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Question: How does a player get onto the radar to be considered for the Selke Trophy? Can/would the Penguins actively lobby for a guy? Watching Evgeni Malkin game-in and game-out, I don't think there are many guys who work harder at both ends of the ice. He backchecks every time and his takeaway stats were impressive this past season. He also blocks shots, yet when Selke prospects are discussed, he is never mentioned. Do you think that he could get into the conversation?

Ray Caliendo, Pittsburgh

MOLINARI: Guys tend to become serious Selke contenders a couple of years after they first deserve consideration for it simply because, by virtue of the NHL's unbalanced schedule, voters in one conference don't always have a good feel for the overall games of players in the other. And, unlike most awards, there aren't many statistics to establish a player's candidacy for the Selke, although Malkin's league-leading total of 94 takeaways has gotten some attention lately. Consequently, reputations sometimes have as much to do with a player getting established as a Selke contender as first-hand observations by voters do, and those reputations generally take a while to develop.

It might also work against Malkin that he's one of the top offensive talents in the world, because that facet of his game tends to overshadow what he does in his own zone. For better or worse, sticking a spinning backhander under the crossbar from inside the right circle tends to make a more lasting impression than deftly taking the puck off an opponent's stick does.

Nonetheless, no one should be surprised if Malkin starts to show up on the list of Selke finalistis in coming seasons. Or if, at some point, he finds himself competing with teammate Jordan Staal for the trophy.

And yes, teams sometimes lobby for players to be considered for a particular trophy or award, generally through low-key means such as press releases or DVDs touting the guy's qualifications.

Question: Any clue as to who the Pens might be looking at in the draft? Depending on free-agent signings and call-ups, it seems like they could have needs all over the ice.

Rico, Los Angeles

MOLINARI: Barring a trade, the Penguins will be selecting 30th in the opening round of the draft Friday night in Montreal, so they haven't zeroed in on a particular prospect. Instead, they'll be working off their prospect rankings and should claim the highest-rated guy still there when it's their turn to pick.

If precedent holds, they are unlikely, especially in the early rounds, to select players based on position. Going the best-athlete-available route makes the most sense, because the strengths and weaknesses the organization has now might not be the ones that exist when the players drafted this weekend are ready to compete for jobs in the NHL. And if, at some point, a team finds itself with a surplus of top-six wingers or NHL-caliber defensemen, there usually will be a market for those guys.

Which brings us to your final point: Nothing the Penguins plan to do with free agents (their own, or anyone else's) this summer will have an impact on their draft selections, because they will not be looking for someone to step into their lineup this fall. That's an awful lot to expect from any 18-year-old, even elite prospects like John Tavares and Victor Hedman; to think a guy claimed after 29 other players would be able to do so simply isn't realistic.

Indeed, that whoever the Penguins choose won't be in the NHL in 2009-10 is one of the few things you can safely assume going into the draft. Another is that their selection will turn out to have been considerably higher than No. 30 on their prospects list.

Question: With the admission that I have found myself frustrated as a fan from time to time with Marc-Andre Fleury's puck-handling and some of the goals he has allowed, would it be going too far for you to list the names of those who emailed and wrote that it would be impossible for the Pens to take home the Cup with him as their goaltender?

Josiah Coleman, Oxford, Miss.

MOLINARI: Sorry, can't do that. Cyberspace simply isn't big enough to handle a comprehensive list.