Faceoffs and First Downs: Geno isn't going anywhere.

Geno wants to stay in Pittsburgh. He says he's thinking a 5 or 6 year contract extension in which he says does not need to be higher than Crosby's $8.7 million a year average, let alone Ovechkin like money. Malkin can't sign a contract before July 1st, but expects to "soon" after that date. You can read about it here and here. Malkin was also selected as a first team all star, the same spot Crosby claimed last year.

So can we finally quit talking about the Pens trading Malkin? Or him demanding Ovechkin like money? It's nice to hear Geno say that. A bit of mystery seemed to follow him considering his media relations are scarce. Nice to hear from you Geno.

The Penguins have decided to file for arbitration with Marc-Andre Fleury which means they will have more time to negotiate a deal with him before other teams can make offers. Arbitration hearings are held between July 20th and August 4th, but the Pens can continue to negotiate with Fleury before that time and no hearing will be held if a deal is reached before then. Ray Shero said they did this to give them more time to negotiate with Fleury and to assure he will be under contract with the Pens next season. You can read about this here and here. Teams can only take a player to arbitration once in his career. (Update: PG's update on the Fleury arbitration)

Now for some disappointing news. Ryan Malone appears headed for another team, the Columbus Blue Jackets seeming to be the most interested. We'd miss Malone's personality and grit. Someone who's willing to continually stand in front of the net after breaking their nose twice in the playoffs is pretty special. We wish there was a way for them to keep him, but it seems the Pens can't afford him, especially since their top priority now seems to be Marian Hossa. If the rumors here are true, it looks pretty grim for Malone staying in Pittsburgh. If he leaves, we'll sure miss the hometown boy.

As for Hossa being their top priority we can't argue too much. He's a great player and a great winger for Sidney Crosby that would be a huge loss, and Sidney has said that. Sidney needs a good winger to set up with his phenomenal play making skills. It's just hard when we're talking about them having to choose some over others. Especially a great person like Malone. It'd be a shame to lose Brooks Orpik too. We'd miss free candy. The Trib's article here covers Hossa being their top priority, what kind of deal is expected and by when, as well as speculation on Malone, Orpik, and Staal. Worth a read for sure.

Seth over at Empty Netters has some coverage on the NHL awards last night and their mistakes. Check it out here.

Random YouTube of the day: Ryan Malone interviewing Geno, Jeff Taffe, and Ryan Whitney. We love this video and will miss more of things like this if Malone leaves Pittsburgh. Geno's English strikes again and we love it. Amazing accent. Just amazing.