Before I leave for Vegas, I want to put in my two cents about yesterday’s trading deadline and what the Penguins were able to do. As far as I’m concerned it was a banner day for the Pens and Craig Patrick. I understand they are rebuilding, I already knew that, I didn’t need these trades to tell me that as some are suggesting.

Getting rid of Wayne Primeau (a wonderful puck dumper who hits the net only when he skates into it), Ian Moran (vocally talented, maybe the best singer in the NHL, who has a canny ability of being able to ice the puck from anywhere at anytime), Shean Donovan (as fast as Speedy Gonzalez on skates but knows even less than Speedy about how to play hockey), Mark Bergevin (solid defenseman who shows every sign of being 67 years old) and Jan Hrdina (a dimly talented player who has a proven ability to do nothing while waiting for something to happen to him) is a classic case of addition by subtraction. Losing these players is akin to a person losing a hair off their head. Put it simply, these guys contributed close to nothing and took ice time away from players who need ice time to develop their games. Players like Kris Beech, Michael Sivek, Milan Kraft, Brooks Orpik and others should now have a chance to develop their games with substantial ice time at the highest level. The benefits of which will become apparent after a short time – or at the least, we will quickly find out if these players will sink or swim. Throw in Ramzi Abid, a potential 30 goal scorer who came over in the trade for Hrdina, and the stable of young horses looks full. Also, they will add a top 5 draft pick from a strong draft to their lineup next year. That lineup will get much younger next year, maybe a bit quicker and at least should easily refill the thimble of talent that was traded away yesterday.

Of course, all of this is peanuts compared to the big question of whether 66 will return. These youngsters alone will struggle without Lemieux. But pair them alongside 66 and all of a sudden the roster, including Straka and the returning from injury Morozov and Melichar, looks promising and poised to play an aggressive style of play that the Pens have been unable to do this year. For the sole reason that there will be so many young players in the lineup next year, expect Lemieux to return and do as much as he can to teach and mentor these players. Even if they don’t become a playoff team, the challenge of imparting his knowledge and leadership on formative young players in an environment where that is encouraged is something Lemieux has never faced, yet is something I think he will embrace and look forward to with enthusiasm. I fully expect to see 66 skating on the ice again next year. With Abid and Morozov as his wingers.