Talks Begin With Agent For Pascal Dupuis, Mike Rupp

Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Ray Shero has begun talks with Alan Walsh, the agent for current free agent forwards Pascal Dupuis and Mike Rupp. According to sources, Mike Rupp is a near lock to rejoin the team. He is considered by many the most likely free agent to sign back with the Penguins. Pascal Dupuis, on the other hand, has a future which could be decided by what exactly becomes of the Tyler Kennedy situation. It is very likely that we see an either/or situation with Dupuis and Kennedy as far as re-signing. The players could be in for similar paydays ($1.7-$2 million/year), which would make retaining both players essentially impossible. However, in an interesting development, the NHL salary cap could increase dramatically for next season, from the current $59.5 million to $63.5 million, a $2 million increase over what it was expected to settle at for 2012. If this is the case, we may not see an either/or deal with Dupuis and Kennedy. We may see them both return as Pengu...