New GM to be hired...

Reports are that the Pens have hired the Nashville Predators assistant GM Ray Shero to be the GM to replace Craig Patrick. I figured they were after the GM of a small market team that is able to get the player to play together rather then bring in star power to sell tickets and not make the playoffs. This is a true testament to the way the NHL is played today. The new GM is however going to have the same problems that Craig did in that there will be even less money to get new pieces and keep their own until Pittsburgh wises up and gets the arena built.

More Malkin...

In a story on ESPN today it looks like Malkin's Russian club is going to play hardball with the Pens.

ESPN May 1, 2006
But Magnitogorsk general director Gennady Velichkin threatened to go to court if Pittsburgh does not buy out Malkin's contract.

"We're not asking for [$900,000] compensation from Penguins. Such a sum is a handout and we're not interested in handouts," Velichkin told the Russian media.

"Put simply, they must buy his contract from us."

I think that the Russian club is going to lose this either by the Russian Fed signing an agreement with the NHL or by the Pens simply not having the money to pay their ransom.

Also in the same story it looks like Malkin is on the Pens side in this and will probably help the Pens in anyway that he can.

"I've already made up my mind for next season -- I'll be leaving for the NHL. I'm 100 percent sure of that," Malkin, who has a contract with Metallurg through 2008, was quoted as saying by Sport-Express newspaper.

So if all the other contracts that have been voided in the courts with other Russian players holds to form, I don't think Metallurg Magnitogorsk can stand in the way much.

I hope...