If Kennedy has his eye on the top half of that list, he's gone. But if he's okay with less than $2 million, something can get worked out I'm sure.

I just don't see him back on the team this year. He knows that this might be his one shot at getting the $2.5-3 mil deal for 4-5 years that somebody is going to offer him. Can't blame the guy for taking that.

Looking at those numbers, its easy to see why Shero does not want Kennedy to go to arbitration. I could see him being awarded 2M+, and then Shero would almost have to walk away leaving nothing. The bottom line is, Kennedy has never put up those kind of numbers before last year. He doesn't kill penalties and would not be on the top power play unit. I can understand why TK wants to cash in, but it won't be here.

Based on post-trade-deadline production, maybe the Pens can switch the names on the Neal and Kennedy contracts. Wonder if Neal would have a problem with that.

Well, in this particular situation it isn't so much about what Tyler Kennedy thinks he's worth because he won't be playing the same role for this team next season that he did to end this one. Sidney crosby and Evgeni Malkin will both be back next year. James Neal and Chris Kunitz are locks to have roles as top-6 wingers. Jordan Staal will likely have some role on the top two lines given the emergence of Mark Letestu and Dustin Jeffrey as potential third line centers. And if the chatter about Jaromir Jagr ends up becoming a reality, suddenly there isn't any room for Tyler Kennedy on the top two lines. And, I just don't see the Penguins paying north of $2 million for a third line winger who won't play on the power play and doesn't kill penalties. Not hating, just saying.

Well, what Kennedy thinks he's worth is important if he thinks he's worth 2.2M and you are trying to get him to sign a contract worth 1.5M.

@Disgruntled Goat,

I agree. My point was that if the Penguins don't think he's going to be a top 6 guy, then it's irrelevant what Tyler Kennedy thinks he's worth. And the early signs are that he likely won't be a top 6 guy here next season. Combine that with the fact that he gets virtually no special teams play, and it's hard to see the Pens opening up the check book for him.

The Penguins will not overspend for Kennedy and I doubt that Kennedy will be giving a home town discount. I can't believe that anyone will sign him to an offer sheet, that just doesn't happen very often. That leaves Kennedy with arbitration as his only remaining avenue. If he goes down that road, he's gone. The fact of the matter is that if Kennedy thinks that he is a top six guy and worth more than Shero is willing to spend, he'll be traded and you won't get much for him.
.
Here's the problem with that:
.
Centers
Crosby
Malkin
Staal
Jeffrey
Letestu
Adams
.
Left Wings
Kunitz
Neal
Cooke
Tangradi
.
Right Wings
Nick Johnson

You have to believe there are GMs out there who will see TK's 45-point season and be willing to throw $2M+ (and possibly 3+ years, which won't happen in Pittsburgh either) at him. We've seen similar situations unfold before, so it comes down to whether Kennedy decides to cash in while he can or is content to return to a third line role in Pittsburgh and stay where teammates and fans love him. He may never hit 20 goals again (though I wouldn't be surprised if he did), so if someone floats $2.5M / 4 yrs at him on July 1, that's hard to turn down.

And no way Shero can or will match a contract like that. If we keep TK, it's because he values being in a good place with a good team over the money.

Call Doug Wilson.

Explain to him how TK's grit and Cup winning experience can help his Sharks got over the hump in the Western Conference.

Sweeten the pot with a 2nd round pick.

And steal Devin Setoguchi away to play on our top two lines and top PP unit with his right handed shot.

Goat is right.

We have to find RW depth.

But, we might have more here than we think...

Matt Cooke played RW for many years in Vancouver...don't know what he played in Washington...before becoming a LW here.

I think Eric Tangradi played some RW in junior hockey where he finished 2nd in OHL scoring behind Tavares his final season. Perhaps he can make the switch as well.

Geno was going to play on the right side if Staal was the #2 center as well. I'd like at least one guy who isn't learning a new position though.

Its true. I'm right.

I absolutely loathe the idea of taking one of, if not, the best centers in the world and making him our second line RW.

If he's going to play RW, which I still hate...at least put him on Sid's line.

GenoSid, while that's a potentially valid option, aren't you thinning your LW pool significantly by switching either or both of Cooke and Tangradi to RW? As it stands, we have two potentially solid Top-6 LWs, although Neal struggled this spring and I'm still not sold on Kunitz's production (yea, I see what he does as beneficial to freeing up Crosby, but still, I'd like to think that a first line guy skating with the best player in the world could do better than 25 goals per season - his pace per 82 games in a Penguins sweater). And Tangradi has Top-6 potential, but who's to say he's ready to make the jump this year, and even if he does, I'd not be wanting to expect too much in his first full season. And I definitely don't consider Cooke a Top-6 winger (nor Dupuis, btw - both are fine as short-term plug-ins but not long-term.)

All that to say, if the Pens lose a guy like TK, they are that much thinner in talent at wing, and will need to try that much harder to find some talent at a reasonable price.

Given the uncertainty with Crosby's health, and, to a slightly lesser extent, Malkin's. Add in the fact that Kunitz has missed chunks of seasons and is inconsistent, Neal looks to be real solid in every facet of the game except putting the puck in the net, and all other potential RWs in the organization are either untested at the NHL level or are proven 10-15 goal scorers, how can you not find the dough to sign TK (young and fairly durable) to something in the middle of that pack. He has the Pens over the proverbial barrel and would be doing them a favor to sign in the less than $2.5M range for two years. FWIW, my prediction is that he remains a (much wealthier Pen).