SB Nation - Sidney Crosby

EA Sports NHL 13 Ratings: Alex Ovechkin Tops Evgeni Malkin, For Some Reason

Charlie Wilmoth — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 13:56:43 -0000

Puck Daddy has EA Sports NHL 13 player ratings for the Eastern Conference, and Penguins fans may chuckle a bit. The PensBlog notices that Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin (who gets a 91 rating) is ranked behind Alex Ovechkin (who gets a 93). Ovechkin is coming off a disappointing season, posting 65 points and a -8. (Sidney Crosby ranks above either of them, at 95.) EA also spells the name of new acquisition Brandon Sutter as "Suter."

Oh well. It's all in good fun, of course. Other highly-rated players in the Eastern Conference include Ryan Miller (92), Zdeno Chara (91), Henrik Lundqvist (91) and Steven Stamkos (91). Kris Letang gets a 90. Marc-Andre Fleury gets an 87, and James Neal gets an 84. Jordan Staal ranks behind Cam Ward and his brother Eric among his new teammates in Carolina, and gets an 85.

For more on the Penguins, check out PensBurgh.

Penguins Fire Dr. Charles Burke As Team Physician

Charlie Wilmoth — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 05:12:19 -0000

The Trib reports that the Penguins have fired team doctor Charles Burke, and have dismissed EMS workers and "vision and dental specialists" as well. The moves are in anticipation of a new arrangement the Pens will have with UPMC.

The Penguins are replacing their medical team as part of a proposed move by 2014 to a hockey facility in Cranberry that will be in conjunction with UPMC, sources told the Tribune-Review.

The Penguins will use UPMC specialists to oversee medical treatment of personnel next season. There will not be one head team physician, but the Penguins will be only the second NHL team to have a physician traveling with them for every road game.

It sounds like that might be the whole story, although Dejan Kovacevic thinks the change might have to do with Sidney Crosby's new long-term contract. (Burke worked with Crosby through his struggles with concussions.)

Sidney Crosby's way-below-market-rate contract was followed almost immediately by the firing of Frank Buonomo, Crosby's longtime media relations man, and now Burke, too. Regardless of the merits to either move, it's glaringly obvious Crosby set some parameters beyond money in staying put.

In either case, it looks like the Penguins are going in a different direction next year.

For more on the Penguins, check out PensBurgh.

The Shane Doan Chronicles: Are The Phoenix Coyotes Still In The Running?

John De Groote — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 22:39:19 -0000

The latest report on the Shane Doan front is that the leagues' most star-studded team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, have offered Doan a contract that would put him alongside former MVP's Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

As you may have heard, the Penguins are not the only ones to express interest in the Doan. John Gambadoro of KTAR in Phoenix has the count up to seven teams who have offered Doan a contract, and one of those offers is reportedly a ludicrous four years, $30 million offer.

On that list are: The Coyotes, the Penguins, the Los Angeles Kings, the San Jose Sharks, the Detroit Red Wings, the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks. If you add the teams who have expressed interest, but have not offered a contract yet, the number is easily in double digits.

While the Coyotes are on that list, do they really have a shot to keep their former captain, and Coyote lifer in town?

Look at the teams on the list. The Red Wings, Canucks and Penguins are all perennial contenders for the Stanley Cup and give Doan the opportunity to play along names like: Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Joe Thorton, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, and of course Crosby and Malkin.

Martin Hanzal and Antoine Vermette don't sound so inviting anymore, do they.

And then there is always the possibility that Doan could pull a Steve Nash and go to the rival Los Angeles Kings. The Kings and Coyotes series in the Western Conference finals ended with Doan exchanging a series of expletives with Dustin Brown in the handshake line, after Brown's cheap shot on Michal Rozsival. Can you imagine Doan and Brown embracing each other after a big OT winner?

However, the Kings did just win the cup, and have much more talent the roster than the Coyotes. This, coupled with the draw of LA, could tip the scales in their favor.

Then there is also that whole "our team is not a complete mess with no owner, and we do not have a city that is literally petitioning to get us out of town" pitch that all these teams are giving Doan. Doaner wants to be a Coyote, but you have to imagine that Doan continuing to extend his deadline is not a good sign. It could be because he wants the ownership situation to be completely resolved before he commits somewhere, or it could be because he is having a hard time coming to terms that leaving the desert is actually the better option.

Loyalty only goes so far. When Doan finally calls it quits, he will be remembered for his time in a Coyotes' sweater, but right now, the prospect of Doan returning to the ice wearing the "C" for the Coyotes next season seems unlikely.

