from Michael Arace of he Columbus Dispatch,
Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review connected the dots and came up with some quality speculation. The Penguins are looking for backline help. Defenseman Simon Despres, 21, a former first-round pick, is said to be available in trade and might be enough bait to get Jack Johnson.
Johnson might pair nicely with Kris Letang — and also serve as an insurance policy in case Letang is traded before his contract expires next year.
The cherry on top is that Johnson and Sidney Crosby are pals. Rossi merely pieced together how this puzzle might fit. The thing is, this was one of the first juicy rumors to hit the web this year. The trade deadline is April 3, but for hockey fans, spring arrived as soon as the Jackets brain trust was spotted in Pittsburgh.
Kekalainen was asked about the rumor last night before the Jackets defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in a shootout at Nationwide Arena. He was clear that he is not keen on commenting about trade rumors. He also was clear that this particular rumor was baseless.
“It’s silly,” he said. “I went to watch a game. Ray Shero (the Penguins’ general manager) is a friend of mine.”
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