ATLANTA -- The Penguins lost a veteran presence and likely Hall of Famer when Atlanta claimed Mark Recchi off re-entry waivers last month. Jordan Staal gained an absentee landlord at the same time.

Staal has been living in a guest house on Recchi's property since he entered the NHL in the fall of 2006, and that isn't going to change because they no longer are teammates.

Indeed, while Staal said he has been considering finding a new residence -- "I'm thinking about moving out, and I've been thinking about staying. I think I'll probably decide after this trip," he said -- it's not because their relationship is different now that Recchi is with the Thrashers.

"He can stay there as long as he wants," Recchi said. "This year, next year, whatever. Whatever he wants to do. He's like my oldest son. I could never kick him out. Are you kidding me? He's welcome there as long as he wants."

Even if Staal, 19, decides to relocate, Recchi's long-term plans haven't changed just because he isn't with the Penguins anymore. He put down roots in Western Pennsylvania years ago and has no plans to pull them up.

"I love Pittsburgh. I love the people there. That's going to be my home when I'm done."

Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar didn't wait until the Eastern Conference roster was set before making his travel plans for the weekend of the NHL All-Star Game. If he had, he'd have booked flights to Atlanta, where the game will be played Jan. 27, instead of Miami, where Gonchar was planning to spend a few days enjoying the sun.

He was, then, more than a little surprised to turn up in the East's lineup, especially when he wasn't on the ballot used in the fan voting to select starters for the game. Gonchar was chosen to play by the league's Hockey Operations department, which made its decisions based, in part, on input from general managers.

While some guys would prefer to have time off during the break, Gonchar said he is thrilled to be selected.

"It's always nice to be recognized," he said. "It's not as tough as people think. Obviously, you're traveling and stuff, but, at the same time, the game is not as hard [as a normal] one."

It's not difficult to tell that Jeff Taffe genuinely appreciates being selected to play in the American Hockey League's All-Star Game Jan. 28 in Binghamton, N.Y. It's easier to figure out that he'd like to be a no-show, because that likely would mean that he is with the Penguins, who recalled him from their minor-league team in Wilkes-Barre Dec. 19.

"You can always hope for that," Taffe said, smiling. "It's obviously a real honor to be selected for something like that, but I think anybody would be lying if they said they wanted to go to an AHL All-Star Game instead of having a chance to play in the NHL."

Taffe had one goal and one assist in his first 10 games with the Penguins and averaged just under eight minutes of ice time during that span. He realizes that a return to Wilkes-Barre could come at any time, but has fit in nicely in a blue-collar role.

"We're only going to get seven or eight minutes a game, which is fine," he said. "We just have to go out and do our job, try to create a little energy and give those [top-six forwards] a little break, to pretty much get them back on the ice as soon as possible."

Forward Erik Christensen missed the game last night after returning to Kamloops, British Columbia, because of his grandfather's death. He is not expected to be available when the Penguins face the New York Rangers tomorrow at 7:08 p.m. at Mellon Arena. ... Right winger Tyler Kennedy, who, like Christensen, sat out the Penguins' 4-1 victory in Tampa Thursday because of illness, has resumed practicing, but did not play last night.