More Penguins Free Agent Updates

Malkin: The Pens are reported to be very close to signing Malkin to a 5-year, $8.7 million/season contract, and are just waiting for his agent to get in touch with him somewhere in the Russian wilderness.  This deal is identical to the one Crosby signed last season.  Great news.

Eaton: Defenseman Mark Eaton signed a 2-year, $2 million contract with the Penguins.  Injured for much of last season, Eaton is a solid defenseman and penalty-killer, and like with the Dupuis contract, I see this deal as being an absolute steal for the Pens.

Ruutu: Jarkko Ruutu has been made an offer, believed to be a 2-year contract, but no word on the details of the contract, or if he has accepted.

Laraque: It is being reported that Georges Laraque has not been given an offer sheet by the Penguins, effectively ending any chance that we will see him in the black-and-gold next season.  This is very sad news, and I think his physical presence will be sorely missed last season.  Does this mean we are lining up another ‘enforcer’ currently on the Free Agency market?

It is also being rumored that if the Penguins don’t manage to persuade Hossa to re-sign, they may look towards Vancouver’s Markus Naslund as a potential replacement.  Naslund began his NHL career in Pittsburgh in ‘93, before he was part of what is widely regarded as one of the most lop-sided trades in NHL history, being moved to Vancouver in exchange for Alex Stojanov who played only 45 games with the Penguins, notching up a massive 6 points, before spending the rest of his career in the minors, playing his last game for the mighty New Mexico Scorpions.  He is now a firefighter.  Naslund has racked up 856 points in 1080 NHL games.  Yup, awesome trade that was!

~ by eddie on July 1, 2008.