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Q: Billy Guerin was pretty open with his thoughts about Matt Cooke's hit (on Boston center Marc Savard) and whether or not a suspension was warranted. Could that cause a rift in the room between those guys?

James Murtha, Hermitage, Pa.

MOLINARI: More than a handful of Q&A readers have raised this issue during the past few days, and their concern is understandable. So far, though, there's no evidence of tension inside the locker room, although it has to be pointed out that media members are in there for only a small percentage of the time the players are and that much of what transpires behind closed doors tends to remain there, at least in hockey.

Really, though, Guerin should be applauded for speaking so candidly about one of the major issues in the game today, without allowing team loyalties to color his comments. He expressed what a lot of his peers believe -- that players guilty of delivering blows to the head must be held accountable for their actions. Good luck trying to find an NHL player who will speak out in favor of blows to the head, and that includes guys who have been guilty of handing them out.

Losing Savard, quite possibly for the rest of the season, could prove to be a lethal blow to Boston's playoff prospects, and that truly is unfortunate, but the issue of brain injuries in the NHL transcends any one incident and its implications. To have a respected veteran like Guerin add his voice to those calling for the league to make sure that players who hit opponents in the head do so at the risk of being punished can only be a good thing.

Q: Are you at all surprised that no one has tried to sign Petr Sykora since he was waived? He was definitely having a poor season, but there is no question he has the skills set to be very effective, and perhaps a change in scenery would do the trick (as it often does). Is his salary the hang-up, or do teams just not think he can compete anymore at the NHL level? I'd like to have seen the Pens have him back (I wouldn't trade our most recent pickups for him, though).

Matt Von Gruben, Baton Rouge, La.

MOLINARI: Sykora's contract is a non-issue, since he doesn't have one. His deal with Minnesota was terminated in late January after he declined an assignment to the Wild's American Hockey League team in Houston.

Sykora's value is his offensive ability, and his lack of production since the stretch drive last season presumably is scaring teams off. He had two goals, one assist and a plus-minus rating of minus-7 in 14 games with the Wild, and was a virtual non-factor in the Penguins' offense during the final quarter of the 2008-09 regular season and playoffs, despite logging most of his ice time on Evgeni Malkin's right side.

There simply isn't much evidence to indicate that Sykora still can be productive at this level.

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