Dan’s Daily Links: NHL Rumor Mill, Hall is MVP & Subban on NHL19 Cover

Pittsburgh Hockey Now is off to Dallas to cover the 2018 NHL Draft. It’s just a gut feeling, but expect fireworks and Penguins GM Jim Rutherford could be in the middle of them. Ryan O’Reilly, Max Pacioretty, Phil Kessel, and of course Erik Karlsson are the big names being tossed around in the rumor mill. The Penguins Derick Brassard is a secondary name, as well.

At the 2017 NHL Draft, this writer accidentally, or jokingly tweeted about talks between St. Louis and Pittsburgh. We know those conversations resulted in the Ryan Reaves trade. PHN will be on the media riser again, this year, and again bird dogging who is on the phone and who lingers at another team’s table. So, follow along on Twitter (@thedankingerski.  I apologize for the “the.” A troll literally took every other version of my name).

At 8.a.m., Pittsburgh Hockey Now will published an update on Bryan Rust’s contract negotiations.

–Evgeni Malkin’s fade in the final two weeks of the season was disappointing for a couple reasons. First, he didn’t get to 100 points or win the Art Ross Trophy, and he faded in MVP balloting. Had Malkin been a finalist, PHN could have sent Shelly Anderson on a wild Vegas trip. Our Matt Gajtka looked at the MVP voting

–Taylor Hall won the Hart Trophy. He would have been my choice and was Shelly’s too. Sportsnet did a nice story on redemption and perspective for Hall (Sportsnet)

–PK Subban is on the cover of NHL 19. If you don’t love PK, we can’t be friends. His Don Cherry impersonation is golden. Check out the cover (Bardown).

–Bob McKenzie believes defenseman Erik Karlsson is on the move. (FRS Hockey). The Senators are painted into a corner, on this one.

–And former Penguins assistant GM Jason Botterill is about to make his mark in Buffalo. The interest in Ryan O’Reilly is intensifying, even as Botterill downplays it to Mike Harrington (Buffalo News).

FYI–Derick Brassard is believed to be the backup plan if O’Reilly’s main suitor can’t get it done.

–The NHL Schedule arrives today at 5 p.m. Check back to Pittsburgh Hockey Now for full coverage and analysis. And join PHN Extra for the behind the scenes draft coverage, video, and analysis. We will be busy. Breaking news will be free content. Trade analysis and exclusive interviews will be PHN Extra.