Q: Do you think it's likely the Penguins will re-sign winger Petr Sykora? His contract will be up in July and I don't want to see him wearing any other sweater.

Katy, Pittsburgh

MOLINARI: It's far too early to say anything definitive about Sykora's future here, mostly because there are so many variables that will affect it. Chief among them are how productive he is during the final three quarters of the season, and what kind of salary he will command if and/or when he goes back on the open market as an unrestricted free agent. (And, quite possibly, whether Sykora would be willing to accept a little less money to stay with the Penguins, or whether his primary objective will be to maximize his earnings.)

Sykora has developed a pretty good working relationship with Evgeni Malkin over the past season or so and, given the dearth of wingers with goal-scoring potential in the Penguins' organization, it seems safe to assume that he'll have to either play (or price) his way out of their plans in order to dissuade them from at least giving serious consideration to keeping him.

Q: How much of the Pens' trouble keeping leads stems from having two of their top puck-moving defensemen injured? I think that with Ryan Whitney and Sergei Gonchar in the lineup, the Pens are able to clear the puck a tad better and are able to protect leads a little bit better.

Ed, Gaithersburg, Md.

MOLINARI: It's a whole lot easier to protect leads, as well as get them in the first place, when you have defensemen who can move the puck effectively, whether the objective simply to get it out of the defensive zone or to throw it ahead to a forward with the idea of trying to create a scoring chance.

Because Gonchar and Whitney are the Penguins' two best puck-handlers on the blue line, it's only natural that being forced to get by without them for an extended period would cause some real challenges. Even their most offensively challenged defensemen can throw a decent first pass most of the time, though, and that usually is enough to relieve some pressure in the defensive zone, even if it doesn't necessarily lead directly to getting the play flowing smoothly toward the other end of the ice.

Fact is, the Penguins' remaining defensemen have done a commendable job of compensating for the absences of Gonchar and Whitney. It's not that anyone has completely filled the void, especially offensively, created when those two were forced from the lineup by surgeries, but the defensemen have performed well enough to allow the Penguins to compile a pretty fair record while trying to get by without the two most skilled members of their blue line.

Q: Seems like the Pens really got their game in high gear, in previous years, after going on extended road trip with the players' dads accompanying them. Any idea when it's schedule to occur this season?

Kevin Kamins, Raleigh, N.C.

MOLINARI: At last check, the fathers' trip was planned for early January, when the Penguins go to Nashville and Denver.

The idea of having parents, usually fathers, accompany their sons on the road at some point in the season has gained popularity around the league in recent years, and seems to be genuinely appreciated by not only the dads, but their sons.

Hockey parents sacrifice as much, if not more, than those whose kids play other sports -- know anyone who has to, say, take their child to a 5 a.m. baseball practice, because that's the only time a field is available? -- and these trips are a nice way to acknowledge that. Talent and a willingness to work are the keys to reaching the NHL, of course, but without the contributions of their parents, a lot of guys never would get the opportunity to develop their skills to a point where they can reach this level.