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The Penguins have not shied from spending to the salary cap since ownership authorized doing so in 2008.

At no point during their six-year run as a cap club have the Penguins entered a season with three players each counting at least $7 million against the cap. That would happen after next season if Letang is re-signed for a $7 million-or-more annual hit.

Captain Sidney Crosby has a salary cap hit of $8.7 million. Center Evgeni Malkin will count $9.5 million against the cap when his new contract begins after next season.

“It's a challenge,” Shero said. “I mean, OK, an extra $250,000 here, another $500,000 here, $100,000 more, it all adds up.

“I can't predict where the cap will be in a year or two, but I'd like to try and keep these players together. I think they're special players, but knowing the fact that you have to have a well-balanced team, it's a lot of money.”

A return to record revenues, at least $3.3 billion, was projected recently by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. That could push the cap, set next season for $64.3 million, near the pre-lockout range of $70 million for the first year that Crosby, Malkin and Letang would combine to absorb no less than $25.2 million of the Penguins' allotted space.

Even if the math works — Hughes contends that a projected rising cap in what would be Letang's free-agent summer (2014) means bids for his client would start at $8 million annually — Shero faces another challenge.

Crosby and Malkin hold full no-movement clauses, meaning the Penguins could not trade them without their approval.

Limited-movement clauses are common for players who agree to long-term deals. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and defensemen Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin have those.

Fleury, once the clear No. 3 nucleus player behind Crosby and Malkin, did not receive a full no-movement clause when signing a seven-year contract after his career-best postseason in 2008.

Letang, coming off his career-best season, wants a full no-movement clause, even though he, like Crosby and Malkin, failed to produce a point as the Penguins were swept from the Eastern Conference final.

“You do have to be careful with that because it becomes (situations) where maybe the team doesn't do as well as you hoped or maybe the player is not happy or maybe the cap doesn't go up,” Shero said. “You have to be careful in how you're doing full no-movement clauses.

“Crosby and Malkin are something, and Kris Letang is a real special player.”

Special players do get traded.

Jordan Staal did a year ago early in Round 1 of the Entry Draft.

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.30.2013

683072 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins notebook: Waiting game will play out early in draft

By Rob Rossi

Updated 6 hours ago

NEWARK, N.J. — The Penguins face a long Sunday.

They do not pick until Round 3 of the NHL Entry Draft, which will play out over the course of one day at Prudential Center.

General manger Ray Shero would like to change that.

“I think it will be hard to get into the first round this year,” Shero said, citing clubs' lack of willingness to move first-round picks in an entry draft perceived as deep.

“But the second round, there's a chance we could get a second-round pick somewhere. If we could do that, I'd like to.”

Trades during the season for winger Jarome Iginla and defenseman Douglas Murray cost Ray Shero his first- and second-round picks.

Also, Shero said, trading a first-round pick for Iginla was less distressing because of a move he made one year ago. Shero's trade of center Jordan Staal at the entry draft last summer netted him an extra first-round pick, which they used to draft defenseman Derrick Pouliot.

Tenders coming

The deadline to extend qualifying offers to restricted free agents is Tuesday. Shero said the Penguins likely will beat it, mostly because it is easiest to file the paperwork at the entry draft.

Wingers Tyler Kennedy and Harry Zolnierczyk, forward Dustin Jeffrey and defenseman Robert Bortuzzo will be tendered offers, but Shero said he is hopeful of also reaching multiyear deals with some of those players.

Talks update

The Penguins and winger Pascal Dupuis are far apart on a contract that would prevent him from becoming a free agent Friday.

Shero and Allan Walsh, Dupuis' agent, met Friday. However, the Penguins believe Dupuis will test the open market — that is why they signed winger Chris Kunitz to a three-year contract Thursday.

They continue to negotiate with winger Craig Adams.

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.30.2013

683073 Pittsburgh Penguins

Team USA setup comforts Penguins coach Bylsma

By Rob Rossi

NEW YORK — Ray Shero could be the Kevin Bacon of USA Hockey's Olympics hierarchy — he's only a few degrees removed from the group's top officials.

