Pens swap Sabs for Garon

It's not unexpected that the Penguins would make a trade, given how things have been going lately. But the first move Ray Shero has made for a Penguinomic Stimulus package was not a scoring winger, it was a bailout. Well, a backup goalie, Mathieu Garon from Edmonton. See ya later Dany Sabs!

The Edmonton Oilers traded goaltender Mathieu Garon to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday for goaltender Dany Sabourin, centre Ryan Stone, and a fourth-round pick in 2011.

The next question: what kind of season is Garon having so far?

In 15 games this year, he went 6-8-0 with a 3.17 GAA and a save percentage of .895.

Oh Jesus.

Well, we'll see. Sabourin couldn't bail the Penguins this season when Marc-Andre Fleury went down, just like it was Sabourin who couldn't carry the mail last season, yielding to Ty Conklin. Hindsight is 20/20 but clearly the Penguins should have waived/traded Sabourin before the season started and offered Conklin a contract. Conks genuinely enjoyed his time in Pittsburgh and was happy they gave him the chance to breath live into his dead NHL career, he probably would have been receptive to stay. And his contract with Detroit was reasonable, one year at $750,000. Garon's cap hit is $1.1 million.

Excuse the tangent. Sabourin lost his last six starts and the Pens really did just need to move on. Garon obviously hasn't been Patrick Roy this season himself, but he's a new face and sometimes goalies can get on a hot steak in a new setting. Last season Garon did win 26 games and posted a save percentage of .913 on a fairly weak Oiler team, so he's got the potential.

Speaking of a new setting, Ryan Stone needed that. By going to Edmonton at least he is joining a team with a lot of familiar faces--as Edmonton and Pittsburgh stocked the Wilkes-Barre AHL team with both their prospects a couple seasons ago. Stone played with Kyle Brodziak, Marc-Antoine Pouliot, Tom Gilbert and Robert Nilsson.

Stone just never chipped his way into the Penguins lineup. While he had good playmaking abilities and could throw big hits, it never seemed decided if he would slot to be in a scoring role or a checking role in the NHL. Also his skating ability just seemed a notch below adequate and seemed to limit him too. Perhaps he'll be able to make it in a new organization. We certainly wish him well but feel that he is another victim of the Greg Malone curse.

Hossa to test free agency

As we said, actions speak louder than words...

“I’d rather take less and play on a good team,” Hossa said. “Hopefully, I can return here and be part of this organization but, with the salary cap, I know
how hard it is. There’s lots of players to be signed, so we’ll see what’s going to happen.”

And now from the Trib:

Marian Hossa has declined an offer to sign a long-term deal with the Penguins and will test free agency.

General manager Ray Shero said today after the NHL Entry Draft at Scotiabank Place that Hossa, a star right wing acquired Feb. 26, will offers his services to other teams as an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Shero said he is "comfortable" with the offer presented to Hossa to remain in Pittsburgh, though Shero would not provide specifics of terms.

To be fair, we don't know the specifics of what Hossa was offered. Surely it was less than the $8.5 to $9 million dollars a year he will be offered on July 1.

One doors possibly closes and another one opens....There will be other targets out there for the Pens in free agency to look at. Hell we know a guy who's a fast skater and scored 30+ goals the past three seasons in Minnesota of all places that would look pretty good playing with Sidney Crosby.

On one hand it's disappointing to see Hossa reject the Pens offer. But on the other hand, it's not completely unexpected. Plus with a Crosby-esque deal for Evgeni Malkin about to be made, it was pretty much impossible for the Pens to keep all three of them plus the rest of their core (Marc-Andre Fleury, Ryan Whitney) and still round the team out with championship caliber players for too long.