Q: Any chance you can supply your readers with scouting reports on the top five prospects in this year's Entry Draft? Finding any info on these prospects online is like finding what was in Al Capone's vault.
Dave Holley, Doylestown, Pa.
MOLINARI: There is no consensus about the identities of the top five prospects for the June 24 draft in Vancouver -- there's not even widespread agreement on who the No. 2 guy is -- but the players below probably won't have to wait too long to hear their names called:
Erik Johnson -- An excellent two-way defenseman from the U.S. national developmental program who is the overwhelming favorite to be the first player selected, whether St. Louis retains that pick or trades it. He has good size (6 foot 4, 222 pounds) that is complemented by excellent puck-handling ability. Johnson plans to attend the University of Minnesota, although he hasn't ruled out turning pro after the draft.
Jordan Staal -- He's the brother of Carolina center Eric Staal, and one of four hockey-playing brothers who figure to be forces in the NHL. Consistency has been a problem -- that's hardly unheard of for an 18-year-old -- but he's huge (6 foot 4, 215 pounds) and skilled and has improved his skating significantly over the past few years. Staal seems like the most popular choice as the No. 2 prospect.
Jonathan Toews -- Probably the least spectacular talent among the elite prospects, but perhaps the safest bet to be a reliable contributor in the NHL. He is 6 foot 1-1/2, 195 pounds, plays a solid two-way game and put up 21 goals and 17 assists in 41 games as a freshman at North Dakota. Toews has been praised for his unselfish style, work ethic and ability to bring out the best in his teammates.
Phil Kessel -- The popular favorite a year ago to be the first player chosen, Kessel is considered the best skater in the draft and has exceptional skill. Some scouts were disappointed in his performance as a freshman at Minnesota, but others contend he was faced with unrealistic expectations. There have been some questions about his intangibles, including the way Kessel (6 foot, 189 pounds) interacts with teammates.
Nicklas Backstrom -- He entered the season hoping only to get a roster spot with Brynas IF in Sweden's Elitserien; he finished it as the team's best forward. Backstrom is 6 foot, 183 pounds, and possesses a skills set that some scouts compare that of Peter Forsberg, although no one has suggested that Backstrom plays with Forsberg's fire. He skipped last week's scouting combine in Toronto, but that isn't likely to hurt him in the draft.
Q: Do you feel Ray Shero and the rest of the Penguins management consider rookie right winger Michel Ouellet a possible future forward for the Penguins? His stats were comparable to other NHL rookies, such as Penguins right winger Colby Armstrong.
J. P. Perrine, Reading, Pa.
MOLINARI: Shero still is getting a feel for the Penguins' personnel, and hasn't made his feelings about any individual player know yet. And even when he does develop a solid grasp of his team's personnel, it remains to be seen how candid Shero will be in his public assessments of it.
Unlike Armstrong, who plays a feisty game and is an effective penalty-killer, Ouellet has to score goals to justify his spot in the lineup. He's proven capable of doing that at times -- he was on a goal-a-game pace during one 10-game span last winter -- but must find the net more consistently if he's going to become a regular in the NHL. Ouellet seems to be a favorite of coach Michel Therrien, so there's every reason to think he'll get plenty of opportunities to prove himself.
Q: Is there any talk as to which high-scoring wingers the Penguins might be trying to acquire? And which 28-to-31-year-old veterans? Any word on who might be trade bait? Is a scenario likely where the Penguins might trade their draft pick and/or prospects for the likes of a Marian Gaborik (or a slightly less-skilled player)?
Bru Magnus, Vancouver, British Columbia
MOLINARI: If Penguins officials were to talk about which players, be they under contract to other clubs or soon-to-be free agents, have caught their eye, they would be guilty of tampering, so there's no official word on who they'll pursue (through whatever means) this summer. Indeed, it's entirely possible that Shero hasn't even made that decision yet, because he's only been on the job two weeks and still is familiarizing himself with the personnel at various levels of the organization.
Knowing what they have, after all, is critical to determining what they need. It seems reasonable to expect, though, that Shero ultimately will conclude that the Penguins do, as you suggest, need a couple of goal-scoring wingers and some players in the prime of their careers to complement their core of young talent.
Gaborik, 24, is an accomplished goal-scorer -- he has 134 in 360 career games with Minnesota, and set the franchise record with 38 in 65 games in 2005-06 -- who could be scary with a guy like Sidney Crosby feeding him pucks. The catch is, the Penguins' payroll will be well below the CBA-mandated salary cap, which is projected to be in the $43 million-$45 million range, and management might be reluctant to tie up too much of it in one player, even if it would be able to work out a trade for Gaborik's rights. That's the same issue likely to prevent the Penguins from competing for big-ticket unrestricted free agents next month.
