was sent a transcript from Adler that said Belov was not offered a contract. Dmitry Chesnokov: From an interview before the World Championships: When asked if he was offered a contract by the Oilers before signing with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.

    “Yes… And another point is that not to re-sign with Edmonton means having to wait until July 1. And going to the World Championships I wanted to be under contract. Coming back to Russia was the only way out.”

    Also added:

    “The other point is that I could have re-signed with Edmonton, but I didn’t want to stay with that coach …”