However, there actually is very little that separates Shero from Team USA coach Dan Bylsma and general manager David Poile.

“I just think there's comfort there,” Bylsma said Saturday after he officially was named to his dream job as bench boss for an American Olympics squad.

“Me knowing how Ray works, and Ray knowing how David works — there's already chemistry.”

Shero is Team USA's associate general manager. He was Poile's assistant general manager with the Nashville Predators before taking control of the Penguins in May 2006.

Bylsma has served Shero as the Penguins' coach since February 2009.

Recent history suggests comfort is helpful for Olympic success.

Team Canada benefited from a then-Detroit Red Wings connection — Steve Yzerman (executive director) and Mike Babcock (coach) — on its way to gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Team USA finished second at the Vancouver Games. Its general manager, Brian Burke, and coach, Ron Wilson, were employed by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“When you work with somebody for years, you know how they operate … you break the ice very quickly,” said Don Waddell, general manager of Team USA for the 2006 Olympics. “There's no holding back. That makes it a lot easier to really communicate.”

Waddell, formerly the general manager with Atlanta and now a pro scout with the Penguins, is also a member of the advisory group for Team USA's upcoming Olympic efforts. He said the Penguins will benefit greatly from Shero and Bylsma going through this process of building an Olympic squad.

“It doesn't hurt the team you're with because there is way more value in getting honest feedback from other general managers,” Waddell said. “And there are players you wouldn't have a chance to evaluate as close as we all will in trying to get the right team for Sochi.”

From Poile to Waddell, all members of Team USA's management and coaching staffs are unpaid volunteers.

They seek to make a priceless kind of history, too.

Team USA has not claimed gold at the Olympics since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.” That victory came in Lake Placid, N.Y. The other U.S. gold was won in 1960 in Squaw Valley, Calif.

The Americans have not medaled at an Olympics outside North America since 1972 — silver in Sapporo, Japan.

The Sochi Olympics will use an international surface — wider (by about 14 feet) and with more room (about 2 feet) behind the net.

Bylsma said a challenge is to adjust his system — a possession attack reliant on quick, precision passing starting with defensemen in their own zone — to compete with squads (such as Russia and Sweden) that excel on the international surface while also not sacrificing the physicality necessary to match up with rival Canada.

Of course, he must make those plans while also coaching a Penguins squad that again is favored to win the Stanley Cup.

Shero informed Bylsma that he was USA Hockey's chosen coach June 17. Bylsma shared the information with only his wife, Mary Beth.

He kissed the Cup in 2009. The symbolic bite of a gold medal would mean a lot — except that only Olympic athletes receive medals.

“It's interesting because I've wanted to win a gold medal longer than I've wanted to win the Stanley Cup,” Bylsma said.

“Representing your country at the Olympics is the ultimate in sports.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.30.2013

683074 Pittsburgh Penguins

Potential aplenty in 2013 NHL draft

June 30, 2013 12:18 am

By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

NEWARK, N.J. -- Anything is possible, of course.

Nothing says that general manager Ray Shero couldn't work out a major trade today, one that allows the Penguins to make their first selection in the NHL draft while most of the crowd is making its way into the Prudential Center.

As things stand, however, no fewer than 76 prospects are supposed to be chosen before the Penguins make their first pick, around the middle of Round 3.

That means their chances of ending up with an impact player aren't very good.

But not necessarily as bad as some might suspect.

For while the quality of a draft class can't be accurately assessed until years later, this one has the potential to go down as one of the deepest in recent summers.

Not quite the equal of, say, 2003, but worthy of comparison to 2008.

"You go down almost any list that's out there, in publications, and you see that there are good players probably deeper than in the last several years," said Jay Heinbuck, the Penguins' director of amateur scouting.

The 2003 draft has become something of a gold standard by which drafts can be measured.

If not because of the players who were the first few to go -- Marc-Andre Fleury, Eric Staal and Nathan Horton were the top three -- then because of the quality contributors that teams were able to pick up as the opening round was winding down.