Gaborik, by the way, is eligible for salary arbitration this summer and, if he goes that route, could receive a one-year deal that would set him up for unrestricted free agency in 2007. That puts major pressure on the Wild to either give Gaborik the kind of contract he is seeking -- he reportedly has rejected a five-year deal what would have been worth $26.5 million -- or auction him off for the best possible return. While salary-cap concerns might prevent some clubs from getting into the bidding, there should be no shortage of teams interested in adding a goal-scorer with his pedigree.
Q: What do you believe are the chances of Johannes Salmonsson playing in North America this year, and can he provide the Pens with the scoring winger they are searching for? Also, does Andy Hilbert need to be re-signed?
Bill Masullo, State College
MOLINARI: Salmonsson, who is coming off a lackluster season with Spokane in the Western Hockey League, has signed to play with Brynas IF in Sweden next season. The Penguins could, in theory, sign him and have him here in the fall since Sweden participates in the NHL's transfer agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation, but that seems highly unlikely. Since Salmonsson was unable to be a prolific goal-scorer in the WHL -- he got 12 in 54 games -- he probably isn't ready to do it in the NHL.
Hilbert's contract is about to expire and, assuming the Penguins make him a qualifying offer -- given the dearth of skilled forwards in their organization, it's hard to believe they wouldn't -- he will be a restricted free agent this summer. Hilbert, claimed on waivers from Chicago March 9, was a nice fit with Crosby and Armstrong on the No. 1 line during the closing weeks of the season, and should enter training camp as a top candidate to play there. While there's no guarantee Hilbert still will be able to hold down a spot among the top six forwards if/when the Penguins become a quality team, he doesn't look out of place on a scoring line now.
Q: Do you have a feel regarding the potential return of Mark Recchi? I think Mark would be a fantastic choice to wear the captain's 'C' until Crosby is ready.
Chris Parfitt, Plainfield, Ind
MOLINARI: When the Penguins sent Recchi to Carolina at the trade deadline, the prevailing sentiment was that the Hurricanes would not exercise their option on his contract for next season, making it possible for him to rejoin the Penguins as an unrestricted free agent.
While Recchi still has strong ties to Western Pennsylvania -- his permanent residence is here -- his foremost connection to the Penguins probably was his friendship with former general manager Craig Patrick. It remains to be seen what Recchi's long-term plans are -- at the moment, he's a bit preoccupied with trying to help Carolina win a Stanley Cup -- but Patrick's departure might well convince him to consider other options on where to continue his career. What's more, it isn't clear if Shero would be interested in having Recchi come back, and he can't discuss it because of tampering concerns.
Recchi was a forceful presence in the Penguins' locker room, and developed a strained relationship with at least some young players. Whether that was because Recchi was unduly harsh in his criticism of those players or they were overly sensitive to what he had to say seems to be a matter of perspective.
Q: With Shero's remarks while negotiating for the GM position that he wanted to pick the coach and not be stuck with one, do you think Coach Therrien is on a short leash?
Bob Eckenrode, North Versailles
MOLINARI: There is a school of thought that Shero, who seemed inclined to hire Nashville associate coach Brent Peterson as coach if given that option, will change the coach at the earliest opportunity, and that thinking is understandable. Every GM, after all, wants to be able to select the people who work under him, and Shero will be working with a coach he inherited.
However, firing Therrien the first time the Penguins stumble and, say, lose four consecutive games, would defy logic on several levels: It would wipe out the element of continuity/stability that Shero professed is so important to maintain. It means the Penguins would (again) be playing for a coach who did not have the benefit of putting them through a training camp. And, perhaps most important for a team with limited resources, it means the Penguins would be on the hook for the new coach's salary and whatever settlement it would reach with Therrien for the balance of his contract, which runs through 2007-08.
Q: Do you think any of the Penguins are watching the playoffs, considering they are one of the best in recent history? Obviously, to watch and hopefully learn how good teams work hard in all phases of the game.
Mario Lopez, Charlotte, N.C.
MOLINARI: If the Penguins have to watch TV to realize that hard work is an indispensable component of success, their problems run a lot deeper than anyone realizes. (Of course, taking in some playoff games might lead them to conclude that speed, skill, toughness, grit, experience and luck are good qualities to have, too.)
First Published: June 9, 2006, 4:00 a.m.
