Penguins could get a draft pick for Shero and Bylsma if they get jobs

The Pittsburgh Penguins could recoup some badly needed draft picks if another team decided to sign Dan Bylsma or Ray Shero this summer. We saw this over at BSH from Pierre Lebrun at ESPN:

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, who authored the memo on this, told ESPN.com Monday that for coaches, general managers or presidents of hockey operations who are fired but remain under contract, their teams are privy to draft pick compensation if they choose to pursue it.

But the team can also waive the draft pick compensation if it wants, Daly said.

The initial draft pick compensation, per an earlier Lebrun report is a 3rd round pick for any "president of hockey operations, general manager, head coach".

This could be very beneficial for the Pens (check out their draft pick situation here) who do not have a 1st, 3rd or 4th round picks this year, thanks to all the wheeling and dealing to bring in players like David Perron, Marcel Goc and Daniel Winnik.

Ray Shero and Dan Bylsma figure to be among the top contenders for the many job openings that will pop up, and it will be interesting to see how the Penguins handle this. Both Shero and Bylsma are under contract through 2015-16, so if either accepts a NHL job, Pittsburgh has the option to get compensated with 3rd round picks.

But, let's also remember that Mario Lemieux said last May "No! No chance," when asked if the Penguins would keep Bylsma from a job. And if someone else pays Bylsma/Shero, it means the Penguins wouldn't, so there's big financial reason not to hold them up over a 3rd round pick.

That said, it could be interesting if the Pens leverage this depending on who is asking. Maybe if a team like, say Philadelphia wanted Bylsma or Boston wanted Shero, Pittsburgh decides to charge them the 3rd round pick out of spite (and, in hopes maybe it scares them off, or at least costs them something to go through with it). But if it's a more benign Western team that wants either one, the Pens decide not to demand the compensation pick and let them go along their way for free.

Something interesting to keep an eye on with all the job openings around the league. If Shero and Bylsma aren't strong contenders, their prior contracts with Pittsburgh could be a factor in why. Perhaps though the Penguins could actually get something to show for firing these guys.