Poll

Will Shane Doan be a Phoenix Coyote next year?

Yes

90 votes

No

66 votes

156 votes | Poll has closed

NHL Free Agency 2012: Shane Doan To Test The Market

John De Groote — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:00:21 -0000

Coyotes general manager Don Maloney has said that resigning captain Shane Doan is their number one priority this offseason, but now he will have some competition.

Maloney confirmed on the NHL Live radio program Tuesday that Doan will indeed test the free agent market starting Sunday.

According to a Yahoo.com report, Maloney said on the program, "We feel confident we can re-sign him. It's just a matter of getting a little more clarity, hopefully when Greg Jamison's group may be able to take over the team.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it'll happen by July 1, so now you run the risk of going to July 1 and some of my good friends in the general managers seats saying 'Let me just see if I can make it more expensive for the Coyotes' or make a legitimate offer."

Doan was drafted 7th overall by the franchise in 1995, and has spent all of his 17 seasons in the league with the Coyotes. He was named Coyotes captain during the 2003-04 campaign, and has worn the C ever since.

When Doan was listed as an unrestricted free agent, not many people paid attention. It was unfathomable that the long time Coyote would end up on another roster. Now, that has all changed.

Make no mistake — even at 35 with waning production, Doan will be a coveted free agent that any team would be more than happy to have. Doan is fresh off winning the Mark Messier Leadership Award, and is the two-time captain of Team Canada at the World Championships. He is considered one of the NHL's best leaders.

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2011 - Shane Doan	22	28	50	-8	48

If Doan does indeed decide to leave where could he end up?

According to a CBS Sports article, Blackhawks' captain Jonathan Toews has been wining and dining Doan in an effort to get him to the Windy City,

You have to be certain he is not the only one.

A team with a history of signing aging superstars is the Detroit Red Wings. If Doan would be willing to take a minor pay cut, he would be a perfect fit the Wings. He would also the more talent around him than he has ever had in Phoenix.

Pittsburgh is also a good fit for Doan. The Pens will be in the running for big names like Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, but Doan would be a solid backup plan. His leadership would prove invaluable in a relatively young locker room, and could solidify their second line.

However, in all these situations Doan is not the man.

Shane Doan is the Coyotes, plain and simple. It would be a crippling blow to the franchise if he left town, and the last thing they need in wake of the ownership drama.

Being a lifer is something special. Sidney Crosby knows. Crosby just signed a 12-year deal so he could stay a Penguin for the rest of his career.

In the end, I believe Doan will stay in the desert. Even though Coyotes fans hate to see it, it's a smart move for him to test the market and see what he is worth. He has paid his dues, and deserves a handsome contract to close out his career.

The Coyotes had their best season in franchise history last year, and Doan could nearly smell the Stanley Cup. There's no way he leaves now.

Poll

Where will Shane Doan end up?

Phoenix

23 votes

Detroit

7 votes

Chicago

7 votes

Pittsburgh

3 votes

Other

21 votes

61 votes | Poll has closed

Sidney Crosby Contract Extension Says Much About Crosby's Character

Pat O'Mahony — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:12:59 -0000

The Penguins announced Thursday that Sidney Crosby will end his career wearing a Penguins sweater. The extension, which will be finalized on July 1, is for 12 years and $114.4 million. The annual cap hit will remain $8.7 million.

In a world where athletes and superstars command as much as possible from possible suitors, Crosby's new extension is incredible. It is incredible because Crosby could easily receive over $10 million on the open market. Teams like Toronto and Montreal would empty their bank accounts in attempts to sign the young phenom. Crosby could have also held the Penguins hostage and demanded a huge raise. He does kind of deserve it. He's the most marketable player in the league, he brings the teams millions in sales and marketing, and he's pretty good at hockey, too.

Instead, Crosby did not take a raise. Yes, they deal may be frontloaded in one way or another, but the cap hit remains the same. Now the Penguins have the opportunity to take a run at high-profile free agents (I'm looking at you, Ryan Suter and Zach Parise) as well as the wiggle room to sign Evgeni Malkin to a long-term contract when his current deal is up for renewal in a few years.

Rather than trying to cash in on his last professional contract, Crosby showed the NHL, and athletes everywhere, that sometimes its not always about the money you can make. Sometimes its about making your team better. Penguins fans everywhere should thank Sidney Crosby, because he didn't have to be so generous. He'll be a Penguin for life.

