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A quick update prior to the Penguins’ full practice at Consol Energy Center:

= D Kris Letang (lower body injury) skated with strength and conditioning coach Mike Kadar for 47 minutes. He focused mostly on testing his injury, including drills that featured lateral movement and backwards turns. Occasionally, Letang appeared to be in slight discomfort.

He donned full equipment for this skate.

Keep in mind his injury – presumed a groin – is one that teammates said is an aggravation of a previous trouble spot.

Letang met for about five minutes with Kadar and Penguins trainers while on the bench.

He did not return for the club’s practice.

His status going into Thursday was day-to-day. He did not practice with teammate.

= Center Evgeni Malkin (upper body injury) did not skate individually, as he did before an optional practice on Wednesday.

Malkin is practicing with teammates Thursday.

He remains hopeful of playing Friday at the New York Islanders.

= LW Matt Cooke is practicing, though he and trainer Chris Stewart had a brief chat before the session. He has been dealing with a lower-body injury, a presumed foot ailment. Cooke has played through it, though he has missed some practice time.

—     Rossi

An afternoon update from Consol Energy Center, were the Penguins practiced around noon on Wednesday. This was an optional session.

= C Evgeni Malkin (upper-body injury) skated with strength and conditioning coach Mike Kadar in the 10 a.m. hour. Malkin wore only a track suit, but showed no apparent signs of any setbacks on his recovery from a shoulder injury. He returned to the ice and practiced with teammates – his second straight day of practice. He hopes to play Friday night at the New York Islanders.

= The Penguins won a 10^th consecutive game on Tuesday – 2-1 over Washington at home – and they did so without Malkin and D Kris Letang (lower-body injury). Letang is believed to have aggravated a sore groin during the first period of a home win over Boston on Sunday.

Letang did not practice Tuesday. He also missed a session Monday.

= GM Ray Shero is to attend the in-season general manager meetings in Toronto on Wednesday.

= The trade deadline is two weeks away. Expiration is 3 p.m. on April 3.

No big deals have been done, though TSN’s Insiders – all friends of this blog – had some trade talk here: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=418613

Nothing earth shattering, as Calgary RW Jarome Iginla has been linked to the Penguins for several weeks.

Somebody (cough, cough) is not a fan of bringing Iginla to Pittsburgh: http://triblive.com/sports/nhl/3655870-74/rob-rossi-iginla#axzz2O5phL0ff

In any case, Iginla is on the Penguins’ radar, and Shero has coveted what he could bring in the dressing room – veteran leadership and a sense of going for it attitude to a group that consists of 12 players to have won the Cup in 2009 – as much as what he could do on the ice; though, Shero does believe Iginla can contribute on the ice.

There were scouts from seven clubs at Consol Energy Center on Tuesday night. The regulars (Tampa Bay and Columbus, the latter which has had officials here often the past few weeks) were joined by scouts from Colorado, Winnipeg, Boston, Edmonton, San Jose and, indeed, Calgary. Edmonton had two scouts at the game.

= One bit of information picked up after the game is that there is a growing sense, at least within the league, that the Penguins will make a push to add several players before the trade deadline.

They continue to target a top-four defenseman, preferably a partner for Letang, which would allow Matt Niskanen anchor a third defense pairing. The coaching staff believes Niskanen is one of the NHL’s better fifth defensemen, and that the overall corps would benefit if he could bring stability to a third pairing.

The Penguins are currently carrying eight defensemen. Only rookie Simon Despres would need not clear waivers for an AHL assignment.

= The Penguins also want to bolster their bottom-six forwards, ideally with a one of two players, including a center that could contribute on the penalty kill in a fourth-line role. The club also is looking for a third-line option on the right wing, though coaches are enthused by the recent coming-around play of RW Tyler Kennedy.

= Newer information, however, has the Penguins looking for a top-six winger in addition to the defense and lower lineup needs.

There is some concern that rookie LW Beau Bennett, coming off two injury-shortened college seasons, might not physically hold up for another three months of hockey, especially with the every-other-day format of this truncated regular season and the playoff grind.

The word late Tuesday night was that the Penguins may look for a veteran on an expiring contract, one who could play the left wing on a line with Malkin and RW James Neal. The Penguins want to spark Malkin and Neal, who were so dominant last season, but had combined to score 11 of their 22 goals on the power play.

The aim is to find 5-on-5 comfort for Malkin and Neal.

This does not eliminate Bennett from the mix going forward, but a second-line left winger would give the Penguins some options – and one of those options might be, if Kennedy is part of any trade, for Bennett to work in some on the opposite wings on the third line with LW Matt Cooke and C Brandon Sutter.

