Dan’s Daily: Vegas Revenge? Dubas to Penguins Unlikely

Last May, the Vegas Golden Knights fired coach Pete DeBoer. The experience rattled DeBoer. He’ll get a chance at a little revenge in the Western Conference Final beginning Friday when his Dallas Stars, who beat the Seattle Kraken in Game 7, face Vegas. During Toronto GM Kyle Dubas’s breakup day press conference, he spurred big-time NHL trade rumors, but his tone and answers also seemed to make a jump to the Pittsburgh Penguins unlikely. Also, could William Nylander be a perfect target for the Colorado Avalanche, an update on the Calgary Flames GM search, and could the Penguins make a play for goalie Connor Hellebuyck?

My first tour of Vegas has been extended by a few more days. Why is the NHL beginning the Western Conference Final on Friday? Friday is the worst day for media traction or retention. They could have started the ECF on Wednesday and WCF on Thursday. Why does the NHL … wait, never mind.

There’s quite a little kerfuffle on Twitter as people complain that Florida and Carolina are in the ECF, and others are beating them up. Actually, I get what the disappointed fans are trying to say. I root for teams with the best fanbases. I like to see fans get rewarded for their support, which includes showing up.

Pittsburgh Penguins / Steelers, Pirates:

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Even before Toronto’s locker clean-out day, Dave Molinari wrote (in response to me?) to pump the brakes on pursuing Kyle Dubas.

Then Elliotte Friedman dropped the news that MLSE decided to pursue an extension.

Sportsnet: Here’s the recap of Dubas’ press conference. He was raw. He was emotional. Honest. And it had every earmark of a guy who is either staying put or stepping away entirely.

Dubas’ press conference was a masterstroke in dealing with intense media scrutiny. He’s not sure he’ll remain with Toronto but also talked openly about making changes. It was obvious to me–he’ll be returning. And I thought you might enjoy someone with the humility to give this answer:

Kyle Dubas: "Perhaps the path needs to shift slightly. It needs to be adapted slightly. And you get in between persistence and full belief versus being a little too staunch and rigid. And I think that's the question I would take the time for myself in reflecting on the year."

— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) May 15, 2023

Yeah, Dubas would have been a great Penguins GM. I have little doubt. I think we’ve all learned a lot in the last three or four years about how to spot the real and the fugazi.

Steelers Now:

Mason Rudolph is back?! Nick Farabaugh says it’s a good thing for the Steelers QBs.

What could this mean for the linebackers? The Steelers hosted free agent LB Kwon Alexander.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now:

Guess who is the NL player of the week? Yeah, Mitch Keller.

Keller also needs a new contract. What might an extension for Keller look like, and how would it affect the Pirates’ payroll?

NHL Trade Talk, Playoffs, & National Hockey Now:

Vegas Hockey Now: Is it their time? From Jack Eichel to the Misfits, here’s why the Vegas Golden Knights can lift the Stanley Cup.

First, Vegas has to get through the Dallas Stars. Former VGK coach Pete DeBoer didn’t deny it. This is a grudge match with the Golden Knights.

Calgary Hockey Now: Not Kyle Dubas, but another name in Toronto could be the new Calgary Flames GM?

Colorado Hockey Now: Here’s some real NHL trade speculation of the WOW variety. Is William Nylander a fit for the Colorado Avalanche?

NY Post: Buried deeper in the Mike Sullivan to the Rangers rumor, there was more NHL trade chatter on Connor Hellebuyck. I missed it the first time, but Larry Brooks named New Jersey, and the Penguins are teams to watch.

Patrick Division:

Washington Hockey Now: They’ve got the eighth overall pick and will probably get some high-end talent. What do the mock drafts say about the Washington Capitals‘ options?

NYI Hockey Now: Where’s Lou? Where’s Lane? Neither the coach nor GM has spoken since the final game, and whether or not they choose to answer them, the New York Islanders face questions.

Philly Hockey Now: Talk about needing to make offseason changes — here are the four big things on the Philadelphia Flyers wishlist.

Really happy with our new folks in Washington, Philly, and NYI. To find them was a small miracle. Jared Serra interned at West Virginia Sports Now before getting a job at Rivals and moving to D.C. He didn’t hear about our opening for a few weeks, but he’s crushing it. Chuck Bausman is a Philly newspaper vet with a keen sense of how things work in 2023. He’s going to do just fine following in the shoes of Sam Carchidi. And Andrew Fantucchio in New York was a surprise find. The Islanders’ lead radio reporter, he’s still in college but busting his hump in radio, now in print for us. Andrew is following a similar path that I did–working professionally and college as the backdrop.

Of course, my state school tuition only cost about $4,000 before academics ruined education and the costs of it. But I digress.

Adams Division:

Montreal Hockey Now: With multiple first-round picks, the Montreal Canadiens can trade UP at the draft.

Boston Hockey Now: Ok, so would Florida winning the East make Boston Bruins fans feel any better?

Florida Hockey Now: A few years ago, the Florida Panthers paid a pretty penny to sign Sergei Bobrovsky, and it’s finally paying off.

Detroit Hockey Now: The Red Wings need to make a few more upgrades to get where they are going — What will Steve Yzerman do with David Perron?