Click here to submit your question

Q: I don't understand how Evgeni Malkin's former team thinks it can sue the Penguins. If, by Russian law, Malkin can drop his contract with a two-week notice, how can [Metallurg Magnitogorsk] possibly get away with suing the Pens? Or anybody, for that matter? It is all legal. Yeah, the Pens drafted him, but they had nothing to do with his sudden disappearance. Not only that, but [Magnitogorsk] shouldn't even get the measly $200,000 [transfer fee] because it refused to sign the transfer agreement.

Mike Balk, Grand Rapids, Mich.

MOLINARI: Unfortunately, the moderator of this forum is one of those rare sports writers who doesn't possess an encyclopedic knowledge of the finer points of Russian labor law, so whether Magnitogorsk's threat to pursue legal action against the NHL, the Penguins and/or Malkin is grounded in reality is difficult to say.

While most parties that have taken a public position on the matter seem to agree that the two-week provision you cited applies to Malkin and gave him the option of severing his ties to his Super League club, it remains to be seen whether a court -- Russian or otherwise -- believes that giving that notice to Magnitogorsk also freed Malkin to pursue his craft with another employer. If so, would he be clear to sign with any team, or just another Super League franchise? Or with a club anywhere but the Super League? Ah, you can almost hear the lawyers adding up the billable -- in dollars and rubles -- hours.

Whether Magnitogorsk officials actually believe they can force Malkin to return to their club isn't known; more likely, they'd like to negotiate compensation greater than the $200,000 fee called for by the NHL's transfer agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation. Of course, because Russia has not signed off on that transfer agreement -- if it had, there would be no Malkin controversy -- Magnitogorsk presumably will be entitled to no compensation if court rulings come down on the side of Malkin and the NHL.

Q: Are the Penguins planning to re-hang Mario Lemieux's jersey before a game? If so, what game?

John Merulli, Center Township

MOLINARI: There's no question the Penguins will return Lemieux's No. 66 sweater to its place above the Mellon Arena ice surface, but team officials have not decided when to do so. That's an issue they likely won't address until after the sale of the franchise has been finalized, and it's conceivable that the actual ceremony wouldn't be held until a new group has formally taken possession of the team.

Precedent, though, suggests the sweater-hanging likely will be done in conjunction with a weeknight game against an opponent that is not a particularly attractive draw. After all, retiring Lemieux's number again isn't just an opportunity to honor the dominant figure in franchise history; it's a chance to sell some seats that might otherwise go unfilled. After spending the better part of a decade as the club's primary owner, Lemieux surely can appreciate the value of such a marketing opportunity.

Q: What are the chances of Noah Welch making the team this year? He was very impressive in his five-game stint last year and seems to fit the stay-at-home defenseman mold the Pens need so badly.

Chris Bruno, Washington, D.C.

MOLINARI: Aside from the own-goal Welch scored, there wasn't much to dislike about his brief auditions with the Penguins late last season. He was solid and productive at both ends of the ice, and never looked out of place against NHL competition.

Having a two-way contract will work against Welch, especially when the Penguins have so many defensemen on one-way deals, but if their blue-line talent is so accomplished that Welch isn't capable of cracking the top six, the team is in better shape than many observers realize.

Like most young defensemen, Welch probably wouldn't have his development retarded by spending some extra time in the minors, but his play last season -- both here and in Wilkes-Barre -- suggests that if he spent the off-season wisely, he is ready to make the transition to full-time work in the NHL.

Q: Is there any reason to be optimistic about Jocelyn Thibault's performance this year?

Mike Williams, Aliquippa

MOLINARI: Sure, if believing that Thibault can improve on his performance of 2005-06, when he was 1-9-3, with a 4.46 goals-against average and .876 save percentage, qualifies as optimism. Mostly because it's pretty much unthinkable that Thibault's numbers could get any worse. Not unless he decides to experiment with playing while blindfolded, anyway.

Still, it's hard to imagine that anything other than a devastating injury to -- or complete meltdown by -- Marc-Andre Fleury would give Thibault a shot at the No. 1 job with the Penguins, especially when Thibault is returning from major hip surgery. While he undoubtedly will enter training camp intent on competing for the No. 1 job, his most realistic objective for 2006-07 might be to perform well enough in the backup role to convince general manager Ray Shero that he's worthy of getting another contract next summer.

