Pens Points: Lost Swagger

Here are your Pens Points for this Thursday morning...

The offseason is only hours old for the Pittsburgh hockey club, but many discussions (and questions) have already been raised regarding the futures of franchise stalwarts—Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. Both players are currently headed towards unrestricted free agency. Analyzing Malkin, specifically, what does a fair contract look like for the soon-to-be 36-year-old Russian? [PensBurgh]

Pittsburgh Penguins forward, Kasperi Kapanen, certainly had a rollercoaster season, to put it mildly. After Kapanen admitted to losing his “swagger” during locker clean-out day, he, and the rest of the Penguins fandom, is set to wonder if the team will bring him back next season. [Trib Live]

Bryan Rust is another notable name that is looking for a new contract this summer. But will he receive that contract with the only professional team he’s ever known? [Post-Gazette]

Rust knows that this may be his only chance to cash in on a big payday, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to earn that paycheck in Pittsburgh. [Penguins]

And while he still has one more year left on his current deal, Penguins goaltender, Tristan Jarry, is setting himself up for a bigger payday as well. [Post-Gazette]

News and notes from around the NHL...

Here are five players that need to make an impact for their team heading into round two of the Stanley Cup playoffs. [The Hockey News]

The New York Rangers once drank and drank and drank to clinch a playoff berth. [The Hockey News]

The Lady Byng Trophy finalists have been announced. [NHL]