Coaches like Bennett’s skill and how it leads to puck possession in tight quarters, and they also have been impressed with his defensive awareness.

So, indeed, and as expected, there is growing buzz, even if there is no indication that trade talks are turning serious.

= Something to consider: The Penguins will play only 10 games after April 3. They play that night – at the New York Rangers – and there is a preference to do something sooner rather than at the deadline, though there is not a lot of reason for optimism that a deal would get done soon because this remains a sellers’ market.

That is all for now.

Cheers,

Rossi

Greetings from Toronto, dear readers.

Some quick hits before the unveiling of the #TribHKY Power Poll:

= Vicky Hall of the Calgary Herald with this report that ties into the #IginlaWatch: http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/hockey/calgary-flames/National+Hockey+League+scouts+flock+Calgary/8081852/story.html

As you’ve read here before, the Penguins are intrigued by what Flames RW Jarome Iginla would bring to the team, but they are hardly of the opinion that a significant piece (read: D Simon Despres) should be shipped to the Flames for a rental player.

Here is what the Penguins like about Iginla:

• He has played with C Sidney Crosby before (2010 Olympics), and if part of the top line, the Penguins could then bolster their third line by moving RW Pascal Dupuis to play with C Brandon Sutter and LW Matt Cooke. This is no knock on Dupuis. However, the Penguins do believe a third line of Cooke-Sutter-Dupuis could be the difference for them in any seven-game series.
• Iginla is a veteran, a famously respected/popular veteran, and without a Stanley Cup ring. There is a sentiment that that type of fit would be good for a dressing room that is comprised of 12 players that were part of the 2009 Cup club. So, for those of you that have called Iginla the 2012 version of former RW Bill Guerin, you probably would not be wrong.

Know this about Iginla: The Penguins will have to beat out the Boston Bruins, their opponent tonight, to bring him in. The Bruins, a strong contender in the East, believe Iginla can carry them back to the Final.

Know this, ALSO, about Iginla: There is a better chance he stays with the Flames than leaves. It will be his call, and these types of breakups do not usually happen. For every Raymond Bourque, there are a handful of players that choose to stay where they are rooted, and Iginla, the Flames’ captain, is firmly rooted in Calgary.

Look at it this way: What if, in 12 years, the Penguins were struggling. Do you think Crosby would be itching to leave just to chase a Cup?

= If the Penguins really want a RW, and are looking for a veteran that could bring something, dare we suggest another #Watch with this guy? http://stars.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8448208

Kidding, really, there is no chance. None.

But, how sweet of a bookend would that be if he was handed the Cup after Crosby raised it for a second time?

Seriously, though… NO CHANCE.

= For what it’s worth, all indications are the Penguins are looking to add another defensive-minded defenseman and some bottom-six depth, each of which that can bolster the ailing penalty kill. They are interested in Iginla, but that might be the only route they will take to add a top-six winger.

= Finally, with three weeks before the deadline (April 3), consider this: There is no indication that clubs other than Florida consider themselves sellers at this point. Testing the market now will prove costly to any GM.

–

OK, the bi-weekly Power Poll.  Enjoy, discuss, disagree.

1 – Blackhawks

2 – Ducks

3 – Bruins

4 – Penguins

5 – Canadiens

6 – Maple Leafs

7 – Senators

8 – Kings

9 – Rangers

10 – Red Wings

11 – Devils

12 – Hurricanes

13 – Wild

14 – Canucks

15 – Blues

16 – Sharks

17 – Coyotes

18 – Jets

19 – Predators

20 – Rangers

21 – Avalanche

22 – Blue Jackets

23 – Islanders

24 – Flyers

25 – Flames

26 – Oilers

27 – Lightning

28 – Capitals

29 – Sabres

30 – Panthers

Cheers,

Rossi

A quick, trade-related update on a snowy Wednesday in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins did not practice and are scheduled to depart via charter plane for Philadelphia. The Penguins will play at the Flyers on Thursday night.

= Reports out of Columbus, by the esteemed Aaron Portzline of that city’s Dispatch, have the Blue Jackets dismissing any interest in moving D Jack Johnson.

Again, as noted in the previous blog post following the Penguins-Lightning game on Monday night, the Blue Jackets had their three senior members of hockey operations at Consol Energy Center, and a Blue Jackets scout or member of management has attended the last three Penguins games in Pittsburgh.

