2010 Offseason Thread

Talks have turned into negotiations between the Penguins and representatives for top defenseman Sergei Gonchar.

General manager Ray Shero and agent JP Barry discussed contract terms and numbers Saturday, and negotiations are expected to resume Monday.

Specifics of the negotiations are not known. The respective policies of Shero and Barry are not to divulge details of contract negotiations, and each declined comment.

Gonchar, 36, has scored 53 goals and recorded 259 points in 322 regular-season games since signing a five-year contract worth $25 million with the Penguins in July 2005. He was the club's No. 1 defenseman and power-play quarterback.

He is seeking a multi-year deal, and despite publicly stating his desire to remain with the Penguins, Gonchar has not expressed a willingness to take a significant salary reduction - if any at all.

Reaching a resolution with Gonchar is the club's top offseason priority. He is one of eight players eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1. Gonchar is likely to be among the most attractive defensemen among a free-agent class considered strongest on the blue line.

The Penguins, committed to spending to the salary cap again next season, have not established a deadline to potentially sign Gonchar. The option of trading him to another club before July 1 is complicated by his no-trade clause.

Movement on possible new deals for left wing Matt Cooke, veteran right wing Bill Guerin and defenseman Mark Eaton is unlikely until the Penguins determine Gonchar's status.

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"C" is for contract, and the Cookie Monster is staying in Pittsburgh.

Left wing Matt Cooke has reached a verbal agreement on a three-year contract with the Penguins. Term was agreed upon Monday night and the contract has been sent to NHL central registry to be made official.

Cooke, who earned $1.2 million each of the last two seasons, will count $1.8 million against the salary cap each of the years on his new contract.

At 31 he is the rare plus-30 players to re-sign with the Penguins on a multi-year deal since Shero was named to his post in May 2006.

Cooke was one of eight Penguins eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Finding a resolution with him and defenseman Sergei Gonchar, 36, were the top offseason priorities of Penguins general manager Ray Shero.

Cooke originally signed with the Penguins in July 2008. In two seasons he scored 28 goals and recorded 61 points, and he became a staple on "The Nightmare Line" with center Jordan Staal and right wing Tyler Kennedy.

Controversial for his penchant to push the envelope with his gritty and abrasive style, Cooke turned in arguably his most impactful season last year with 15 goals, 30 points and a plus-17 rating. He added four playoff goals — three more than he produced on the Penguins' run to the Stanley Cup in 2009.

His role on the Penguins changed with the hiring of coach Dan Bylsma in February 2009. Bylsma inserted Cooke onto the penalty kill, and that added responsibility sparked a level of consistency to his performance.

He has scored 20 goals and recorded 46 points to go with a plus-22 rating in 104 regular-season games he played under Bylsma.

Cooke gained notoriety March 7 with his open-ice hit on Boston Bruins center Marc Savard. Not penalized because the hit was legal, Cooke and the hit were criticized because of the result. Savard was carried from the Mellon Arena ice on a stretcher. He did not play until the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs because ofb a concussion.

Cooke was not suspended for the hit, but league general managers drafted a new rule aimed at removing head shots from the game later in the month.

Cooke had stated his preference was to remain with the Penguins, with whom he had become a trusted dressing-room voice.

Unclear is how his re-singing will impact negotiations between Shero and Gonchar's agent, JP Barry. The Gonchar camp was awaiting word from Shero on a submitted proposal, and Barry said Monday he hoped to speak with Shero midweek or at the NHL draft this weekend in Los Angeles.

Gonchar is seeking a multi-year contract and has not publicly expressed an eagerness to take less than market value to remain with the Penguins, who expect to be tight against the salary cap entering next season.

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