JagrWatch-The End is Near

This week has took more twists and turns than a R.L. Stein book. Bad reference I know. But on the Eve of the Free Agency Day, we sit here wondering if Jaromir Jagr will skate for one final season with the Penguins. The rumors were that were floating around the past 24 hours have been from ridiculous to absurd. Last night, we found out from a reputable Penguins fan blog, that no decision was going to be made before today. This of course infamously came straight from Jagr's agent. A brief recap of the events below and a shocking theory.

JagrWatch's Final Hour

The offer is in to Jaromir Jagr's camp as of last night. JagrWatch is on standby at this point, as all of us sit back and wait on word from the man himself. Who will he choose?  Pittsburgh or Detroit? Or is Montreal in the Mix?

The Pond's 10 Games to Look Forward To

With the season approaching more rapidly by the day, and the Pens gearing up for their Prospect camp and the the big club's training camp, we figured that it was time to update our list of ten games we look forward to the most for the upcoming season.

October 6th--Pens @ Canucks
First game of the season, in Vancouver. It's been a long time since we've seen hockey, and opening the season in Western Canada could be the best thing for the Pens give this offseason, and the indefiniteness of Sidney Crosby's status. Set the coffee makers though, it will be a rough morning after.

October 13th--Penguins vs. Capitals
Why?  First game of the year against the Capitals. Nothing else really to say.

October 17--Penguins @ Jets
Will be our first experience back in Winnipeg. Will be great to see some puck played up there. Plus this seems like one of those fan bases that are poised to be hated. It's like it is their God-given right to get a hockey team.

October 18th--Penguins @ Wild
Yes, I know what you are thinking, why the Wild? Because we get to see our power play go 0 for 6, and Mike Yeo's power play go 6 for 6 just to spite us all.

November 5th--Penguins @ Kings
Why? Well we get to see how ineffective Mike Richards is out west. I mean we grew to despise him as a Flyer, I don't think that changes much.

December 5th--Penguins @ Flyers
First matchup of the season against that other team from PA. No Mike Richards. No Jeff Carter. Some goalie who apparently will win on his own. We'll see. Plus, we get to hate Max Talbot and completely ridicule Jaromir Jagr again. Win all around.

December 13th--Penguins vs. Redwings
Will be very interesting when #68 is skating for the Wings and not the Pens.

January 22--Penguins v. Capitals
The last time we see them during the regular season. We will be very sick of this team by the end of January.

March 22--Penguins @ Flyers
3pm start on a Sunday. Could be an NBC game. It will be very enjoyable to watch the Pens and Flyers play on NBC and not have Pierre McGuire verbally blowing Mike Richards. The blood may be boiling by the time this game comes.

April 7th--Penguins v. Flyers
Last game of the season. Afternoon game. Could be for the division or even the Eastern Conference. You can feel the hate already.


Other Thoughts
Looks like the Pens have 12 sets of games that are on back to back days. There is a three game road trip starting October 29 in Toronto and Ending Nov 5th in Los Angeles. They have another four game roadie at the end of November leading into the first week of september, that will take them from Montreal to Carolina, with the Rangers and Capitals in between. Another four games on the road at the beginning of February, starting off in Toronto, then to Boston, then to New Jersey, and ending in Montreal. There is a three game road trip through part of the Atlantic division beginning on April 15th at the Devils, and ending with games on back to back afternoons against the Devils and Flyers on the 17th, and 18th.

The last 3 of four games are at home including two against the Flyers.  The Pens will also play the maximum 12 games on national television meaning they will be on VS or NBC.

All this means nothing. Probably makes no sense. But whatever.

The Return of Double J Part II

Well as Monday rolled around and it is now almost the end of June, Pens fans were set into the gloomy days of the offseason. No hockey, no news. Just sitting and waiting for Ray Shero to resign some guys to fill out the roster. A while ago we heard that Sid is beginning his workouts and Malkin sounds like he is ready to take over the world again.  Good news all around, but nothing big. Then Monday started, and a bomb was dropped on Pens fans and twitter and the internet were a buzz. Jarmior Jagr was again tied to the Penguins and this upcoming season. A few months ago, news of Jagr was falsely tied to the Penguins in the context of the Pens inviting him back to be a part of a 20 year reunion of the 1991 Stanley Cup Championship Team. This time it was for real. Pittsburgh Prodigal Son may be lacing them up for the Penguins this fall, at age 39. The Pond offers its opinion on the possible signing.

