Dan’s Daily: Big Name NHL Trade Talk; Penguins Wild Win

If all 82 games were as wild as the Pittsburgh Penguins final preseason game, hockey would have a large new fanbase. Sidney Crosby fought, Drew O’Connor scored multiple breakaway goals, and coach Mike Sullivan cringed at his team’s high-event game in a 7-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The NHL trade pool might be stocked with big fish soon as Frank Seravalli thinks Logan Couture could be on the block, while Mike Rupp and Steve Konroyd think William Nylander will be traded this season. And TSN dropped Crosby out of their top 10 players.

I cannonballed to and from Buffalo yesterday for the Penguins’ final preseason game. I suppose I could have stayed in a Buffalo hotel for the night, but I hit the pedal and got home at a semi-reasonable time just after PA bars closed.

I was getting bored until the last half hour when Harvey Danger popped up on SiriusXM. Instant crank the volume. C’mon, a rhythmic guitar distortion with the words, “been around the world and found that only stupid people are breeding, the cretins cloning and feeding, and I don’t even own a TV.”

That was in 1997. Before people hated others they’d never met for not agreeing with them on a website, we Gen X’ers hated everyone, and we liked it.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Alex Nylander and two others cleared waivers.

I might change one answer. Before the game, we did a video Q&A outside the arena in Buffalo. Who stays, who gets the fourth-line job, who will be the surprise cut, and who would I hang out with? Check out the Penguins Q&A

Fight! Sidney Crosby was a little sheepish about it after the game, but he didn’t like what he saw when Peyton Krebs hit Kris Letang. Crosby made Krebs answer the bell. Watch the scrap and read the locker room reaction from the Sidney Crosby fight.

A 7-4 win over the rising Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Drew O’Connor had a pair of beauts. Get the player grades and which roster battle may have swung based on last night’s performance. The report card and Penguins analysis.

PHN+: We’ve both seen the on-ice battle for the roster spots and the Penguins trying to jell. But what about inside the locker room–how are the guys handling it? The different personalities, emotions, and reactions inside the Penguins locker room.

Steelers Now:

The promising and massive rookie TE will make his first start vs. the Ravens. Here comes Darnell Washington.

Maybe some good news: the Ravens could be missing two tackles and three OLBs vs. the Steelers. The Ravens injury report.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now:

Uh oh? Arbitration projections show the Pirates might be forced to shell out some big money for Mitch Keller.

It was a rough day in the AFL for the Pirates prospects.

NHL Trade Talk, News & National Hockey Now:

Spector’s Hockey: Our buddy Lyle Richardson has a pair of eye-poppers in the NHL rumor mill today. William Nylander and Logan Couture are expected to be on the block.

NYI Hockey Now: The fans weren’t very happy on Long Island, and they let the team know it with a chorus of boos … in a preseason game. It was a poo-pooed performance as the Devils shut down the New York Islanders.

TSN: From the big boys up north — Sidney Crosby outside the top 10, a no-surprise No. 1, and the rest of the top player rankings.

I get it. There are a lot of great young players doing things that Crosby no longer does, but putting Jason Robertson, Mikko Rantanen, and Matthew Tkachuk ahead of Crosby? That borders on disrespect.

Philly Hockey Now: A bit of a shocker Friday. Hard-nosed winger Wade Allison was waived by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Washington Hockey Now: The Capitals chopped the roster down to 27, but a few interesting potentials remain. Who is close to winning a spot with the hated Washington Capitals?

Detroit Hockey Now: Nepotism? Anton Johansson is in the Swedish Elite League, but a competitor ripped the Swedish team for nepotism, taking a hard shot at the Red Wings prospect.