Start building that statue now, Pittsburgh.

Penguins Trade Rumors: Jordan Staal Trade Talk Intensifies

Pat O'Mahony — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 18:29:16 -0000

The speculation has been out there for months, and possibly years, concerning the future of Jordan Staal and the Pittsburgh Penguins. With their depth at center and the impending contract extension of captain and superstar Sidney Crosby, the Penguins are nearing crunch time concerning the future of Staal. Some speculate that Staal could command at least $7 million a season, the Penguins may not be in a position to play hardball with the two-way center. A trade may be the only answer for GM Ray Shero if the Pens cannot extend Staal this summer.

Last night, trade talks became more concrete when Trib beat writer Rob Rossi cited an unnamed league source who claimed the Carolina Hurricanes are offering Justin Faulk, Brandon Sutter, and the No. 8 overall pick this season, for Jordan Staal and Paul Martin.

As always, this should be taken with a grain of salt, but if true, the Pens should really think about making a deal like this. Being able to bring in some young talent and emptying Paul Martin and his salary on someone else are a plus. Yes, Jordan Staal is extremely talented and deserves to be a first-line center somewhere. Unfortunately, he'll probably never get that chance with the Penguins. I'm not in the "trade Staal" camp, but a deal like this cannot be overlooked. I would rather get something in return for Staal now rather than watching him walk in free agency next summer.

For more on the Penguins, check out PensBurgh.

Image: Sidney Crosby At The Kentucky Derby

Charlie Wilmoth — Sat, 05 May 2012 21:26:13 -0000

This year's Kentucky Derby has an audience of 165,307, and that number includes Penguins star Sidney Crosby, seen after the jump looking dapper. I'm sure Capitals and Rangers fans would be quick to point out that their players don't have time to go to the Kentucky Derby, but hey.

Via Dejan Kovacevic.

For more on the Penguins, check out PensBurgh.

Jordan Staal Trade Rumors Begin

Pat O'Mahony — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:47:28 -0000

I knew the rumors and speculation would start eventually, but so soon? The Pittsburgh Penguins barely had a skate off the ice after the Game 6 loss before the offseason questions began. The Sidney Crosby negotiations and the future of the defense are sure to bring some intrigue. However, the most hotly-debated topic will be the future of Jordan Staal.

The summer circus began early with the Edmonton Journal releasing a blog piece about the Oilers acquiring Staal. Staal will be an unrestricted free agent after next season, as will Sidney Crosby. Crosby will certainly get whatever he wants from the Pens. Staal is a different story. After early exits from the playoffs in the last three seasons, the Pens and GM Ray Shero may decide it's time to make changes. The Penguins will have a hard time trying to justify trading Art Ross and soon to be Hart winner Evgeni Malkin, especially since Malkin is signed long-term.

Staal is a supremely talented center, both offensively and defensively. He works hard, kills penalties, and is, by all accounts, a great locker room guy. If there is a way to keep Staal and remain flexible under the cap, the Pens should do it. I would see the Penguins trade from an area of strength, like defense (strength being a debatable term here). The Pens are deep and have many good young players like Simon Despres waiting for a chance. I would like the Pens to try to at least move either Paul Martin's or Zbynek Michalek's contract, and possibly even Brooks Orpik, before trading Staal.

Rob Rossi of the Tribune-Review believes the team will keep Staal and offers an even more in-depth and somewhat sobering look at the depth of the Penguins. Arguments can be made for and against trading Staal, but I'd rather see all options explored first. Its not even May, and the discussion is heating up. Buckle up for a long and drama-filled offseason, Pens fans.

For more on the Penguins, check out PensBurgh.

Today's Flyers Shirt, "Time For Some Jam!"

JasonB — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 15:18:01 -0000

For games 4, the Flyers handed out "We don't like you either" t-shirts in response to Sidney Crosby's post game 3 comments. Today though, they'll be focused less on the Pens and more on their own guys. Today's t-shirt that will be handed out to everyone in attendance is a call back to one of Peter Laviolette's most memorable quotes from 24/7.

via @jessespector

If you don't happen to get the reference, check out the video and get pumped up. Although, beware of the language here...

GIF: Penguin-On-Penguin Violence

Travis Hughes — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:27:04 -0000

Teammates Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are really good at hockey ... except when they're running into each other.

Stick with SBNation.com for full Flyers vs. Penguins series coverage. For more from the Philadelphia perspective, check in with Broad Street Hockey, and for more from the Pittsburgh perspective, check in with Pensburgh.