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Q: Are there any plans with the goaltender from Alaska-Fairbanks, Chad Johnson, for next season? I wondered if he has a realistic chance to become a backup for Marc-Andre Fleury next season, or to be in Wheeling or Wilkes-Barre once he is finished with school?

John Domblesky, West Chester, Pa.

MOLINARI: General manager Ray Shero was noncommittal earlier this week when asked whether the Penguins are interested in signing Johnson, saying that "we haven't gotten that far yet" and that he and his staff will discuss the issue before reaching a conclusion.

That's a pretty good indication that, at the very least, the Penguins don't project him as a major factor in the plans in the near future, so no one should expect to see him as the No. 2 goalie in the NHL next season. If the Penguins don't re-sign Mathieu Garon or bring in another veteran, that job likely would go to John Curry, who is having an excellent season in Wilkes-Barre. The only reason for leaving Curry with the Baby Penguins would be so that his development wouldn't be stunted by spending so many games watching Fleury instead of playing.

Johnson, by the way, is one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, which is awarded annually to the top player in college hockey. That group will be pared to three today, with the winner to be announced April 10.

Johnson was a fifth-round draft choice in 2006, and was the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Player of the Year, a first for a player from his school. He finished second in the nation in the goals-against average (1.70) and save percentage (.937).

Q: It looks like the Penguins are trying to recreate the magic of the Ryan Malone-Evgeni Malkin-Petr Sykora line last year by adding Matt Cooke to the second line. Do you think Cooke is a good fit as a grinder to open up holes and get loose pucks for Malkin and Sykora? We all know the importance of a shutdown line in the playoffs. Could Cooke be more valuable on the third line with Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy?

Shayne Premji, Toronto

MOLINARI: Ideally, Cooke would have been able to remain with Staal and Kennedy, because that has been an effective third unit for most of the season, and Cooke's game is tailored to filling that kind of role. In the salary-cap era, though, most teams occasionally will have to ask players to take on roles that aren't necessarily the best fit for their games, and that's what's happened with Cooke.

Because Ruslan Fedotenko was struggling on the left side of the Malkin line, interim coach Dan Bylsma decided to switch him with Cooke, with fairly promising early results on both counts. With his grit and toughness, Cooke certainly is capable of doing the blue-collar work to complement the offensive talents of Malkin and Sykora, although he doesn't have the scoring touch one would prefer in a top-six forward. (Cooke, who had 10 goals before the Penguins' game against New Jersey last night, has scored as many as 15 just once since breaking into the NHL during the 1998-99 season.)