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Q: I don't see how we're going to replace the 30-goal tallies of a guy like Petr Sykora. We really need more of a goal-scoring presence on the wings on our top two lines. I see this as a major potential problem.
Greg Wood, Frostburg, Md.
MOLINARI: Sykora probably isn't the best example to make your point -- he completely lost his scoring touch during the stretch drive and playoffs, and actually finished the regular season with 25 goals, not 30 -- but your basic contention is hard to dispute. And even tougher to address.
As long as the Penguins have so much of their salary-cap space tied up in centers like Sidney Crosby ($8.7 million), Evgeni Malkin ($8.7 million) and Jordan Staal ($4 million), taking on the contract of an established big-time scorer simply won't be viable -- especially with the cap ceiling expected to drop next season.
Unless general manager Ray Shero decides to break up the core of his team -- and there's absolutely no indication that's being considered, or that it should be -- the only way the Penguins will have a top-shelf goal-scorer to play on the wing with Crosby or Malkin will be to develop a prospect like Eric Tangradi or Luca Caputi or to continue acquiring them at the trade deadline.
Q: Instead of signing Martin Skoula, did the Pens consider picking up Christoph Schubert, (who was put on waivers by Ottawa)? He would bring more grit and toughness and is better defensively then Skoula. But the real kicker is he can be both forward and defense, making him a good pickup for a team with cap problems. He would have filled a nice role as both the 13th forward and seventh defenseman. I couldn't find how much he makes, but I assume it's more than the $575,000 they will pay Skoula.
Kevin MacLean, St. George, Ontario, Canada
MOLINARI: Conversation with members of the Penguins' front office suggest they did not seriously consider putting in a claim on Schubert, who ended up being acquired on re-entry waivers by Atlanta Friday.
With their salary-cap space shrinking, particularly after they claimed Chris Bourque off waivers from Washington, Schubert's cap hit of $883,333 (his actually salary this season will be $900,000) likely was a factor in management's thinking, although the Penguins' talent-evaluators seemed lukewarm on Schubert's on-ice value, too. (Schubert's cap hit and salary, by the way, will be split between the Senators and Thrashers, but the Penguins wouldn't have had that option because Atlanta's claim would have taken precedence over theirs.)
They signed Skoula, who had been released from tryouts with Florida and Columbus this fall, because he addressed their desire for a veteran defenseman to add depth without doing too much damage to their payroll.
Their thinking was perfectly logical, but the temptation here would have been to go after Schubert, even if it meant taking on his full contract. He not only is versatile enough to play the wing or defense, but can throw some ferocious hits; Rob Scuderi probably still has bruises from some of the checks Schubert laid on him during the playoffs a few years ago. Schubert isn't a difference-maker, but could have been a nice spare part in the Penguins' personnel mix.
First Published: October 6, 2009, 2:15 a.m.