New Jersey got Zach Parise at No. 17. Ryan Getzlaf went 19th to Anaheim. Vancouver grabbed Ryan Kesler with the 23rd choice, one spot before Philadelphia claimed Mike Richards.

After which Florida snagged Anthony Stewart at 25, Brian Boyle went to Los Angeles and, one choice later, Anaheim put an exclamation point on the round with its selection of Corey Perry.

"That was a pretty good draft," Heinbuck said. "There were a few misses in there, but geez, it goes down pretty far.

"There's sort of a drop-off after 29 or 30, then it gets to be start of a [mix] of guys who made it and guys who didn't. That certainly was a very good first round, for the most part."

And while he won't rule out the opening round in 2013 proving to be the equal of that from a decade earlier, neither does he seem eager to draw that parallel.

"Possibly, but it's hard to predict," Heinbuck said. "Boy, you have some nice players there in the 20s [in 2003], and that doesn't always happen."

There definitely are some pretty good headliners in this year's group. Center Nathan MacKinnon, defenseman Seth Jones and left winger Jonathan Drouin are universally regarded as elite prospects; the only uncertainty is which will prove to be the best pro.

Although MacKinnon is the favorite to go first overall to Colorado if the Avalanche retains that pick, that doesn't mean he's a consensus choice.

"Even within our staff, there are some guys who really like Jones, some who like MacKinnon and some who like Drouin," Heinbuck said. "They're such good players, and they all offer something different.

"Jones is that big defenseman who does a lot of things well, Drouin is such a crafty but smaller player, and MacKinnon, he's intensity with skill and grit. There's a lot to like there, and all for different reasons."

Mind you, unless Shero makes a bold move, the top three prospects might be on flights home before the Penguins make their first trip to the arena stage to announce a selection because of the trades that sent their first-rounder to Calgary for Jaroma Iginla and their No. 2 to San Jose for Douglas Murray.

With the Penguins having no choices before Round 3, their scouting staff likely spent many hours evaluating players who have no chance of being available when it's their turn to select. That, Heinbuck said, simply is an occupational hazard.

"Your ultimate goal is to try to win the Cup, and that's what we tried to do," he said. "It's exciting when you have a first-round pick, but we all understand that [trading them can be] part of the process.

"You use assets to make trades. Sometimes, the asset's an upcoming draft pick, and sometimes, it's players you've already picked. That's our job, to work with what we're given and see how it turns out."

Of course, it could have been worse. Could have been a repeat of 2008, when the Penguins didn't select until the fourth round. Or almost any other year, when the talent pool isn't as deep and diverse as this one looks to be.

"In the past, more often than not, it seems to me, we've had a pretty strong group of defensemen, but this year, it's pretty spread between forwards and defensemen," Heinbuck said. "There's a good mix."

Post Gazette LOADED: 06.30.2013

683075 Pittsburgh Penguins

NHL draft top 10 prospects

June 30, 2013 12:17 am

By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Nathan MacKinnon

Center • 6 feet, 182 pounds

Had 32 goals and 43 assists in 44 games with Halifax in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. ... Was named MVP of Memorial Cup tournament after leading Mooseheads to the championship. ... Shares hometown of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, with Sidney Crosby. ... Is widely regarded as being ready to step directly into the NHL, thanks to exceptional offensive talents and instincts. ... Highly competitive with a lot of grit even though, like most draft-eligible players, he is continuing to mature physically.

Seth Jones

Defenseman • 6 feet 4, 205 pounds

Had 14 goals and 42 in 61 games with Portland of the Western Hockey League. ... Son of former NBA player "Popeye" Jones. ... Spent much of childhood in Denver and was an Avalanche fan. ... Regarded by many scouts as the top player in the draft, but executives of Colorado, which owns the No. 1 pick, say Avalanche plans to draft MacKinnon if pick isn't traded. ... Size and strength have some scouts projecting him as a Chris Pronger-type impact player. ... Skates and passes well and is solid in his own end.

