It is well known that a handful of former Penguins now play for the Tampa Bay Lightning. One of the most popular being Ryan Malone. A player born and raised in Pittsburgh and who came to be a fan favorite. I knew Malone would be leaving once I heard that he was the last one in his stall with his uniform still on and crying after the loss in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. He knew his time in Pittsburgh was over and therefore, so did I. Now, he says that he would have taken less money to stay here and that he was sure a deal could have been done a long time ago. Yes, Shero was holding out on a few players to see what would be best for the team and Malone may have been brushed to the side a little bit. However, I do not blame either side for the split. Malone apparently had offers he could have accepted, whatever the reason behind it, he did not. Shero was holding out hope for Marian Hossa to sign here and was wondering how much money it would take to do so. Then, the business side of hockey came in, a deal could not be reached between Malone and the Pens and Malone's rights were traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, along with Gary Robert's, another fan favorite. It would be easy to pin the blame on Shero or Malone for this matter, but there is no point in doing so. These things happen and I wish Malone the best of luck with his career and I will always be a fan of his. He had his best season last season on a line with Evgeni Malkin, and I am sure he is gracious for that opportunity and his time here in Pittsburgh.
However, I do hope that the Pens have an exciting pre-season game tonight and I hope the outcome goes in our favor. Tonight's game will not be filled with the Pens best players, that is to be expected in pre-season games though. This is a game where many players looking to make the final roster will have to give their best skill to make the decision hard. Whoever does not make the team, it is their own fault.
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