trade deadline

[7/39/43]

with the deadline months away yet who do you think might go?
I feel the team is fine the way it is but feel either tyler kennedy, craig adams or Kris Letang might fall victim to the trade area hope not especially with Letang.

[Pittsburghfan]

I am willing to bet that Gonchar gets traded before Letang. Both are due for extension and would love to have them both back. Letang is our only RH dman.

[7/39/43]

I don't see Sarge going

[X-Terminator]

There has been a lot of speculation, but from what I've read, if the Pens do not get Gonchar signed by the deadline, they will try to trade him rather than risk losing him to FA. It's just a rumor that you can take for what it's worth, but my feeling is that he is too important to let go and that they would not win the Cup without him, so they will do everything within reason to keep him. I've heard 2 different stories about how much he's asking for - first it was $3.5 million per year for 3-4 years, then $4.5-5 million per year. Sorry, I love Gonch, but if he insists on $5 million per year, then the Pens should let him walk. You can't tie up that much of your cap in a 36 year old defenseman.

As far as Letang goes, they will get him signed, but it'll be for way less than what he is asking for. He wants $4 million per season, and given how much he has underachieved, there is no way he is worth that much. I wouldn't pay him much more than Goligoski is making ($1.83 million cap hit). If he doesn't want it, then the Pens should listen to trade offers. They have plenty of depth on D in the organization, so they can play hardball with Letang.

[HometownGal]

If the Pens trade Serg, they're going to regret it - trust me on that. He is what makes that PP go and is one of the best Dmen in the league. You're right XT - they won't win another Cup this season or for the next several seasons without him. Though Letang and Gogo are very promising young Dmen, neither of them brings what Gonch brings to the table and to that locker room. Besides that - I'll be pissed to hell and back, as he has been not only my favorite Pen but my favorite Pittsburgh sports figure for the last 5 years. I even loved him when he was with the Crapitals. He loves it here in the Burgh and is very close to both Mario and Geno, so I think in the end, both sides will make concessions and they'll get the deal done.

[X-Terminator]

Originally Posted by HometownGal

If the Pens trade Serg, they're going to regret it - trust me on that. He is what makes that PP go and is one of the best Dmen in the league. You're right XT - they won't win another Cup this season or for the next several seasons without him. Though Letang and Gogo are very promising young Dmen, neither of them brings what Gonch brings to the table and to that locker room. Besides that - I'll be pissed to hell and back, as he has been not only my favorite Pen but my favorite Pittsburgh sports figure for the last 5 years. I even loved him when he was with the Crapitals. He loves it here in the Burgh and is very close to both Mario and Geno, so I think in the end, both sides will make concessions and they'll get the deal done.

I really think that the Pens are waiting until they get some idea on what the cap may be next season, as it's been rumored for months to be going down anywhere from $2-4 million. If that happens, then it's going to make it very interesting, because if he truly wants $5 million, he's likely going to have to go to a bad team with a lot of cap room, because all of the good teams will be crunched. If he really wants to stay - and he's given no indication that he doesn't - then he will agree to take less. The Pens will also have UFAs McKee, Eaton, Dupuis, Tank, Guerin and Cooke to try to re-sign along with Letang as an RFA wanting an extension, so that will also factor in to what they ultimately do. IMO, they won't have the available cap room to sign him to anything more than $3.5 million a year and still re-sign all of those guys. I'm just going to hope something gets done, because Gonch is too important to this team to let go.

[Shea]

Originally Posted by X-Terminator

I really think that the Pens are waiting until they get some idea on what the cap may be next season, as it's been rumored for months to be going down anywhere from $2-4 million. If that happens, then it's going to make it very interesting, because if he truly wants $5 million, he's likely going to have to go to a bad team with a lot of cap room, because all of the good teams will be crunched. If he really wants to stay - and he's given no indication that he doesn't - then he will agree to take less. The Pens will also have UFAs McKee, Eaton, Dupuis, Tank, Guerin and Cooke to try to re-sign along with Letang as an RFA wanting an extension, so that will also factor in to what they ultimately do. IMO, they won't have the available cap room to sign him to anything more than $3.5 million a year and still re-sign all of those guys. I'm just going to hope something gets done, because Gonch is too important to this team to let go.

I totally agree. Imagine losing Gonch, and what it means especially to our PP. I know we aren't ranked very high in that department right now (a bit of an understatement, yes I know), yet something I believe we will work our way out of because of the immense talent we have, but imagine the negative statistics we would continuously wrack up in that department if he were to leave. Scary....

Originally Posted by HometownGal

If the Pens trade Serg, they're going to regret it - trust me on that. He is what makes that PP go and is one of the best Dmen in the league. You're right XT - they won't win another Cup this season or for the next several seasons without him. Though Letang and Gogo are very promising young Dmen, neither of them brings what Gonch brings to the table and to that locker room. Besides that - I'll be pissed to hell and back, as he has been not only my favorite Pen but my favorite Pittsburgh sports figure for the last 5 years. I even loved him when he was with the Crapitals. He loves it here in the Burgh and is very close to both Mario and Geno, so I think in the end, both sides will make concessions and they'll get the deal done.

I believe this is another reason he means so much to the Pens. A subtle, off the ice contribution, but yet an important one. I know that Geno's English has greatly improved, but it's too soon to have Gonch go when he seems to mean so much to Geno and in a way is Geno's crutch. It would be premature to break that up. And if it were to happen, then I worry for what that would mean to Evgeni. It could negatively effect him and that could carry over to his production on the ice.



They love each other, and we fans love them both. Please, Pens front office - find a way to keep them together!