Dan’s Daily: Flyers Whiff, East is Loaded, Tough Penguins Analysis

The Pittsburgh Penguins are improved, but it does not seem they are on better ground moving forward. That was the challenge of our NHL trade deadline analysis. The Eastern Conference is stacked, as seemingly every available big name wound up with an Eastern Conference favorite. Still, at least Penguins fans can laugh at another horrible whiff by the Philadelphia Flyers. The Toronto Maple Leafs turned over 33% of their lineup, and the Washington Capitals turned down deals for Conor Sheary.

Watch WPXI 11 of the Ice at 9:30 a.m.! Bourquey and I had a pretty good debate over Mikael Granlund and the Penguins’ trade deadline activity.

Also, I had no idea it was Saturday until the little note on the top right of my Macbook told me so. Yesterday was the craziest day. Get this: The Penguins rescheduled practice to noon Friday at the Panthers facility outside the already suburban Sunrise. So, I called AmEx and rented a car. Two shuttles and 45 minutes later, I was in line at a rental counter well off the airport grounds, and a little company was trying to charge “mandatory” add-ons. Nope. A line of people forced the shuttle driver to take us back to the airport. It was quite the scene.

The entire time, I was writing, Tweeting, and keeping up with the NHL Trade deadline madness. My phone overheated and shut down for 10 minutes. But AmEx made a nice apology, and they gave me a blacked-out Dodge Challenger with a sweet little growl to cruise the coast. But I fell fast asleep before I could leave my hotel room to enjoy it.

It’s a glamorous life, I tell ya.

Pittsburgh Penguins:

If you want to relive the insanity, here’s our 4th Annual NHL trade deadline live blog.

It took a while. The national folks jumped the gun, but the Pittsburgh Penguins brought back Nick Bonino.

The other Penguins’ trade sent Brock McGinn and a third-rounder to the Anaheim Ducks for Dmitry Kulikov.

I’m shocked at how little value McGinn had. This season really tanked his stock.

Dave Molinari covered the Ron Hextall press conference in Cranberry. The takeaway? Hextall thinks the Pittsburgh Penguins can win the Stanley Cup.

Analysis: Hextall did improve the Penguins but put his team back in a bad situation. My grades, good and bad, future and future pain, of the Penguins trade deadline.

PittsburghBaseballNow.com: John Perrotto is providing some fantastic coverage. Please check out reporting and coverage of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

SteelersNow.com: Alan Saunders is in Indy for the combine. Check out EVERYTHING he’s pumping out there with our Steelers coverage.

NHL Trade Deadline, News & National Hockey Now:

Philly Hockey Now: We all have a little Schadenfreude with Philly. It was dismaying in Philly. GM Chuck Fletcher pointed the finger at himself for a lackluster deadline. Somehow, some way, a trade fell through and pending UFA James van Riemsdyk is still with the Philadelphia Flyers.

NYI Hockey Now: The Islanders did very well to get Horvat and fortify their forwards, but, no defense? New York Islanders analysis.

Washington Hockey Now: Offers for Conor Sheary, but the Washington Capitals said no.

Also, respect. GM Brian McClellan met with Alex Ovechkin before the selloff.

Boston Hockey Now: Nothing on Friday, but a big deadline season for the Bruins. Dmitri Orlov, Garnett Hathaway, and Tyler Bertuzzi. The Boston Bruins are loaded for bear.

You see what I did there? Bruins. Bear. I’ll show myself out…

Detroit Hockey Now: That JVR trade with Detroit–odd. Steve Yzerman admitted, “I was not going to be a buyer under any circumstances.” But he also admitted that Buffalo and Ottawa are ahead of the Detroit Red Wings.

Sportsnet: The Canadian media picked their winners, though it’s not complicated. The Penguins’ rivals loaded up. The Rangers snagged Tarasenko and Kane. The Bruins got Bertuzzi for a first and fourth-rounder. The Devils got Timo Meier. So, who were the winners and losers on deadline day?

Calgary Hockey Now: Another loser — Outside the playoff standings and big hopes fading to angst. Yet almost nothing at the NHL trade deadline for the Calgary Flames?

TSN Video: You won’t be able to watch unless you’re in Canada or use a VPN, but TSN hammered the Carolina Hurricanes’ deadline day, calling them the biggest losers.

I beg to differ. Why mess with it when you’re that good and have that much chemistry? What they needed wasn’t available.

TSN: If you’d like to see every trade without the chaos of the rumors and analysis in our live blog, here is the TSN Trade Tracker.

The underrated deal of the day might be Buffalo getting Jordan Greenway. Watch that one.

And, Bonino, Bonino, Boooniiiinnnoooo!!