Dan’s Daily: The Penguins’ Moment; Panthers Party Hard; Conflicting Trade Chatter

The bottles were still popping in South Florida Sunday, a full five days after the Florida Panthers won their second Stanley Cup in as many years. While a few players’ livers might be ready for a vacation, the players partied on with thousands of fans lining the beachfront parade route. Fortunately, our colleague George Richards is never far from the hard work of such bedrock journalism and has the full story. There are multiple conflicting reports on Mitch Marner’s contract demands, but a sign-and-trade might make some sense if he’s amenable. And some mock draft shuffling could indicate a problem for the Penguins in this Friday’s NHL Draft, but one solution that may become more attractive is a trade.

I don’t know about you, but by Sunday evening, the heat had made me good and miserable. By the time I sat down at the desk for WPXI’s Final Word, I could have spit nails–yet I had no real reason. Unless you love golf or are really a Pirates diehard who thinks the team is on the cusp of contending, I managed to keep it between the lines, but I may have figuratively bounced off the guardrails.

Fortunately, I did get a few moments of decompression this weekend. Yesterday, I posted about my quick ride up north and the little hidden gems that have vanished. So, yesterday I giggled just a bit when I got lost only to find myself (with no signs to alert me) on a back road riding into the little town of Marienville on Rt. 66. There’s a little restaurant/bar called Kelly’s. It appears to be the last one standing in the small off-road vehicle-friendly town, in which three hotels have closed in the last two years. I guess no one goes camping and rolls into Kelly’s anymore, because I sat there by myself on a Sunday afternoon enjoying my meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

I don’t know where everyone is or why these towns have had such a steep drop in tourism in the last couple of years, but they are cheap getaways and good people (I spent less than $150 this weekend on hotel, meals, and fuel). And who doesn’t love an old wood-paneled dive bar with a shuffleboard table and real food?

Seriously, I’ll be happy to make some recommendations if you just need a getaway and haven’t been to the northern and central PA mountains. It was 78 degrees and partly cloudy up north. From Franklin to Wellsboro, I’ve been through every small town on the map, and I’m happy to help keep a few of these places in existence.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: I should have known better. A few people read this story and didn’t get the nuanced wording about trading Rickard Rakell, but hopefully, you’ll see the full picture. This might be the most important week for the Penguins organization in 20 years. As the draft approaches, some mock drafts might be concerning to the Penguins. Here’s why trading up quickly–and some opportunities to do so–makes sense for the Penguins draft.

Steelers Now: It’s never too early to run mock drafts in the NFL. It’s a year-round projection and conversation. So, in 2026, it looks like the Steelers could find their next quarterback.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: The trade deadline is a bit more than a month away, but the Pirates could begin (should begin) selling any day now. Here are the latest Pirates trade rumors.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

Florida Hockey Now: It was party day in Florida. The boys let rip once again, and this time the fans got to join the party. Sam Bennett had another Wolf of Wall Street quote to deliver when he not-so-soberly addressed people who accuse Florida of playing dirty. It was a joyous scene in Fort Lauderdale for the Florida Panthers.

The “Thank You, Boston” chant was another epic troll. I’ve enjoyed these guys more and more. Bring on some humor instead of the milquetoast, boring, vanilla, aww shucks mundane.

Of course, there had to be some X kerfuffle over some things said, but can we all learn to ignore things? Remember when that was possible? If you don’t like something, just scroll on by. We’re ruled by Karens and Kens.

The Athletic ($): Elliotte Friedman pulled back on Jason Robertson trade chatter and admitted he got some pushback on Mitch Marner signing a short-term deal. However, Pierre LeBrun at The Athletic is hearing both of those things. Call it a case of conflicting reports.

My two cents: Marner should not sign a short-term deal. He’s part of an ensemble cast, but with the money he’s going to command on the open market, he’ll need to be THE guy at his next stop. That doesn’t always go well. I remember Taylor Hall overplaying his hand after a Hart Trophy. It can happen.

Philly Hockey Now: Our Will James took a stab at the first round of the 20225 NHL Draft. He did pretty well, too. Since we’ve referenced the big guys’ mocks, take a look at our young Will, who is forging a nice career for himself. Not just the Flyers, but the full first round–NHL mock draft.

Colorado Hockey Now: It came down to two teams: Winnipeg and Colorado for Jonathan Toews. He eventually chose Winnipeg, but here was the plan if the Colorado Avalanche won.