Wednesday, October 01, 2003

By Dave Molinari, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The Penguins have decided they'd like to have rookie goalie Marc-Andre Fleury on their team this season.

They'll find out in the next six days whether they can afford to do it.

Owner Mario Lemieux confirmed yesterday the Penguins plan to try to sign Fleury, the first player chosen in the June entry draft, to a contract.

"Absolutely," Lemieux said. "He's played great throughout camp when he was in net. He works hard, has a great attitude. I'm sure Craig [Patrick, the team's general manager] is going to be talking to his agent soon."

Allan Walsh, one of Fleury's agents, said last night he had not been contacted by Patrick and speculated that if a deal is struck, "it will probably happen at the last minute."

If Fleury is not signed by 3 p.m. Monday, the Penguins would only be allowed to summon him from his junior team, Cape Breton of the Quebec League, on emergency recall. Walsh, chuckling, said he wouldn't be surprised if "we're all standing around the fax machine at 2:58 p.m."

The contract that goalie Rick DiPietro, the No. 1 player drafted in 2000, signed with the New York Islanders might well serve as a template for any deal with Fleury. That means the package, with bonuses, could be worth $4 million or $5 million a season.

The Penguins might decide that clearing space for Fleury on their roster is a lot easier than finding room for him on their payroll.

"Everybody understands it's a business, and we have a budget to respect," Lemieux said. "But we'll try to make it work within our resources. If not, then we'll have to wait."

Below expectations

Although a few of the nine players the Penguins demoted to their minor-league team in Wilkes-Barre yesterday had no reason to second-guess their efforts at training camp -- forwards Tom Kostopoulos and Colby Armstrong are the most obvious examples -- several others did not perform to expectations.

Right winger Eric Meloche, an effective two-way player in the closing weeks of last season, had a low profile for much of September, perhaps in part because of a finger injury, and center Kris Beech again failed to live up to the promise that goes with being the seventh player chosen in the 1999 NHL entry draft.

Lemieux, who doubles as the team's No. 1 center, did not criticize any players by name, but his frustration with some of those demoted was obvious.

"It's a little bit disappointing, some of the guys who have been here for a couple of years, that they're still going back into the minors, with the talent they have," Lemieux said. "But they're still young, there's still time and I'm sure they'll be here someday."

McKenna moving

Steve McKenna, who got extensive work on defense in the preseason, was shifted back to left wing during yesterday's workout and apparently will remain there for the foreseeable future.

"I think our plan is just to keep him up front," said coach Eddie Olczyk, who added that McKenna "performed really well" on defense and might be used there occasionally.

Tip-ins

The final decision on yesterday's cuts was made at a morning meeting between members of the coaching staff and front office. It was determined then not only how many players would be demoted, but that it would be done before the 10:30 a.m. practice. "We felt we wanted to get down to one [on]-ice session, and get down to workable line combinations," Olczyk said. ... The Penguins will have an open practice at 11 a.m. Sunday in conjunction with their annual "Select Your Seat" event at Mellon Arena. Team ticketing representatives will be present to discuss seating options from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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