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Note II: As numerous readers were quick to point out, it was erroneously suggested in the previous installment of the Q&A that defenseman Ben Lovejoy will be playing on a one-way contract in 2010-11. The one-way provision in the three-year deal he signed last month doesn't kick in until 2011-12, which means that, while Lovejoy remains a favorite to be on the NHL roster this fall, management doesn't have a contract-based incentive to put him there.

Note III: The Q&A is going on its annual summer hiatus. It will return in late August.

Q: Do you think if they are given the time to get used to each other, as well as finding the right linemate, that moving Evgeni Malkin to Sidney Crosby's wing could be the best thing for both players in the long run? We saw what Crosby could do with such a talented linemate in Marian Hossa, and Malkin obviously needs a good supporting cast to put up the numbers he's capable of. We've seen duos in the past be unstoppable (Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, anybody?) and great players like to play with great players. With the team's best interest coming first, could this be a win-win situation?

Adam Smith, Nitro, W. Va.

MOLINARI: There's every reason to believe that Malkin and Crosby (if that is the combination the coaching staff chooses to deploy) will be productive as linemates, given their work together to this point in their careers. Michel Therrien and Dan Bylsma often sent them out at the same time in situations when the Penguins needed a goal and, not surprisingly, they made things miserable for the other team more often than not.

While the thinking here has been, and remains, that the Penguins would be better off keeping Crosby, Malkin and Staal at center rather than shifting Malkin or Staal to the wing, it isn't all that much of a surprise that management has concluded that it might be time for drastic action to address the relatively modest goal-scoring by the wingers on the top two lines.

The front office's contention that preventing goals has been more of an issue than producing them for the Penguins in recent years is true, of course. Still, it would be pretty tough to deny that the Penguins wouldn't like get more goals from the guys flanking Crosby and Malkin than they have in recent years. Salary-cap limitations have prevented them from adding a big-time goal-scoring winger -- as has been noted in this space many times, that would require straying from general manager Ray Shero's strength-down-the-middle approach to team-building -- but the decision-makers clearly have concluded that it's time to try something drastic.

Of course, shifting Malkin or Staal to the wing isn't as nearly radical as trading one of them for a goal-scoring winger would be. If the experiment pays off, the Penguins will have a solution to a problem that has persisted for years. And if the results aren't satisfactory, Malkin or Staal can go back to center and Shero and his staff can discuss what the next step, if any, should be.

Q: Is there a chance that Dan Byslma's system is not working? Was the firing/hiring of coaches the spark the team needed to win the Cup? It seems that most of the wingers are not excelling consistently with his crash-the-net approach. Or is it strictly the talent level of the wingers? I hope the team pays a little more attention to defense. I believe the system needs tweaked a little to suit the talent level.

David, Sheppton, Pa.

MOLINARI: It's obvious that replacing Therrien with Bylsma was a critical factor -- indeed, the biggest one -- in the turnaround that led to the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup in 2009. Not only because Bylsma's upbeat approach to his work was welcomed by players who had wearied of Therrien's heavy-handed style, but because the attacking game he introduced was better suited to the team's talents.

While tactics do have to be tailored to the personnel on hand -- you don't, for example, put an emphasis on getting defensemen involved in the offense if your blue line features six Hal Gills -- and the coaching staff, like everyone else in the organization, deserves a measure of blame for the Penguins' loss in the second round of the playoffs, there doesn't appear to be a fundamental flaw in Bylsma's system.

Even the best-conceived scheme relies on efficient execution, however, and the Penguins weren't as sharp for most of 2009-10 as they had been during the stretch drive and playoffs the previous season. Physical and mental fatigue born of their long playoff runs in 2008 and 2009 might explain that, but it's an excuse that won't apply during the coming winter.

Q: Do the Pens still have plans to use a alternate jersey this season? If so, when can fans expect it to be revealed?

Matthew Downey, Mt. Vernon, Ohio

MOLINARI: Making a change to the alternate sweater received considerable thought inside the organization, but ultimately, the Penguins' third jersey for 2010-11 will be the same powder-blue one they have used for the past several years. It again will be worn for about 10 regular-season games.

The Penguins will unveil a new sweater, probably in early autumn, but it will be specifically for the Winter Classic game against Washington Jan. 1 at Heinz Field. There's plenty of precedent for that, since neither team has worn a "regular" sweater in any of the three Winter Classics played to date.

In retrospect, any chance of the Penguins changing their alternate jersey probably was snuffed when they were awarded the outdoor game, because introducing two new jerseys in the same season would not necessarily be good business. That not only would be potentially confusing for some fans, but would be pretty costly for those interested in purchasing every version the franchise puts forward.

At this point, the sweater designed for the Winter Classic is not guaranteed to be worn more than once, but it's worth remembering that the powder-blue jersey now being worn debuted at the Winter Classic in Buffalo in 2008, and became the third jersey after it proved to be extremely popular with the public.

Q: Marc Pouliot was Sid's winger in junior while playing for the Rimouski Oceanic. The two had great chemistry. I see him being waived by Edmonton as a fortunate turn of events for the Penguins. I assume that he would come a price that; would fit the Penguins' cap-space concerns. Why not take a chance on this 25-year-old? I think that his French-Canadian roots would jell well in the locker room and his experience playing with Sid would be a great asset.

Jason Naccarato, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

MOLINARI: Pouliot, who became an unrestricted free agent a few weeks ago when Edmonton declined to extend a qualifying offer to him, wouldn't necessarily be a bad guy to add to one's organization, but it would be quite a reach to project him onto Crosby's line.

He has 21 goals and 32 assists in 176 career NHL games, and had seven goals and seven assists in 35 during 2009-10 after missing most of the season while recovering from sports hernia surgery. There's not a lot in those numbers to suggest that he'd be the answer to the Penguins' goal-scoring problems among their top-six wingers.

While Pouliot had an excellent junior career, success at one level does not guarantee that a player will thrive at the next. (Just ask any football player who starred in college, but never made an impact as a pro.) There are conflicting opinions on whether Pouliot can be a significant contributor to a good team in the NHL, but very few, if any, people who think he and Crosby would have any chance of recreating what they accomplished in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Penguins Plus, a blog by Dave Molinari and Shelly Anderson, is featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.