Jonathan Drouin

Left winger • 5 feet 11, 187 pounds

Had 41 goals and 64 assists in 49 games as MacKinnon's teammate in Halifax. ... Crafty playmaker who is fast, creative and shifty and is viewed by some scouts as the finest pure talent available. ... Was honored as player of the year in the Canadian Hockey League, which covers the three major-junior leagues. ... Put together a 29-game scoring streak during the regular season. ... Not only is able to get the puck to linemates but has a well-documented willingness to do so.

Aleksander Barkov

Center • 6 feet 2, 207 pounds

Had 21 goals and 27 assists in 53 games with Tappara in his native Finland. ... Lists Penguins center Evgeni Malkin as one of his favorite players. ... Fluent in English and Russian as well as Finnish. ... Projects as a top-six forward in the NHL with excellent hockey sense that complements his size and strength. ... Was knocked out of the playoffs by a shoulder injury. ... Sound and responsible at both ends of the ice. ... Physical style should ease his transition to North American hockey.

Valeri Nichushkin

Right winger • 6 feet 4, 202 pounds

Had four goals and two assists in 18 games with the Kontinental Hockey League team in his hometown of Chelyabinsk. ... Has size, speed and strength that give him the potential to be top power forward in the NHL. ... Played in the Kontinental Hockey League last season but tells anyone who asks that he wants to move to the NHL immediately. ... Has earned a reputation for producing in high-stakes situations.

Darnell Nurse

Defenseman • 6 feet 4, 185 pounds

Had 12 goals, 29 assists and 116 penalty minutes in 68 games with Sault Ste. Marie of the Ontario Hockey League. ... Nephew of former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb. ... Steady, reliable and responsible all over the ice and isn't shy about playing the body. ... Despite playing a position that often requires some seasoning in minor leagues, could move directly into the NHL if drafted into the right situation.

Sean Monahan

Center • 6 feet 2, 187 pounds

Had 31 goals and 47 assists in 58 games with Ottawa (OHL). ... His grandfather, Rick Hay, played one game for the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League in 1961-62. ... Is regarded as one of the top two-way performers available and has excellent intangibles and attention to detail, which allow him to be effective in all situations. ... Has skill level and instincts required to have an offensive impact as a pro.

Rasmus Ristolainen

Defenseman • 6 feet 3, 201 pounds

Had three goals and 12 assists in 52 games for TPS in Finland's top league. ... Good skater who can handle and move the puck. ... Play in his own end needs some work, which hardly is unusual for a teenager at his position. ... Is reputed to have a mean streak and is expected to get bigger. ... Has a good shot from the point.

Elias Lindholm

Center • 6 feet, 181 pounds

Had 11 goals and 19 assists in 48 games with Brynas in Sweden's Elitserien. ... Told NHL.com his favorite team is the Penguins and his two favorite players are Crosby and Malkin. ... Plays a well-rounded game that gives him a chance to move into a top-six role in the NHL immediately. ... Must fill out some but isn't shy about operating in high-traffic areas. ... Excellent hockey sense.

Hunter Shinkaruk

Center/Left winger • 5 feet 11, 174 pounds

Had 37 goals and 49 assists in 64 games with Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League. ... A gifted goal-scorer and playmaker who is among the most crowd-pleasing talents in this draft. ... Has outstanding speed, but it's possible his modest size will make the challenge greater when he turns pro. ... Purported to be a good leader.

Post Gazette LOADED: 06.30.2013

683076 Pittsburgh Penguins

Decision on Kris Letang has no deadline

June 30, 2013 12:06 am

By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

NEW YORK -- Eventually, Ray Shero says, a decision must be made.

At some point, negotiations on a new contract for defenseman Kris Letang will have to be wrapped up.

Still, Shero said Saturday he isn't ready to set a deadline for that just yet, which means it's far from certain Letang's future will be resolved before the NHL draft at 3 p.m. today at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

He even seemed to float the possibility that talks could be suspended at some point and picked up later, though that seems unlikely.

"There's a point in a negotiation when you have to make a decision," he said. "Kris is going to have to make one at one time, and so am I.

"That doesn't mean if you don't agree on a contract, he's getting traded. There's no guarantee, of course, but it's one of those things where maybe we just need a little break, to kind of see where it takes us."

