Was Jordan Staal Given the Alternate Captaincy to Increase His Trade Value?

I hate to be this guy. I really do. But I didn't start a sports blog so I could keep my thoughts and opinions to myself.

I love Jordan Staal. At 20 years old, we couldn't ask for much more out of the kid. He scored about 75 goals as a rook, and hasn't matched that offensive total in the one-plus years since. But what he brings as a versatile two-way player and penalty kill specialist...that's unrivaled for a player so young. The dude has crazy potential, and from time to time skates like a man possessed.

Which is why his recent strong play earned him the Alternate Captaincy, along with linemate Matt Cooke, for the month of December. Therrien is switching it up all season, but Staal truly earned the A on his jersey.

So now to the depressing, rumor-filled part of this post.

My buddy Tony at The Confluence wrote that the Penguins have yet to find a legit scoring winger for Sid. Ray Shero has done a remarkable job assembling a ridiculous core of centers to go with a sturdy blue line and a franchise goalie who always seems to be backed up by a proven vet. The one thing lacking is the wing.

In that post, there are a good number of comments with readers speculating on what will happen, given that the team has a decent amount of trade bait and hardly any cap space to work with. It seems like the only options are to hope a young guy like Luca Caputi matures quicker than hoped, or to package a few guys for the chance at a mid-to-higher tier scoring winger.

Earlier in the season, the "Trade Staal!" chorus could be heard everywhere. He couldn't score and was looking lost. Those chants have quieted with his recent output, and should be silenced forever with Therrien bestowing the A to Staal's jersey. But is it all part of a plan?

Right now, Staal's market value is the highest it's ever been. He's finding the back of the net and is really putting together some solid shifts. However, if you were an opposing GM, which player would you look at? The young kid who sometimes plays to potential and other times still seems not ready for the bright lights? Or the former #2 overall pick, in his third season at just age 20 who dons an A on his jersey? Which guy is gonna bring the Penguins the most in return?

Staal is a Second Line-caliber center who plays on a checking Third Line due solely to the talent above him in Sid and Geno. I'm all for home-grown talent, and kinda can't wait to see if guys like Caputi (or even Janne Pesonen), could be that star on Sid's line. But due to the situation that Staal is in, it could be in the best interest of the team to package Staal and a defenseman or prospect to a talent-starved team in hopes of a young, scoring winger.

Which is why that A on Staal's chest might mean more than originally thought.

Kris Letang Will Be An All Star This Season. Write That Down

I find it fun to make random predictions about the teams I love so much, so let's go after the Penguins, especially with what's been going on with our defense in the offseason.

First off, how good does Ray Shero look for holding on to Darryl Sydor? When free agency began, there was much talk of packaging Sydor in a deal to get a scoring winger. Now, with Ryan Whitney shelved until December or January and Sergei out indefinitely, the retaining of Sydor alleviates some major problems. Our blue line depth would've been much more questionable had Sydor left.

But let's talk predictions. I've always been a massive Kris Letang fan, and with current injuries, Letang has a chance to shine instead of just being a role player. With our top two offensive-minded defensemen out, Letang is thrust into the spotlight, and we're in need of healthy point production from Kris. So my prediction is...All Star.

In the past, we were lucky to watch Paul Coffey come flying up from his defensive position to bury a ton of Mario passes and rebounds. Letang has that same gift, and he'll have a lot of time to work with Sid. Plus, he'll most likely be paired with defensive-minded defenseman (and pride of Wilmington, DE) Mark Eaton. This should allow him to put more shots on net while not worrying about giving up defensive position. Eaton's got his back (or Orpik, another bruising, defensive-minded guy).

I'm too lazy to look right now, but Sergei had something like 99 points in the past two seasons. Is it absurd to think Letang could top 50 this year? Of course, he'll need a strong start to the season, before Whit and Gonch come back and take their spots on the top line. Coming out strong early would give Ray Shero the same happy problem as he has with the forwards, so many scoring threats that there aren't #1 and #2 lines, just two #1s. Point production could be through the roof if Letang could hold his own until his injured teammates return.

Couple this thought with the fact that we own 2 of the top 10 hitters in the conference (Cooke on offense, Orpik on defense), and those hits could create some loose puck opportunities and scoring chances for Letang.

So yeah, ridicule me all you want, but I'm expecting big things from this team going into the season. What originally seemed like a crushing blow to our blue line now seems to be a prime opportunity for Letang to have an All Star season.

You read that here first.

One Video Explains Cooke and Godard's Roles For The Penguins

Earlier today, I linked to G5H's Matt Cooke man-love, including the new Cooke-y Monster Facebook page. The signing came over the weekend, when most bloggers take time off and, you know, do things not involving a computer. I didn't update on this deal, which Faceoff Factor lists at 2 years, $2.4 mil.

Today, I decided to put my sportsblogger research skillz (Google news-trolling, Youtube-watching, blog browsing, pizza-rolls-eating skillz) to work, and actually found the above video, in which newest Pen Cooke gets into a scrape with prior Pittsburgh free agent signee Eric Godard.

Knowing the roles both players are taking over (Godard - enforcer, Cooke - pest), this is the equivalent of watching a Laraque/Ruutu fight before both came to Pittsburgh. Now, this was more of an excited exchange rather than a blow-for-blow fight, but its still unique to see our two new acquisitions having some words. Wonder if that will cause some tension in the locker room?

At least we know that Godard is ready to fight, even after dishing out a late hit. And Cooke might not fight like Godard does, but he's clearly good at provoking the opposition.

And here's an interview where Cooke-y confirms his role as a pest. Looks like we have a new Jarkko.