Dan’s Daily Links: Trade Deadline Prices Rising, Simmonds Trade Fizzles

While the Pittsburgh Penguins were busy laying an egg in Toronto, the trade deadline inched closer, and at least one trade fell apart due to salary cap constraints. Sportsnet looked at how the last five Stanley Cup champions, including the Penguins, approached the NHL trade deadline. And, it appears some sellers are getting too greedy.

PHN examined Jim Rutherford’s Penguins trade deadline prowess. We graded the five previous deadlines and added a few bonus points for already adding Jason Zucker this season  (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Our Rutherford grade did cause some debate. Also, if you’re into a good discussion, our PHN Live chat was mostly Penguins trade deadline talk (PHN)

The Penguins report card in their loss to Toronto. (PHN+)

NHL Trade Deadline:

Wayne Simmonds was about to be a Vancouver Canucks forward, but the deal fell through, for now (TSN Insiders)

Later this AM, we’ll have a surprising potential landing spot for Simmonds. *cue the ominous organ music

The Chicago Blackhawks are asking for an arm, a leg, a firstborn, and a few more signatures for their rental players. Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers examined the Chicago rentals including Erik Gustafsson (The Athletic)

This is why the Gustafsson to Penguins rumors were ridiculous. Honest question: If a reporter tweets or reports a team has some interest in a player, why is that met with skepticism or debate, but when an anonymous Twitter account which makes up rumors all day spits one out, folks jump straight to belief?

Chicago will NOT get anything close to their asking prices, but those asks are the reason this weekend will likely be high on talk and short on movement.

Pierre LeBrun wrote in the Athletic the Carolina Hurricanes are looking for a right-handed offensive defenseman. Jeff Petry is their man, but Montreal doesn’t want to trade him (The Athletic)

Because of the high prices, I can only wonder about the Penguins trade deadline plans if John Marino were healthy.

Sportsnet looked at the last five Stanley Cup champions, including the Penguins, and what they did at the NHL trade deadline (Sportsnet)

The Philly Flyers are part of the giant mass in the middle of the Eastern Conference, which has grown more massive than the island of plastic garbage floating in the Pacific. The Flyers want to add. Need to add. But they are having trouble meeting the price on their targets (NBC Sports Philadelphia)

I’m sure Penguins fans will be emotionally moved by the Flyers struggles. Not.