Dan’s Daily: Tremors in Toronto; Caps Mistake; Defining Penguins Coach

The Stanley Cup Final will be a grudge rematch and blessedly start a few days early. The Washington Capitals’ sales department made a pretty big whoopsie, while Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving foreshadowed offseason shockwaves to remake his team’s DNA. The Seattle Kraken tabbed their new coach, and recent success is obviously not a prerequisite for three coaches running. The first of the 2018 Team Canada players on trial for sexual assault testified. And we really got into the Penguins’ summer from trades, free agents, and the qualities the next coach should have.

I’m excited for the home stretch of this season. I’m further excited that I’m not scrambling to book plane tickets for Fort Lauderdale to Edmonton. Doubly further excited that I’m not paying for said plane tickets. But most of all, I’m excited because the Stanley Cup will be awarded no later than June 20.

I think the rain will stop by then?

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: What qualities are the most important in the next Penguins coach? It was probably the first or second question general manager Kyle Dubas asked himself in the process, so we laid out the three essential traits of the next Penguins coach.

The Q&A was a humdinger. Erik Karlsson trade? Which restricted free agents to sign, who to target in the draft, and which free agents to let walk? Some hardball questions, but we took some big swings on all topics, including the Penguins trade bait.

Steelers Now: Oh boy. Omar Khan is working the phones, and has an offensive weapon in his sights. Here’s the latest Steelers trade talk.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: The farm system doesn’t have many sticks, but they have arms. Bubba Chandler almost pulled off a no-hitter. Check out the latest Pirates minor league report.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

Sportsnet: When the GM of the league’s most influential team, which has been a regular season juggernaut but a playoff dud, says that the team’s DNA must change, expect some big changes. Brad Treliving did just that yesterday. Everyone is on notice and the NHL trade rumors should start flying any second now. The tremors before the earthquake for the Maple Leafs summer of change.

NHL.com: The Seattle Kraken named their new head coach–GM Jason Botterill went with former New York Islanders boss Lane Lambert as the new coach.

Respectfully, but harshly, that’s three straight coaches for the Kraken who have had no recent NHL success, and two of the three who have had no success. Dave Hakstol, Dan Bylsma, and Lane Lambert–who was roundly and quickly criticized for the job he did in New York. Welp, not my farm, not my cows.

TSN: Michael McLeod declined to testify in the sexual assault trial of the five members of the 2018 Team Canada World Juniors team, but Former Flyers goalie Carter Hart took the stand yesterday, and his story jibed with the testimony of the other former players.

Hart skipped past the “we were going there for food” story and fessed up that he was invited to the room for sex. I also thought Hart indirectly put a lot of the responsibility on McLeod.

New Jersey Hockey Now: The swamp monsters were interested in Jonathan Marchessault last summer, but Nashville delivered a truck of cash for a tax-free state, and Marchessault went to Music City. Could GM Tom Fitzgerald take another swing now that Marchessault is on the NHL trade block?

Florida Hockey Now: Edmonton rolled past Dallas in the Western Conference Final, and this time they touched the trophy. So, it’s Round Two of the heavyweight battle for the Stanley Cup between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers.

ESPN: Whoops. Always double-check the email from the sales department. A letter went out to season ticket holders urging them to buy tickets for Alex Ovechkin’s final season. Slight problem. No decision has been made on Ovechkin’s future, by him or the club.