Dan’s Daily: OEL Never Wanted Trade, Remember Dany Sabourin?

Welcome back. For the first time since Easter Sunday in 2018, Pittsburgh Hockey Now was dark on Friday. Oliver Ekman-Larsson admitted he essentially sabotaged the Arizona Coyotes’ ability to trade him. What’s next for the NHL and next season? A former Penguins (and Wheeling, Johnstown, WBS) goalie is making good. And in case you missed it, Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon was cleared of using a racial slur during the NHL postseason, and there are Pittsburgh Penguins rumors of Tallon joining hockey ops.

We’ll start with Tallon. He has shown a great ability to evaluate talent. And the Penguins could use it. The Chicago Blackhawks have three Stanley Cup banners with his fingerprints all over them, even if he was demoted during the Stanley Cup season and left during the Cup run (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

The Pittsburgh Penguins made front office changes this week. We shined a bright light on what GM Jim Rutherford needs (PHN+)

Oliver Ekman-Larsson really didn’t want to leave Arizona. This week he admitted may have rigged the game to either get the perfect situation or stay put. (Boston Hockey Now)

As a people watcher and observer of human nature, I found the reaction to this next story fascinating. The greatest defenseman to ever play and now a well-respected agent, Bobby Orr, made a political endorsement. (Boston Hockey Now)

I’m also an amateur political scientist. I did pretty well in 2016. I was totally wrong in 2012. In both elections, a large but hidden vote emerged. Those hidden votes were there, but the polling data didn’t properly account for it. This year, we have either a large hidden Trump vote in purple states or a large hidden Biden vote in red states. I’m not saying which I believe is there (because too many people will misread it as an endorsement), but I’m anxious to find out.

Regardless of what happens this week and everyone is more intense than usual, the advice I took to heart came from a pastor on Twitter, “Be righteous, but not self-righteous.”

That will be a challenge, eh? Anyhoo…

An All-Canadian division? Will anyone drop an offer sheet? What comes next for the NHL (Sportsnet)

The Hockey Hall of Fame announced there would not be a 2021 class, so the 2020 class could be honored (Hockey Hall of Fame)

They couldn’t have a ceremony during the next Stanley Cup Final or do something special? Then have a 2021 class, too? Unforced error. Now there will be a backlog of players, and some worthy candidates are in greater danger of being snubbed.

The OHL will not allow body checking in its upcoming season. The Ontario Sports Minister says it’s because of COVID-19 fears (MLive.com)

Of all of the well-meaning but pointless coronavirus measures… Should players social distance in the corners, too? How about on the bench? Even Bob McKenzie teed off on this bit of navel-gazing. He unleashed a small tweetstorm, beginning below.

So many questions, and I’m not professing to have all the answers: 1. Can someone explain to me how so-called “bodychecking” is inherently more threatening re:Covid than standard battles for the puck that are essential aspects of even so-called non-contact hockey?

— Bobby Margarita (@TSNBobMcKenzie) October 30, 2020

Former Pittsburgh Penguins, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Wheeling Nailers, and Johnstown Chiefs goalie Dany Sabourin is the new goaltending development coach of the San Jose Sharks (San Jose Hockey Now)

If you want to see the life of a journeyman goalie, check out Sabourin’s HockeyDB page.

Arizona fourth-round pick Mitchell Miller’s story keeps getting worse. Friday, the University of North Dakota (UND) President sent a public letter removing Miller from the UND hockey team. Here’s the timeline of events (Vegas Hockey Now)

Schools will offer scholarships to convicted felons as “a second chance,” but an 18-year-old is forever branded by actions when he was 14. I’m pretty sure we’re missing a chance to affect positive change in a young man’s life and the world in exchange for having the right opinion.