NHL Rumors: Top-Heavy Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins Core, and Zach Hyman

Can you win with top heavy teams?

TSN: Pierre LeBrun on teams that are top-heavy in terms of salary.

“There are a lot of executives that I’ve talked to, that continue to point at that and saying, ‘you can’t be top-heavy on your cap and win.’ Is essentially the real message here, and I don’t know if that is true. Obviously, the numbers bear it out, but it just means you have to be really good elsewhere in your lineup.

But you look at the Blues, Bruins final in 2019, the highest paid player was $7.5 million.  Tampa wins the Cup last year, highest paid player I think is Kucherov at $9.5. No one in double digits. They have a pretty deep lineup.”

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Penguins core will be back

Sportsnet: Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ron Hextall when asked about their core players in  Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang coming back next season, and potentially contract extensions for Malkin and Letang.

“Those are discussions certainly that are ongoing right now within our staff. Not necessarily eager to discuss them right now but we see a future with this core. These guys have been here a long time, and again, we had a good year. Certainly didn’t give me pause to think about what we should do with this core.

I think we were fifth in the league. Most of our goals against, goals for, all those types of numbers were all good, so it wasn’t a fluke. So I expect to have these back next year for sure.”

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Hyman on his future with the Leafs

Sportsnet: Zach Hyman, a pending UFA, on his future with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“The past month, year, all I’ve been thinking about is this year and I really haven’t looked to far ahead, and I don’t think anybody foresaw our season ending so abruptly, and especially in the nature it did.

So honestly I haven’t really had time about it, I’ve just been digesting what’s happened over the last two weeks. It’s obviously heartbreaking. So honestly Mark I haven’t even thought past this week.

I haven’t spoken to Kyle yet either. I haven’t spoken to anybody.”

** NHLRumors.com transcription