The Pittsburgh Penguins faced the Winnepeg Jets Saturday afternoon at Consol Energy Center. We were there, with our camera, check out the photos, including some #PensToons versions.

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In this blog i will make an attempt to discuss which upcoming FA's from the penguins roster should be re-signed, traded by the deadline, or walks away at free agency. The biggest name is of course James Neal and i will try to throw in a few players from the baby pens as well.

James Neal - We all expected Neal to improve his numbers from the slow start he had after he was traded to the pens, but few would expect him to be tied for 2nd in the league in goals scored. With 27 goals on the season, he only trails Stamkos (a former rocket richard winner) by 5 goals, and is currently tied with the blackhawks captain Toews. He currently leads the team and has one more goal than Malkin. He is a RFA next year and from the many blogs, comments, and rants about him, he could earn anywhere between 4-6 mil. So what do the pens do with him? I think anybody who is remotely familiar with the Pittsburgh Penguins knows that the team needs to resign him. "Like any other player we've wanted to sign, we'll find a way to sign him," Shero said of Neal. "And we'll find a way with James as well." There is little to no doubt that Neal will be wearing a Pens sweater next season, but for how much and how long remains undecided.

Steve Sullivan - Sullivan came into the season expecting to contribute on the power play and most likely with Malkin. At 1.5 mil, the cap hit isnt bad, but some did expect him to put up better numbers than what he has now, especially being on a line with Malkin. Of course the frustrating string of injuries to the team doesnt help, but Sullivan has (for the majority) been on a line with Malkin. He currently has 23 points, currently 5th best on the team, but he could be doing better given who he is playing with, and his +/- isnt the greatest at -7, but hey it could be worse (cough**michalek**cough). The good thing about this signing is that a player who is signed at only 1.5 mil and is on pace to eclipse 40 points in the season is always a good thing to have. The health of the team has thrown him into a little more demanding role, but with a healthy team he does add depth to the Pens. Give him another shot, re-sign him for another year and hopefully he gets a chance to play on a team with a healthy crosby, malkin, and staal.

Aaron Asham - Im going to keep his simple. If he remains injured and not 100% let him go, if he's healthy and picks up his game again then re-sign him, hes a good 4th line guy with decent hands and is not afraid to drop the mitts. Very loyal to his team and will throw the body around. His stats aren't the greatest this year, but the injuries to him and the team doesn't help anybody. He has much playoff experience and can't really beat his cap hit.

Richard Park - This year he has proven a spot on the Pens, but what about on a healthy team? With the emergence of Vitale and if Asham does resign he is not needed. This is a guy they can afford to let walk without missing much. Park has shown some great work ethic and speed, but he is not a necessity.

Joe Vitale - Well as i just said, with Vitale emerging, he has earned a spot on this team. Not the biggest guy, but he has gotten himself into a couple fights trying to prove his worth, and he has done a good job. He's not bad on the faceoffs and stepped up when the team needed someone. At 26, he's still fairly young and will continue to get better with more NHL experience. He deserves to be resigned to the team.

Matt Niskanen - There are too many scenarios with this guy. He is having a solid season and re signing him certainly wouldn't hurt one bit. I'd be all for re signing him if the names Despres, Morrow, and Harrington weren't a part of the Pens organization. The depth that this team has on D is great which makes Niskanen much easier to let go, but he is too valuable IMHO to just let walk away. I believe he is the most likely player to be traded by the deadline. Despres has shown to be just about ready to make his spot on the roster and Engelland has stepped up his game, almost mirroring the physicality of Orpik's. Niskanen will be a key component in a trade if the Shero decides to do so. His 1.5 mil cap hit also would be nice to be able to drop.

Brent Johnson - Sure he's not having the greatest year, but he has proven to be more valuable than his cap hit of 600k in the past. Last year he was able to keep the Pens winning when Fleury was a little off. With Fleury as your starting goaltender, Johnson is perfect. Let him settle down and let his game come back to him. Give him another year as the backup, and if he continues to struggle like this for the next year, then its time to replace him. As for a backup he has done the job quite well, and i don't think it's time quite yet to throw him out.

Keven Veilleux - He needs to be resigned not only for the Baby Pens, but i think he can still make a shot at the big team. He has solid skill and has a big body which can be helpful. I still think he can become the new Mike Rupp of the team if he can still impress.

Brian Strait - Another need for the baby pens. He has also proven to be a reliable call up when injuries nag the team. He definately needs to stay, in case we see the injuries plague the team again.

Robert Bortuzzo - Almost identical to Strait, he is a good call up when needed. Great for the baby pens and can be relied on as a 6th D-man if needed.

