Malkin, Fleury, Hossa, Staal Updates

Nothing concrete here, but certainly great news where Malkin is concerned:

Malkin: Told reporters that he is looking forward to signing a long-term contract with the Penguins, “maybe 5 or 6 years”, and also added that his contract does not need to top Crosby’s $8.7 million deal, quashing rumours that he was seeking a contract in the range of Alex Ovechkin’s 13-year, $124 million deal.  This is great news, and hopefully the deal will be made shortly after July 1st, the earliest date he’d be able to sign a new contract under the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement.

Fleury/Hossa: Reports are that both players’ agents are currently in discussions to keep them in Pittsburgh.  Both players want to return, so it’s now purely down to contract value negotiations.

Staal: Here is where we reach something of a negative.  Staal does still have another year left on his contract before becoming a restricted free agent next summer.  However, he has made it quite clear that he doesn’t like the idea of a future of being a 3rd-line center, and so testing out the free agency market next year is starting to look quite likely.  This is an understandable approach that Staal is taking – with Crosby and Malkin centering the top 2 lines, he’s never going to be utilized as much as he would on other teams.  This does leave options of trading Staal this summer, or waiting for next summer and just letting things play out.  Either way, things do not bode well for seeing Jordan in a Penguins jersey after next season ends.

More news as it arrives . . .

~ by eddie on June 13, 2008.