(No, that is not limited to Craig Patrick, the former Penguins general manager who is a senior advisor with Columbus. Patrick still lives in suburban Pittsburgh.)

= Johnson has always been a player liked by some members of this Penguins management group, but not at the expense of Kris Letang. However, there has been a belief in the organization – for some time, which explains the pursuit last summer of free-agent Ryan Suter – that Letang should have an elite-skill defense partner.

Also, with Letang eligible for an extension this summer, there is a want to have an insurance policy in the form of a potential top-pairing defenseman – preferably one with power-play quarterback qualities – in the fold, in case talks with Letang do not prove fruitful and he, like C Jordan Staal, must be traded to restock the roster.

Johnson could fill any of those roles for the Penguins, though that hardly means his journey is guaranteed to result in a move to Pittsburgh.

= Rookie D Simon Despres is available, and other NHL clubs have known that for months. However, the Penguins do not plan to move him for anything other than a long-term piece – as they did in 2009 with D Ryan Whitney for LWs Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangardi, and in 2011 with D Alex Goligoski for RW James Neal and D Matt Niskanen.

The Blue Jackets are interested in Despres.

= The Penguins have talked with and are talking to several clubs. The most consistent conversations have been with Minnesota, St. Louis and Columbus.

The NHL trade deadline is April 3. The Penguins would like to bolster their defense, add some grit and lower-line scoring, and are looking for a potential impact forward.

However, it should be noted that management is much more comfortable with the current state of this squad than the general public.

The view by some within the organization is that the Penguins, though far from perfectly constructed, still are a formidable matchup for any club in the Eastern Conference, and that the conference is without a clear favorite for the first time since 2008.

Coincidentally or not, that is the year GM Ray Shero made several moves at the deadline – acquiring RWs Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis, and D Hal Gill – to establish the Penguins as a favorite to reach the Final, which they did.

= There continues to be buzz from people around the league, agents mostly, that the Penguins will be in play for RW Jarome Iginla if he decides to leave Calgary.

= Josh Yohe has the club on Thursday and Friday. Catch up with yinz from Toronto, the finest hockey city in North America according to this blog’s author.

–Rossi

The NHL trade deadline expires in less than a month.

The Penguins may again me be looking to strike before it by moving a young defenseman.

Simon Despres, 21, is available – and the Columbus Blue Jackets’ three senior members of hockey operations attended the Penguins’ 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Consol Energy Center on Monday night.

New general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, his assistant Chris MacFarland, and senior advisor Craig Patrick – who preceded Ray Shero as Penguins general manager – watched the game from the media level.

Patrick, who still lives in suburban Pittsburgh, often attends Penguins games and sits in the stands, but he is rarely in the media area.

The Penguins are seeking to bolster their defense, preferably with a player under contract who could serve as either a long-term partner for Kris Letang or possible insurance if Letang is traded before his contract expires in July 2014.

Shero has said he hopes to reach contract extensions with Letang, 25, and center Evgeni Malkin, 26, this summer. Both will play under the final year of their current deals next season.

Letang, though, is viewed by some team officials as perhaps the more difficult player to sign because he projects to nearly double his current $3.5 million salary-cap hit.

Letang leads all NHL defensemen with 21 points. He has recorded six assists in the last two games, both Penguins’ wins.

This past summer, while pursing free-agent defenseman Ryan Suter, the Penguins envisioned paring Letang with an elite partner.

Jack Johnson, 26, could potentially fit that description.

He was the third overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and is a longtime friend of Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

Johnson was acquired by the Blue Jackets last season.

He is not off to a great start this season, with a goal and eight points to go with a minus-10 rating in 18 games.

Johnson’s cap hit is $4.35 million, and his contract runs through the 2017-18 season.

He is widely viewed as a top power-play quarterback, which the Penguins currently lack.

The Penguins are deepest organizationally on defense, with three first-round picks among their top prospects.

Despres, the 30^th overall pick in 2009, has the look of a top-four staple, though he has appeared in only 17 of the Penguins’ 23 games this season.

The Penguins are 13-4-0 in those games, and his plus-7 rating is second among club defensemen. His six points are third behind Letang and Paul Martin, who is injured (lower-body).

Shero has twice traded a promising defensemen, weeks in advance of the NHL deadline, for players that would fit long-term with the Penguins.

He moved Ryan Whitney, who was coming off 59- and 40-point seasons, in February 2009 for left wingers Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi.

Kunitz has been a top-line staple to play alongside Crosby.

Tangradi, at the time of that deal, became the Penguins’ top forward prospect.