Eric Tangradi - Hmm... He was once a solid prospect at the time, and possibly still is, but the pens don't have much need for him. He isn't able to to prove a spot on the team because he doesn't get the minutes or linemates to prove it. He will be a good add on to any trade, which i think will happen to him. Tangradi deserves a chance to be prove himself, he just can't do much with a Penguins team that has a solid 3 lines.

There are a few others like Picard, Macintyre, and Williams, but i just flat out dont see them being resigned. This is what i feel could happen, but anything can really happen. There are some other Pens players i feel who can be traded, but didn't want to include them because they are not FA's. Hope you enjoyed it, and feel free to voice what you think will happen, or what the team should do.

Poll

What will become of Niskanen?

50%

Traded

80 votes

32%

Resigned

52 votes

16%

Walks at free agency

27 votes

159 votes | Poll has closed

Alexander Ovechkin was suspended 3 games yesterday for his illegal charge into Penguins defenseman Zbynek Michalek during Sunday's OT win again the Washington Capitals. I initially thought the number of games was low given that Ovechkin has been fined twice and suspended twice prior for his physical play.

It was good to see Brendan Shanahan give games at all to Ovechkin given the continuing lack of consistency in NHL supplemental discipline. The hit, the reaction, and why Ovechkin still hasn't learned anything all after the jump.

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Obviously, the Penguins have been devastated by injuries but Steve Sullivan, James Neal, Craig Adams, Matt Cooke, Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis have managed to play in every game. In total, only 7 players have played in 90% of the Penguins' games. I was wondering if this is average or not so I found out. (Through 1/22/2012)

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Kind of strange for it to happen so early in the year, but the Pens and Caps met for the 4th and final time this season. The Pens came in hoping to even up the season series and were also looking for their first regular season win in Pittsburgh since Caps coach Dale Hunter actually played in the NHL (well, not quite, but almost). The fans were treated to a pretty entertaining game that featured big performances from the star players. Check out our photos and video after the jump.

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Okay just hear me out before you push me off the ledge... First, I'm not saying that Crosby should do it because I don't think he'll be back again(although I am in the crowd that doubts he'll play again this season). But really the concussion and injuries and missed games has little to do with my main reason for even thinking about this. And trust me... it's just a thought, I'm not even sure if I think it would be a good idea.

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The Penguins looked to extend their winning streak to five games Friday night against an old nemesis. It didn't matter that they had already beaten the Canadiens twice this season, Montreal always seems to give Pittsburgh trouble. Check out our photos and video after the jump.

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I'd like to start by briefly noting that this post began as a comment on Justin's earlier post about the Pens' troubles, and should be viewed in that context. If you haven't read that post, go read it now, and come back when you're done; you'll be glad you did!

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My first year of grad school at Duquesne was the 1990-91 NHL season. Yep, I came to Pittsburgh to a Stanley Cup champ. Throughout the 1990s I watched Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, and Ron Francis be brilliant night after night. They were incredible to watch back then, as some of you might remember. Down 3-0, the Pens could turn on the offense and come back to win a game. Up 3-0, their defense could suddenly implode and they'd lose a game. You never knew what to expect, and their talent and skill were amazing.

I moved to California in 1998, and was thrilled to watch Mario return in 2000. And I watched the Penguins fall apart after that. I watched every game I could during the brutal early 2000's, when the Pens were hoping for offense from such stars as Ramzi Abid and Alexey Morozov.

So, I've been through the tough times with my adopted hometown team. Unfortunately, it's looking more like the early 2000's these days. I've been trying to remember why I kept watching the Penguins in those awful years - 2002, 2003, 2004. What I think kept me watching was that they still had spirit, still kept moving and working. And they were still my Pittsburgh Penguins, still my hometown team, even out here in Cali.

I think, if you're a Penguins fan because you're from the 'burgh, or because of Sid or Mario, that you need to keep the faith no matter what happens this season, or any season. If you lived through Dick Tarnstrom being the team's high scorer for the season, you know what I mean.

You are watching brilliant athletes at the peak of their profession, fighting to win games for your home team (however that relates to you). That's a privilege and a joy. Every Craig Adams shot block, every Matt Cooke sneer, every Brooks Orpik hit, every random Pascal Dupuis goal, even every Evgeni Malkin offsides play, is something to savor, win or lose.

Go Pens.

The Pens visited Verizon Center for the second and final time this regular season Wednesday night looking to snap a 5-game losing streak. The Caps were hoping to get things back on track after dropping a couple of games out west. The Pens gave an effort they can probably be happy with but once again it was not enough as Washington capitalized on a late first period defensive gaffe that allowed Jason Chimera to score the lone goal of the game. Tomas Vokoun's 30 saves would secure the win.

Check out our photos and video after the jump.

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