From this morning’s Cross Checks Blog on ESPN.com:
-Don’t expect a final decision from UFA blue-liner Rob Scuderi until Friday. Sources say Scuderi got a real nice offer from the Kings on Tuesday night but the veteran player wanted to see what was out there on the market with the 48-hour window for talking to other teams opening Wednesday. He has done that, hearing from several East Coast teams. Basically, if Scuderi does leave the Kings, he’s going to the East. It would not surprise me if Pittsburgh was among the several teams that called about Scuderi. The Pens know him well from his previous playing days in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh isn’t the only team interested in Scuderi; Toronto, Tampa Bay, and a collection of other Eastern-based teams are also likely to pursue the defenseman who becomes an unrestricted free agent at 9:00 am on Friday. The interest in the two-time Stanley Cup winner appears to be high enough that it could push his desired annual salary beyond what the Kings have offered (and could potentially offer due to existing contracts, the need to sign restricted free agents and the shrunken salary cap).
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