Alex Goligoski had amassed 31 points in 60 games when he was moved by Shero for right winger James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen in February 2011.

The Penguins are also exploring the possibility of adding a veteran winger, and there is reported buzz within the NHL that Shero is intrigued by Calgary right winger Jarome Iginla, who is the Flames’ captain.

Iginla, 35 and a free agent this summer, played on Crosby’s line for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

–Rob Rossi

In case you missed it, the update from the Penguins’ morning practice at BB&T Center: http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/3557069-74/penguins-eaton-games#axzz2M1ytvEWJ

And with that our of the way, the third installment of bi-weekly rankings sure to satisfy nobody. Oh, well. As always, don’t blame Josh Yohe or Dejan Kovacevic for these. They’re all You Know Who. Enjoy.

1 – Blackhawks

2 – Ducks

3 – Bruins

4 – Devils

5 – Penguins

6 – Canucks

7 – Canadiens

8 – Senators

9 – Maple Leafs

10 – Blues

11 – Red Wings

12 – Hurricanes

13 – Predators

14 – Lightning

15 – Stars

16 – Coyotes

17 – Kings

18 – Sharks

19 – Flyers

20 – Rangers

21 – Wild

22 – Oilers

23 – Jets

24 – Flames

25 – Islanders

26 – Avalanche

27 – Panthers

28 – Capitals

29 – Sabres

30 – Blue Jackets

Greetings, dear readers – from somewhere over, North Carolina, I’m guessing.

A quick blog update, with an acknowledgment I’ve been slacking on the blog lately. (Not like there’s been anything going on, right?)

= Touched base before leaving Pittsburgh with a few folks close with C Evgeni Malkin. They report he continues to progress. One phrase nobody used was “feeling fine,” which is one of the ways HC Dan Bylsma described Malkin on Sunday night after confirming that Malkin was dealing with a concussion.

Still, those close to Malkin did say he is feeling better on Monday. That is the important development, and it seems, in spirit, consistent with what the club has reported in terms of his progress.

Malkin has been placed on the injured-reserve list. He would not be eligible to play until this weekend.

He is not on at least the first leg of this three-game road trip with the Penguins.

This is the second concussion of Malkin’s career. He was also concussed in 2004, before the Penguins drafted him second overall that year.

Josh Yohe will have an interesting story in Tuesday’s Trib. In it, C Sidney Crosby shares some concussion thoughts in the wake of Malkin’s injury.

If anybody would be an expert witness on the topic, Crosby would be that guy.

= The Penguins have signed D Mark Eaton: http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/3550993-74/eaton-defenseman-penguins

No roster move is necessary because Malkin is on the IR.

The signing of Eaton seemed inevitable since the Penguins signed him to a tryout contract.

As for what this ultimately means for the defense corps – well, the Penguins are now back to eight defensemen on the active roster.

Bylsma and GM Ray Shero are on-record as saying that is not idea.

Of the eight defensemen, only rookie Simon Despres can be re-assigned to the AHL without having to clear waivers.

= Tuesday is the anniversary of a pretty big day in franchise history.

In case the Malkin developments over the weekend kept all of your attention, a look at the blowout from Sunday on the Marian Hossa trade: http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/3508756-74/penguins-hossa-shero#axzz2LwpKdXRf

My favorite part of the reporting on that story was chatting with Crosby about his former linemate. At one point, Crosby waxed nostalgic about the 2008 Cup Final.

He talked of watching those games during the lockout on the NHL Network, and being surprised at how close the series was; keep in mind, the Penguins played four straight one-goal games to close that series against the been there/done that Red Wings.

“When I look back to ’08, I always think mentally it was a learning curve, but when I look back at those (Cup Final) games, we weren’t that far off. It was a bounce here and a bounce there.”

He is not wrong.

Neither was Shero to trade for Hossa, who in the short- and long-term shaped the Penguins more than any players over the last eight years perhaps other than Crosby and Malkin.

Cheers,

Rossi

Evgeni Malkin is experiencing concussion symptoms, including severe headache and mild disorientation, multiple sources confirmed Saturday.

Malkin was injured early in the third period of the Penguins’ win over Florida at Consol Energy Center on Friday.

He did not finish the game after sliding into the end-zone boards. The back of his head appeared to bounce off the boards, and Malkin’s neck snapped back in a seeming whiplash motion.

Malkin was slated for further medical evaluation Saturday, coach Dan Bylsma said after the game Friday night.

Malkin was not available for comment.

He is not expected to play against Tampa Bay at home on Sunday night, the sources said.

