PAUL MARTIN

put Paul Martin all alone up there!!!!

MARTIN SUCKS!!!!!

Personally, I’d love to see the Pens add someone like Chris Stewart who combines size and toughness with a scoring touch. I think they’ve defanged a little too much over the last couple of seasons—especially with the recent loss of Arron Asham. While Tanner Glass is an upgrade over Asham (younger, bigger, faster and just as aggressive) from a hockey standpoint, he doesn’t possess Ash’s kayo punch.

At 6’1” and 228 pounds Stewart’s one of the last of a dying breed … a good, old fashioned, score-and-drop-the-mitts power forward. He’s young (he turns 25 in October). And he had consecutive 28-goal seasons before dipping to 15 in 2011-12.

Still, you’ve got to wonder why two teams (Colorado and now St. Louis) have given up on him. The rumor a couple of years ago was that he liked to party too much. You never know if that stuff is true or not, but it might explain why the Blues are trying to move him.

The lack of interest in Alexander Semin is telling, isn’t it? There’s no questioning his talent … he’s probably one of the most skilled guys in the league. But his numbers plummeted the last couple of seasons (from a career-best 40 goals in 2009-10 to 21 last year). Deserving or not, he has a rep for being a quintessential self-centered Russian (see Alexander Radulov). The Pens are probably afraid he’d have Malkin drinking a fifth of vodka a day by November …

Speaking of possibilities, a guy I’ve always liked is Pittsburgh native R.J. Umberger. While he’s not overly fast or physical, he’s got size (6’2”, 216), always seems to be around the puck, and possesses a decent scoring touch (four straight 20-goal seasons). There’s no indication Columbus is trying to move him, but I’ve always been impressed with his work ethic and hustle.

As always, love reading your take on all things Penguins. Unfortunately, 28 other GM’s didn’t land Suter and Parisie either. I think both of these guys had made up their minds to go to Minnesota before free agency had even started so it didn’t really matter what the Penguins’ offer was going to be. From what I’m hearing the Penguins had zero interest in bringing back Sullivan so his agents rumblings that he got tired of waiting for the Penguins to make an offer was just posturing.

Penguins really have no shot at landing Nash as Scott Howson was asking for guys like Logan Couture from San Jose and Jeff Skinner from Carolina, and we simply have no one in our system right now that fits that bill. Same pretty much goes for Bobby Ryan as Anaheim are thought to be looking at NHL ready forwards as compensation.

I’m shocked that not one team including the Penguins has made an offer for Alex Semin. The guy is an out an out sniper and has the third highest +/- rating in the NHL over the last three years. Yes, he has a bad habit of disappearing in the playoffs, but you’d have to think there would be teams happy to have him help them get there.

I’m also hearing rumblings that the Penguins are talking to St. Louis about Chris Stewart. His trade to the Blues hasn’t really worked out, and I think they would be happy to part company with him. I think he would line up well with Crosby giving him a winger that’s tough and can park himself in front of the net.

Shoring up the defense is going to be a little more difficult as you are so right when you say it’s a seller’s market. Maybe this will be the opportunity one of the young guys needs to step up and show he’s NHL ready.