The Pittsburgh Penguins have fired general manager Ray Shero after losing to the Rangers in the NHL playoffs and while it's very unlikely, the team could look at trades involving Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin or Marc-Andre Fleury heading into the offseason, as the team has underperformed for a number of years since winning the Stanley Cup.
Crosby is the best player in the league and that move is very unlikely, although teams would jump at it, while Malkin is considered to be one of the best scorers in the NHL and probably could net a huge package. The team is not likely to blow things up that much, but with Shero out and coach Dan Bylsma still being evaluated, all moves are on the table. The team has now been eliminated once again by a lower seed and this comes after they were considered a Cup favorite in the east.
The Penguins were the second seed in the conference and now they have a number of big questions heading into the future and the team could look very different next season. The Rangers played better than the Penguins down the stretch and forced them into yet another Game 7 loss at home.
Crosby was shut down for most of the playoffs and while that doesn't mean he should be traded, the team needs to evaluate everything and they have been a favorite for a number of years since winning the Cup and have not been able to come through. Malkin had a hat trick during the playoffs and Crosby scored just one goal and while Fleury has been good for the team over the years, he has underperformed at times and that means he could be on the move as well.
Here is more on the Penguins moves from Reuters.com:
The Pittsburgh Penguins fired general manager Ray Shero on Friday, saying they wanted to overhaul the team's operations after being knocked out of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Shero was relieved of his duties three days after Pittsburgh were beaten by the New York Rangers in the second round of the playoffs after blowing a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven series. "The decision is to have a new GM come in and do the complete evaluation, to evaluate the complete hockey operations department including the coaching staff," Penguins President David Morehouse told a news conference. Shero took over as the team's general manager in 2006. Under his guidance, the Penguins made the playoffs in each of his eight seasons in charge, reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2008 and winning the championship in 2009.
But the Penguins have failed to make the Stanley Cup final since, despite boasting a powerful roster of players, losing to lower-ranked opponents in each of the last five postseasons.
"It's not just about this season, we've had five consecutive years of under achievement in the playoffs," Morehouse said.
Penguins assistant general manager Jason Botterill will serve as interim general manager and will be a candidate for the full-time position, according to Morehouse.
The new general manager will also decide the fate of current Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma and his staff.
(Reuters)