The Penguins will be on the road most of next week, and Malkin’s status for that trip had not been determined as of Saturday morning.

An update on Malkin’s status is expected from Bylsma after the Penguins’ practice Saturday afternoon.

Some teammates witnessed Malkin walking normally in the dressing room late Friday, but none spoke directly with him.

Penguins players took no issue with Panthers defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who raced Malkin to the spot in the Florida zone where Malkin was upended and slid back-first into the boards.

Malkin had entered the zone with great speed, darting toward the crease near the goal line.

The game tied, 1-1, Gudbranson was simply making what players commonly call a hockey play.

“I just finished my check,” Gudbranson said. “You never want to see a guy go down. He’s in a vulnerable position. But you can’t pass up a hit.

“It’s unfortunate that he got hurt on the play, but it’s one I’d take every time.”

Malkin spent over a minute on the ice, his head buried in the blue gloves of the Penguins’ alternate uniform set.

He left ice on his “own accord,” Bylsma said Friday night.

The Penguins are no stranger to a franchise player dealing with concussion symptoms.

Sidney Crosby, the team captain, played in only eight games from Jan. 5, 2011-March 15, 2012, because of lingering concussion symptoms.

Malkin, 26, is a two-time NHL scoring champion. He was league MVP last season.

He has only four goals this season, but his 21 points are ninth in the NHL.

–Rob Rossi

A good morning to the dear readers. Every couple of weeks this blog author offers the community a chance to kick a guy while he’s down, which is usually the case after trying to assess the state of all 30 clubs. As always, a plea to keep in mind these rankings are based off one man’s opinion and that man picked the Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup in 2012. Be kind, and enjoy:

1 – Blackhawks

2 – Devils

3 – Bruins

4 – Ducks

5 – Sharks

6 – Canucks

7 – Penguins

8 – Senators

9 – Predators

10 – Maple Leafs

11 – Red Wings

12 – Blues

13 – Lightning

14 – Rangers

15 – Canadiens

16 – Stars

17 – Oilers

18 – Hurricanes

19 – Coyotes

20 – Jets

21 – Wild

22 – Flyers

23 – Sabres

24 – Islanders

25 – Kings

26 – Avalanche

27 – Panthers

28 – Flames

29 – Blue Jackets

30 – Capitals

A Sunday morning update for the dear readers:

= The Penguins will play host to the New Jersey Devils at 7:30 p.m. at Consol Energy Center. Starting goalies are Thomas Vokoun (Penguins) and Johan Hedberg (Devils).

= D Matt Niskanen practiced with teammates during an option session. He will not play tonight, but his return is another sign of progress. Niskanen will miss an eighth consecutive game because of an ankle injury.

= D Kris Letang will miss a third straight game because of an undisclosed lower-body injury. He is on the Injured Reserve list retroactive to Feb. 5. Letang cannot play until Wednesday at the earliest. The Penguins play host to Ottawa on Wednesday night.

= D Joe Morrow, arguably the top overall Penguins prospect, was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, but coach Dan Bylsma said Morrow is joining the Penguins for “insurance.” Morrow was the 23^rd overall pick at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and he is considered the Penguins’ best defensive prospect – No. 2 overall in their system behind LW Beau Bennett.

Morrow’s statistics from his first professional season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton: 2 goals, 10 points, a minus-4 rating in 39 games.

= Bennett is back skating with the AHL Penguins after missing about two weeks with an undisclosed lower-body injury. He scored the winning goal Saturday night in a win at Norfolk.

The Penguins’ NHL brass is paying close attention to Bennett, the 20^th overall pick in 2010. He lost about 10 pounds earlier in the AHL season because of the flu. If he can gain back that weight, and continues to produce – 7 goals, 25 points in 34 games – he likely will get a chance to play with C Evgeni Malkin and RW James Neal before the April 3 NHL trade deadline.

The thinking by Penguins management is to give Bennett a look before the deadline to see if he might be the fit for a second-line left wing slot that has proven problematic all season.

= Both the Penguins and Devils held optional morning practices Sunday. Notable absences for the Penguins: Cs Sidney Crosby and Malkin; RWs Neal and Pascal Dupuis; LWs Chris Kunitz and Matt Cooke; D Paul Martin.

Bylsma said after the practice that the Penguins are dealing with some injuries to their defense corps, but he did not identify any players other than Niskanen and Letang.

= The Penguins will wear their alternate blue uniforms against the Devils. The uniforms debuted at the 2011 Winter Classic at Heinz Field.

Cheers,

Rossi