Dan’s Daily: Playoff Domination; Montreal Pushing Crosby Rumors

And here we go again. The Sidney Crosby trade rumors are like Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers because they just won’t die. Montreal is again embroiled in Crosby fervor. The Stanley Cup Playoffs had a couple of dominant performances Monday, leading to a pair of 3-1 series leads. And, PHN took readers on a trip through buyouts, investing wisely, and explaining why the Pittsburgh Penguins veterans should embrace leaving.

The offseason has been interesting so far, eh?

We’re efforting to find some of the coaches whom Penguins GM Kyle Dubas has spoken with, but most targets are employed and they have no benefit to admitting they’ve talked this early in the process. If they speak to the media now, they could be DQ’d.

This is the time of year when I’m jealous of people who live structured, normal lives. When I woke up this morning to finish up the Daily, I could have sworn it was Sunday, but the lack of midnight dinners or snacks has allowed me to drop something close to 10 pounds in the last month. Maybe there is something to people blathering on about taking care of themselves.

The goal this summer is to shed the 20-25 pounds I gained over the last two years as the travel schedule took its toll. For the first time in probably a year, I even have real food in my refrigerator, including … salad. What’s becoming of me?! Of course, on my bike ride yesterday, I kept it healthy at Coney Island in New Castle. Hey, no fries make it a healthy snack.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Dave Molinari examined the potential of the Penguins to chase a few RFAs on the market, as well as the immediate satisfaction and lingering regret of buyouts, including (trigger warning) Jack Johnson.

I was a bit disappointed in the reader response to my column on Monday. It was well read and there were plenty of comments, but I felt too many readers focused on the low-hanging fruit and debated Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin, which isn’t at the heart of the current issues. So, take a look–why the veteran players should embrace leaving the Penguins.

Steelers Now: The rookie camp has wrapped. I’ll tell you what–Alan Saunders does a heckuva job covering the Steelers. Since he’s not done it for 50 years, he doesn’t always get the credit, but he is as solid as they come. Here’s the full wrap-up. Who looked good and who didn’t at Steelers rookie camp.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Another Paul Skenes start worthy of a win. Another pathetic offensive performance. Six innings pitched, one run allowed. The Mets walked off the Buccos, but here’s everything you need to know in the Pirates recap.

PBN+: The Q&A. Oh boy, I’ve waited for the public to really grab onto the small blurb in USA Today that essentially accused Bob Nutting of stealing the revenue sharing money, and the MLB Players Association is aware. For PHN+, SN+, and PBN+ subscribers, the bare-knuckled Pirates Q&A.

I really wish USA Today and Bob Nightengale had done a full story rather than a blurb in a column about the Mets. Yes, the Mets are New York, and everyone has long assumed that Nutting counts the money in creative ways, but every chance to turn up the heat on the odious accounting practices is a good thing.

NHL Rumors, News, & NHN

Sportsnet: Eric Francis did his best to accommodate his audience, but clearly stated the obvious. There will NOT … NOT… be a Sidney Crosby trade. However, Montreal is abuzz with the possibility, and Francis delved into what it would realistically take for the Montreal Canadiens to acquire Crosby if this dream scenario unfolded.

Crosby is the one exception to my veterans leaving column. However, if he went to Montreal and was successful, there’s no doubt the legend of Sid the Kid would grow exponentially. I surely wouldn’t begrudge him, in fact, I’d root for him, but we know what he wants. The eye rolls when presented with the questions have said it all.

New Jersey Hockey Now: Let’s go bold. James Nichols brings the big stick as he gets specific with a trio of restricted free agents that are attainable and could help the New Jersey Devils.

Philly Hockey Now: The Soo Greyhounds center Brady Martin is suddenly a hot commodity. At the mid-term rankings, he was nowhere near the top five. Now, there’s genuine debate about whether he could be gone long before the Penguins draft at No. 11. In fact, Will James examines whether the Flyers should take Caleb Desnoyers or Martin. It’s going to be an interesting draft, and the Philadelphia Flyers have a good pick.

Florida Hockey Now: The NHL has suspended the Panthers’ minority owner, Doug Cifu, after he got into a spat with a Toronto fan on X. It got contentious when Israel and Hamas became part of the discussion. It’s not the first social media trouble for the Florida Panthers owner.

Vegas Hockey Now: It was a brutal beatdown. The desert has gone ice cold as the north winds have blown away hopes of a Stanley Cup. The Edmonton Oilers dominated Game 4, shutting out the Vegas Golden Knights. Here is the analysis and everything you need to know about the VGK loss.

NHL.com: The Carolina Hurricanes did about the same to the Washington Capitals. The Capitals fought back in the third period, but it was clearly the Hurricanes’ game from start to finish.

TSN: I think we’re in the home stretch of the Team Canada Five sexual assault trial. Enduring seven grueling days of cross-examination is ridiculous, but–I’ll be quite honest–for the first time, a defense lawyer made some headway in reshaping the narrative for her client. Here’s the latest recap from Rick Westhead.

I’m trying to remain very detached and objective when linking to the case. We will heavily censor comments because of the nature of the trial. Obviously, if I give an inch on this subject matter, lord knows what we’ll see. Anything hockey is fair game, but this trial is a different type of story. Thanks in advance for keeping it between the guardrails.