by Rob Rossi , Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Sure, shutdown defense pairing Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill won't return, but ...

"Truthfully, I thought we'd lose a lot more guys," goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said earlier this week. "I'm not complaining."

Neither is Dan Bylsma, whose first training camp as Penguins head coach will include 16-of-20 players ? 11-of-12 forwards ? that dressed for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

"It's remarkable, really," Bylsma said. "I've been watching the changes around the league this week, and we've had some. But to bring back as many of the guys that helped us win the Cup ? you don't count on that.

"I like the fact that other teams are changing and, aside from a few situations, we're coming back with a group that has been tested and passed that test with the highest marks."

Last summer, the Penguins lost six forwards from a Cup Final regular lineup. This summer, they've lost only winger Miroslav Satan.

Returning to help defend the Cup are their 12 high-scoring playoff performers, including centers Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby and wingers Bill Guerin, Ruslan Fedotenko and Chris Kunitz ? five players that combined for 52.4 percent of postseason points (110 of 210).

"You don't see this too often, a Cup team that can bring back almost 90 percent of its guys," Fedotenko said Friday after agreeing to a one-year deal worth 1.8 million, $450,000 less than last season.

"You know how guys talk about the Cup? Well, they talk that way because you don't get too many great chances to win it. We have a great chance again. That's worth something to me."

Penguins general manager Ray Shero admitted before the free-agent period opened Wednesday that no plan is perfect. The lauded Detroit Red Wings' inability to prevent winger Marian Hossa from bolting for Chicago would confirm his assessment.

Still, Shero's plan to keep the Penguins in the championship hunt for years is playing out to near perfection ? even if the prospects for long-term wings to play with Crosby and Malkin are down to a couple of, uh, prospects (Luca Caputi and Eric Tangradi).

Two years ago, Shero signed off on a couple of contracts that shaped the Penguins present and future: a deal with defenseman Ryan Whitney (six years, $24 million) and an extension for Crosby (five years, $43.5 million) in July 2007.

Within 17 months, Shero had locked up as his nucleus: centers Malkin (five years, $43.5 million) and Jordan Staal (four years, $14 million); Fleury (seven years, $35 million); and defenseman Brooks Orpik (six years, $22.5 million) at a cap cost of $34.125 million.

Crosby, Malkin and Orpik took less than immediate market value. Whitney, Fleury and Staal bypassed a likely higher future value.

All made their choice with one idea in mind: the Cup.

"It's a personal decision about what is important to you," Orpik said. "To me, it's not a (financial) sacrifice when you get paid really well to play for a team that will be in the hunt to win the Cup."

With his "core" in place ? specifically superstars Crosby and Malkin, and a top goalie in Fleury ? Shero could begin the process of transforming the contender Penguins into a champion.

Whitney's contract, ridiculed by some fans, did not scare off Anaheim, which in late-February acquired him for Kunitz and Tangradi.

Shero termed that a "Hockey trade," and he was spot on. Kunitz became a fixture on the Penguins' top line, and Tangradi is the organization's best power-forward prospect in a generation.

Still, with over half of their 2009-10 cap space committed to three centers, a defenseman and a goalie, the Penguins must supplement depth ? especially at wing ? with either inexperienced players (Tyler Kennedy and Kris Letang) or Cup-thirsty veterans willing to sign short-term deals (Guerin, Fedotenko and Craig Adams).

Shero has taken care of that part for next season because he could sell one idea: the Cup.

"This isn't a perfect world, or everybody would sign big contracts and stay in the same place forever," Guerin said Monday after agreeing to a one-year deal worth $2 million ? $2.5 million less than he made last season.

"Our young guys are going to be 'The Guys' for the Penguins for a long time. But they've already won the Cup, and I'm guessing they aren't done. So an older guy like me has a choice for what matters if a team like Pittsburgh is interested ? and to me, it's not a tough choice when you can play for a legitimate Cup contender."

Get enough guys thinking like Guerin, and a Summer of Silver sequel doesn't seem so to impossible to consider.