Q: Many Californians contend the NHL's low television ratings reflect hockey's overall lack of public interest, with many referring to it as a "dead sport." In my estimation, the NHL's poor TV ratings do not represent its overall popularity. These hacks wouldn't know the difference between an offside and an icing, but do you in any way agree with them?

Mike Vangrin, San Diego

MOLINARI: It's hard to argue with those who contend that hockey is little more than a niche sport in this country. Numbers, particularly TV ratings, make a pretty compelling argument about that, even if they do not reflect the fierce loyalty many hockey fans have to the game. Anyone who doesn't believe that having more people watch a poker tournament than a Stanley Cup playoff game is significant is simply in denial.

Mind you, hockey faces an enormous hurdle that most major sports do not, in terms of developing a widespread following: There are vast expanses of this country, primarily in warm-weather states, where people do not grow up playing the game, and thus do not connect to it on that basic level. A lot more kids in places like, say, Mississippi and Nevada play football, baseball or basketball after school than get involved in pick-up hockey games.

All of that said, anyone ready to declare hockey to be a "dead sport" might want to reconsider. The NHL's product is more entertaining than it has been in years, and the league came out of a protracted labor dispute with an economic system that gives all 30 franchises a legitimate opportunity to be competitive. None of that will make untold millions of people in Nebraska and Alabama tune in to NHL telecasts or clamor for a franchise within driving distance, but it has solidified the game's base and should make at least modest growth possible.

Q: Aside from Jordan Staal, who I am very excited about, the Penguins drafted three defensemen and a goaltender. With all the young defensive talent they already have in Noah Welch and Ryan Whitney, and [goalies] Dany Sabourin, Thibault and Fleury on the roster, is there any reason they didn't go after more talent on the wings?

Aaron Syster, Harrisburg

MOLINARI: The Penguins' dearth of proven goal-scorers, especially on the wing, is no secret, but neither is that something that could have been addressed, short-term, via the entry draft. Because only a tiny percentage of draftees make it to the NHL within a year or two of being selected, it's hard to fault the widely held philosophy of choosing the most promising prospect available, regardless of position. And it's not as if a team ever can have too many NHL-caliber defensemen. A club that has a surplus of capable bodies on its blue line shouldn't have to look hard to find a team to take one or two off its hands.

What's more, most of the truly elite players claimed in June (the Penguins took Staal with the No. 2 pick) were centers, although some -- including Staal -- expressed a willingness to move to the wing, if that's what the club selecting them wants. Then again, that kind of switch can be short-sighted; bumping a player out of a position where he is comfortable and productive has some obvious risks.

Q: Since Ray Shero was hired away from the Nashville organization in late May, he's signed Mark Eaton, a former Predators defenseman, as a free agent, traded with the Predators in a three-team deal for forwards Dominic Moore and Libor Pivko and filled the Wilkes-Barre head-coaching position with an assistant from Nashville's minor-league team, Todd Richards. He's also hired scout Dan MacKinnon, formerly a pro scout and scouting coordinator with the Predators, and Frank Buonomo, formerly the media relations manager and director of team services for Nashville, as the director of team services. Although it's natural that Shero would go with people he knows best, it's not like the Predators (although certainly on the rise) have been so successful that the Pens should strive to become Nashville East. Still, all in all, I'm giving Shero the benefit of the doubt and I'm going to trust him. Do you think this seemingly excessive Nashville link is worth even thinking about?

Ray Caliendo, McCandless

MOLINARI: While it's not as if Shero has limited his off-season hirings and acquisitions to people associated with his old club, it's no coincidence that he has brought in so many people with Nashville ties. (Although it's worth noting that Moore, who spent last season with the New York Rangers, was a Predator for about three seconds before being passed along to the Penguins). It's logical that he would have a better feel for the strengths and weaknesses of people he worked with and watched during his time there than he would for people from other organizations.

That said, teams can do a lot worse than mimic the blueprint followed by Nashville. The Predators, operating in a small market, have done an excellent job of building a solid franchise, steadily adding talent through the draft and developing young players at their American Hockey League affiliate in Milwaukee. Consequently, they have evolved into one of the most entertaining and promising teams in the NHL, and have become a destination of choice for many prominent free agents who presumably didn't grow up dreaming of someday playing professional hockey in Tennessee.

How Shero's personnel moves, whether they involve players or staff members, will work out remains to be seen; it's far too early to pass final judgment on any of them yet. Given his credentials and the commitment he has shown since being hired, though, it is reasonable to trust his judgment until he gives people reason to feel otherwise.