Who Will Stay and Who Might Go?

As we get closer to the Olympics in Vancouver, the NHL trade deadline is fast approaching. The Pittsburgh Penguins can either go look for a missing link or keep the team that they have; they have made huge splashes in the past when it came down to trade deadlines. Some good, some bad.

In recent years General Manager of the Penguins, Ray Shero, has made it a goal to always look to improve the team. Mostly Shero looks within the system, but every year he has gone outside of the system to get that missing link. Last year it was deals for Billy Guerin and Chris Kunitz that happened a week before the trade deadline. The year before that it was Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have already made a splash acquiring tough Defenseman Dion Phaneuf from the Flames and Jean-Sebastien Giguere from the Ducks. Where will the services of Ilya Kolvalchuk from the Tharshers. Don Wendell, the Thrashers' GM, said that if a contract cannot be reached before the deadline, he will be forced to trade Kolvalchuk. After what happened last year to the Panthers when Bouwmeester walked during free agency and the Panthers got nothing. I said last year I would trade Bouwmeester if I couldn't get him signed and I'm saying the same thing about Kolvalchuk.

I read a lot of sports beater blogs. What I have heard are some names and some faces. The Penguins aren't expected to make a run a Kolvalchuk–there is just too much money and too many players involved.

The Penguins are interested in getting a possible line-mate for Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins have been seen scouting at Maple Leaf games. It has been said that they are interested in 6'4" 229lb forward Alexei Ponikarovsky. Alexei has 39 points on the year (19 goals, 20 assists). The asking price is really steep for Alexei. GM of the Leafs, Brian Burke wants Max Talbot and Pittsburgh's second round pick. The pick isn't bad, but Max Talbot scores big goals at big times. Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals–that's all that needs to be said.

The Penguins have also shown interest in 37 year old Ray Whitney of the Hurricanes. Whitney is off to a great start with 16 goals and 25 assists for 41 points. There isn't an exact number or price yet for him, but Carolina says they want youth. Youth for a 37 year old winger is crazy talk. As we have seen in the past prices can go. We go Bill Guerin for a draft pick.

Players in danger of being traded:

Alex Goligoski: Alex has been given the chance to quarterback the power play, but has been unsuccessful in his chance to take the realm. He is a very affordable young defenseman with the capabilities of being a top two defenseman on a team. There is always teams calling for Alex's services

Ruslan Fedotenko: Ruslan doesn't seem like he's all there. There are some nights he is all over the ice and there are other nights you would never know he was in uniform. Though he is healthier this year than in years past. He only has eight goals this year and has sort of failed to be Malkin's linemate.

Mark Eaton: Eaton is very soft defenseman in the corner and on finishing his checks. All of the Penguins D are except Orpik. Eaton's $2 million salary is against him on this one. He will also be a free agent this summer and will unlikely get that $2 million dollar salary back.

Honorable Mentions: Kris Letang and Pascal Dupuis.