Whether Shero and Letang's agent, Kent Hughes, can find enough common ground to strike a deal is unclear, though both sides have been consistent in saying that is their intent.

"I know he's happy in Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh's happy having him," Shero said. "He's a good person, a great kid and I believe he wants to stay in Pittsburgh.

"And we're going to try to see if we can make that happen [in a way] that makes sense for both sides."

That, clearly, has been the tough part.

Late last week, Letang rejected an eight-year offer that would have doubled his $3.5 million salary. Hughes is believed to have countered with a proposal worth at least $500,000 more per year, and the Penguins obviously didn't accept it.

"An extra $250,000 here, another $500,000 here. ... It all adds up," Shero said.

Hughes said Saturday evening he had spoken with Shero and added, "We'll see what happens."

Shero said "a couple of teams" have inquired about Letang's availability in trades, but have been rebuffed.

"They read the paper," he said. " 'Just in case, if you don't do something, can you keep us in mind?' I haven't explored any of that, and I don't think that's productive at this point. Our goal is to try to sign him.

"I can't try to sign a guy and try to trade him at the same time. I'm going to try to sign him and the next day or so, we'll see how this goes."

Working out contracts with Letang and unrestricted-free-agents-to-be such as Pascal Dupuis, Matt Cooke and Craig Adams, and today's draft -- with their first two selections not until Round 3, the Penguins are trying to move up to at least the second round -- are Shero's most pressing concerns at the moment, but he has added another facet to his job description.

He formally was introduced as the associate general manager of the 2014 U.S. Olympic team Saturday at a news conference in Times Square. Dan Bylsma was named head coach of that squad at the same time.

Team USA earned a silver medal at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, losing to Canada in overtime of the championship, and a lackluster performance in the winter in Sochi, Russia, wouldn't go over well.

"Hockey in our country has come to the point where winning the gold medal is not a miracle," USA Hockey president Ron DeGregorio said. "It's an expectation."

Bylsma has not chosen his assistants yet but he, Nashville Predators general manager David Poile and Shero have discussed the qualities, such as international experience, that would enhance his staff.

Bylsma noted he has no experience coaching the international game and said he plans to immerse himself "the next couple of months" in information about matters such as national styles of play so that it doesn't interfere with his duties with the Penguins after training camp opens in September.

There won't be much time to absorb such knowledge during the Olympic break, he said, because "literally, we're going to be dropping our stuff in the NHL and getting on a plane and a couple of days later, we're going to be playing our first [Olympic] game."

Consequently, Bylsma said, he already has reached out to longtime NHL coach Ron Wilson, who led Team USA in Vancouver and has extensive international experience, and will do so with other coaches who have competed in tournaments outside of North America.

Despite Bylsma's lack of international work, Poile said he was chosen because the USA Hockey decisions-makers "wanted a winner" who could "handle star players," of which Bylsma has several with the Penguins.

Bylsma acknowledged being "acutely aware" of the challenges posed by players such as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but having to deal with them in Sochi wouldn't alter his bottom-line goal.

"We have one objective," Bylsma said. "That's to go to Sochi and win gold."

Post Gazette LOADED: 06.30.2013

683077 San Jose Sharks

NHL draft: San Jose Sharks hold four picks in the top 58

By Curtis Pashelka

cpashelka@bayareanewsgroup.com

Posted: 06/29/2013 04:16:41 PM PDT

Updated: 06/29/2013 10:16:15 PM PDT

SAN JOSE -- Sharks general manager Doug Wilson didn't try to disguise his excitement about Sunday's NHL draft at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., as the team holds four of the top 58 picks in what is perceived as one of the deepest draft classes in a decade.

That gives Wilson plenty of options for a draft that he said features quality players "all the way through the second round."

The Sharks have eight picks. In the first two rounds, they hold their own picks at Nos. 20 and 50, plus No. 49 acquired from the New York Rangers in the Ryane Clowe deal in April and No. 58 from Pittsburgh in the Douglas Murray trade in March. Clowe and Murray are set to become unrestricted free agents July 5.