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Q: What do you think management hopes for from Marc-Andre Fleury, in terms of playing time? Since he has had a couple injuries the past two seasons, is the ideal scenario for him to consistently play 60 to 65 games a season to avoid future injury and to keep him fresh, or is there hope that he'll turn into a Martin Brodeur-type and play 72-plus games each season?

Kevin Jacobsen, Canonsburg

MOLINARI: Coach Dan Bylsma hasn't spelled out his plans for Fleury and doesn't have a track record to suggest what he might do -- sometimes, it's easy to forget that just a little over seven months ago, Bylsma still was in his first season as the head coach in Wilkes-Barre -- but the thinking here is that the Penguins would be wise to limit Fleury to about 65 starts.

He is being paid like a No. 1 goalie and there's no reason that he shouldn't be expected to carry the kind of workload that others who fill that role do, but it also could be counter-productive to use him as much as New Jersey has Brodeur for much of his career. Not so much to limit the risk of injury, but because there's no reason to potentially deplete his energy reserves before the playoffs -- especially when Brent Johnson's track record suggests that he should be a capable backup for Fleury.

Q: When do they actually engrave the names on the Stanley Cup? Will it be done before the opener and be at the arena for the game?

Greg, Ross Township

MOLINARI: The Cup was returned to Hall of Fame officials after an appearance in Wilkes-Barre last Wednesday and Thursday so that the engraving can be done, and it presumably is underway now. The trophy is scheduled to be present for the regular-season opener against the New York Rangers Oct. 2 at Mellon Arena.

The Penguins, by the way, have declined to divulge precisely who is getting their name on the Cup. Most of those are obvious -- players who meet the eligibility criteria, coaches, training and equipment staffers, etc. -- but some minor investors and front-office types figure to be included on the list.

Q: Why and how are teams allowed to go over the salary cap? Why have a cap if teams can go over, sometimes by millions of dollars?

Rob Pfaff, Waxhaw, N.C.

MOLINARI: Per the collective bargaining agreement, teams are allowed to go as much as 10 percent over the cap ceiling during the offseason. However, they must -- repeat, must -- be in compliance with it before the start of the regular season, regardless of what personnel moves they must make to do so. There are no loopholes and no exceptions; the closest things to an out for teams are the cap relief that's available in the case of a player with a long-term injury, and the provision that the salaries of players in the minor leagues do not count against the cap.

The latter means that if, in the waning days of this month, the Penguins find themselves $5 million above the ceiling, they could send Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin or Sergei Gonchar or Fleury to their farm team in Wilkes-Barre and be ready to start the season. Of course, the chances of them assigning one of those guys to the Baby Penguins are even more remote than the ones of general manager Ray Shero allowing himself to get $5 million above the ceiling to begin with.