GRADING THE COMPETITION

Penguins beat reporter Rob Rossi's analysis on moves made by the 14 Eastern Conference teams trying to prevent the favored Penguins from a third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final:

ATLANTA

Best move: The Thrashers appeased LW Ilya Kovalchuk by landing buddy C Nik Antropov (four years/$16 million).

Worst move: Atlanta has yet to lock up Kovalchuk with an extension, as Columbus did with Rich Nash.

Grade: B

BOSTON

Best move: The Bruins retained emerging stud C David Krejci (three years/$11.25 million).

Worst move: This jury remains skeptical as to whether extending G Tim Thomas in April (four years/$20 million) will keep Boston playing into Junes.

Grade: B-

BUFFALO

Best move: The Sabres did not overpay to retain D Jaroslav Spacek (to Montreal for three years/$11.5 million).

Worst move: Buffalo ownership again failed to reward faithful fans by playing the free-agent game.

Grade: D

CAROLINA

Best move: The Hurricanes' patience was rewarded by retaining Fs Erik Cole, Jussi Jokinen and Chad LaRose (combined $6.3 million cap hit next two years).

Worst move: Failing to upgrade the defense will not help Carolina's quest to overtake the Penguins .

Grade: B

FLORIDA

Best move: The Panthers locked up striking LW David Booth (six years/$25.5 million).

Worst move: By holding onto D Jay Bouwmeester until the NHL Draft, Florida gained little return (D Jordan Leopold) for the franchise's biggest bargaining chip.

Grade: C

MONTREAL

Best move: The Canadiens turned over a roster that, though talented, underachieved dramatically last season.

Worst move: Acquisitions such as Ds Spacek and Hal Gill, Fs Brian Gionta, Mike Cammalleri and Scott Gomez (trade with Rangers) likely aren't worth $24.43 million cap hit.

Grade: C-

NEW JERSEY

Best move: The Devils retained D Johnny Oduya (three years/$10.5 million).

Worst move: Longer term for Odyua would have made sense for New Jersey, as would have adding another defenseman to compete against conference's star forwards.

Grade: B-

N.Y. Islanders

Best move: The Islanders added veteran G Dwayne Roloson (two years/$5 million) as insurance for oft-injured Rick DiPietro.

Worst move: D Victor Hedman might not have sold as many tickets as first-overall draft pick C John Tavares, but he'll likely prove a more impactful long-term player in the NHL.

Grade: B

N.Y. Rangers

Best move: The Rangers traded bad-fit Gomez to Montreal.

Worst move: Oft-injured RW Marian Gaborik (five years/$37.5 million) is a good bet to become New York's next bust free-agent.

Grade: C

OTTAWA

Best move: The Senators had a bountiful deal in place with Edmonton for disgruntled LW Dany Heatley.

Worst move: By giving Heatley control of his fate last year with a no-movement clause, Ottawa finds itself mired in a mess of epic proportions.

Grade: D

PHILADELPHIA

Best move: The Flyers acquired true No. 1 D Chris Pronger from Anaheim at the draft.

Worst move: Philadelphia is counting upon Gs Ray Emery and Brian Boucher, which renders adding Pronger the equivalent of applying icing to cake batter.

Grade: B

TAMPA BAY

Best move: The Lightning signed D Mattias Ohlund (seven years/$26.25 million) to help bring along Hedman.

Worst move: Shockingly, given this all-over-the-place ownership group, Tampa Bay had a great offseason plan.

Grade: A+

TORONTO

Best move: The Maple Leafs upgraded their defense with steady, but room-to-improve D Mike Komisarek (five years/$22.5 million).

Worst move: Icing a club in Toronto, where slowly improving the team is not good enough for many fans.

Grade: B+

WASHINGTON

Best move: The Capitals added necessary grit and heart with RW Mike Knuble (two years/$5.6 million).

Worst move: Washington would have been well-served to trade RW Alex Semin for a package of players more suited to win playoff series.

Grade: B+

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