Two years...Feels like a decade

On this date two years ago, Pens fans from all over braced themselves throughout the day to prepare for 3 hours of hockey that may have defined lives. Waking up on the morning of a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals is much different than waking up on any ordinary day. We have been through nearly two months of hockey played at it most intense pace and one game was set to determine whether the season would be etched in silver at the end of the night. We all know what happened, but the Pens won't win a cup every year. Two years ago on this night, we were all celebrating a Stanley Cup. Here are The Pond's favorite moments of the run.

Pens Re-Sign Craig Adams to a Two Year Deal

The Penguins have re-signed Craig Adams to a two-year contract. We've said that this was an absolute must-sign for Ray Shero. Great to see that Craig Adams will be back for the next two seasons.  It's players like him giving up their body that make a team successful in the long run. Cap average is $675,000. Adams got his raise and even an extra year. A very low risk, high reward signings.  

Article from the Pens' site.  

Pens Ink Nick Johnson to one year deal.

What The Pond Said about him in our post previewing the Pens' free agents:

Could possibly sign a two-way deal and see time between the Baby Pens and the NHL club. He only played 4 games with the Pens and suffered a concussion while doing so. He should fill a role on the wing sooner or later, and it would be wise to keep him within our system.

It is a two way deal for $550,000.  Interesting that it was only for one year.

Article from the Pens Website:

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed forward Nick Johnson to a one-year contract, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero. 

Johnson, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, opted to re-sign with the Penguins to a two-way deal worth $550,000 at the NHL level that runs through the 2011-12 season. 

Johnson, 25, appeared in four games for Pittsburgh this past season, posting three points (1G-2A) before suffering a concussion that sidelined him for the remaining 23 games of the regular season and playoffs. 

Johnson (6-foot-2, 196 pounds) spent the majority of the year with Pittsburgh’s top-minor league affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. He posted 20 goals, 39 points, 10 power-play goals and a plus-12 rating in 48 games with WBS. 

Johnson, Pittsburgh’s third-round pick (67th overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, has played 10 games with Pittsburgh in his career, notching two goals and five points. He’s played three-plus seasons with WBS after turning pro in 2007-08. He’s totaled 50 goals, 94 points and a plus-46 rating in 169 career games with WBS, adding 15 postseason points (8G-7A) in 26 contests. 

The Calgary, Alberta native played four seasons at Dartmouth from 2004-07. He finished his college career with 125 points (57G-68A) in 133 games. Johnson was named First-Team All-ECAC and First-Team All-Ivy League as a senior after scoring 35 points (10G-25A) in 32 games.  

Sidney Crosby to Start Summer Workouts

The Penguins dropped some very good news this afternoon, that Sidney Crosby will begin to get into his summer workout routine with his personal training in Nova Scotia, Canada.  Crosby met with Dr. Michael Collins, and apparently got the go-ahead to being the off-ice workouts. Not sure what this means exactly, but it has to be taken as good news, and we all know that Crosby's off-season plan is likely move involved than most NHL players. This means that it is a possibility that Sid's concussion symptoms have been gone for at least some period of time. There has been a time during the past 5 months that we really weren't sure if we'd see Sid back in top form. This news shows that he is progressing, and hopefully no concussion symptoms reoccur during the summer and he will be back to true Crosby form come October.

Here is the full article by Sam Kasan on the Penguins website.  

UPDATE:  Rob Rossi tweeting that the Pens are cautiously optimistic that Sid will be able to participate in normal hockey activity by training camp.

UPDATE:  Sid normally resumes on-ice activities in July.

More EA Sports NHL Features

This trailer just has a more in depth look at some of the new features in the upcoming edition to the EA Sports NHL series. Hopefully EA gets the tuning right, because some of these features will add some major authenticity to the game, unless they happen on every play.

Pens to Play Exhibition Game in Kansas City against the Kings

Looks like the Penguins will be facing off against the Kings in Kansas City on Tuesday, September 27 according to an article from The Kansas City Star.

As a painful reminder, the reporter had this to say about the Penguins:

The Penguins flirted with Kansas City as a possible new home before the 17,297-seat Sprint Center was completed in October 2007. The Penguins stayed in Pittsburgh once the city came up with the finances to build a new arena that opened in 2010 .

Those were dark, dark times for Pens fans. This game doesn't make much sense. Would be hard to say that Kansas City is a major player to scoop up another relocating NHL franchise anytime soon. Quebec might burn to the ground from the rioting if that happens.