Hamhuis Negotiations Heating Up

-GM Ray Shero talked to Wade Arnott, Dan Hamhuis' agent on two occasions today. The two parties are continuing to discuss a deal for Hamhuis to play in Pittsburgh. According to a source, he is very intrigued by the chance to play with the Penguins. The rumors that he wanted to play in Canada were shot down by Arnott today as he said Dan is open minded and will consider playing anywhere. Hamhuis will make a decision tomorrow morning whether or not to continue talks with the Penguins. If he elects to test free agency, Pittsburgh will still be on his list. Free agents can sign with teams at 12 PM on Thursday.

The Latest

-No progress was made today with the Penguins and Sergei Gonchar. The team will continue to talk tomorrow to his representatives about a new contract. No word has come out yet about the Dan Hamhuis preliminary talks that were scheduled for today.
-Pittsburgh wants to get a deal done before July 1st with Bill Guerin. They want him back, but he will have to take a pay cut.
-Colby Armstrong and Tomas Kaberle continue to be mentioned as possible pickups for the Penguins. If Gonchar does not re-sign with Pittsburgh, Kaberle is a possibility. Armstrong wants to return to Pittsburgh, but it is unknown how much the Penguins will offer.

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PENS ACQUIRE RIGHTS TO DAN HAMHUIS

-The day has finally came. After targeting D Dan Hamhuis during the trade deadline, the Penguins made a late night splash after the first round of the draft by acquiring the rights to Hamhuis from the Philadelphia Flyers for a third round pick in 2011. From what I have heard, the Penguins are expected to sign the 27 year old. Shero would not do this unless he knew he could sign him, especially since he could not sign with the Flyers after they got his rights from Nashville earlier. Hamhuis is 6'1 weighing 205 pounds. He scored five goals and recorded 24 points in 78 games this past season with the Predators.

Gonchar's Fate Could Be Decided Today

-Today could be a huge day for Sergei Gonchar. Gonchar's agent is expected to meet with Ray Shero today in Los Angeles to discuss a contract. However, there have also been rumors that this meeting is to waive his no-trade clause for that possible trade to the San Jose Sharks, which was all over the internet yesterday. If not San Jose, many other teams will probably be interested in his negotiating rights. Whether that is true or not, how today goes could decide what the Penguins do with him.

Crosby Wins Messier Award

-Sidney Crosby was named today as the winner of the Mark Messier leadership award, which recognizes a superior leader in hockey and as a contributing member of society. Crosby also will share the Rocket Richard trophy with Steven Stamkos for the most goals. Jordan Staal came in third in voting for the Selke award, which went to Pavel Datsyuk.
-Alex Ovechkin was the NHLPA's MVP for the third season in a row.
-Henrik Sedin won the Hart trophy as the league's most valuable player. Crosby came in third in voting.
-Duncan Keith won the Norris trophy.
-Ryan Miller won the Vezina trophy.
-Tyler Meyers won the Calder trophy.

Blackhawks Shed Salary in Blockbuster Trade With Atlanta

-The Chicago Blackhawks accomplished their goal by shedding salary and getting a draft pick and a role player with a low cap hit. They traded postseason hero RW Dustin Byfuglien, D Brent Sopel, LW Ben Eager, and RW Akim Aliu to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for the 24th overall pick in Friday's draft, the 54h overall pick, C Marty Reasoner, RW Joey Crabb and RW Jeremy Morin. Chicago will save around $5 million in cap space when the deal is approved by the NHL. The Blackhawks needed to clear salary with new extensions from their star players kicking in this season. It is unknown whether they will still consider trading Kris Versteeg, a winger the Penguins have interest in.

Gonchar to Sharks?

-Earlier this morning, the Bleacher Report reported that the rights to Sergei Gonchar were traded to the San Jose Sharks. The article said the return was unknown. Do not believe this rumor until it has been confirmed by a legitimate source. This story is not even on the front page of the site, so it may not be true. If it was, it certainly would be one of the main stories as Gonchar is one of the best defensemen on the market. We will continue to follow this story, but as of now, it is not true.
-An update on the Blackhawks/Penguins trade talks: According to TIOPS, the two teams have had preliminary discussions. Pittsburgh is seeking Kris Versteeg while Chicago is eying Tyler Kennedy and Max Talbot. It is not known if it would take both players to get Versteeg, but Pittsburgh probably would not do that.