Dan’s Daily: Tkachuk Trade Coming Soon? Penguins Working the System

The offseason of nightmares for the Calgary Flames. Johnny Gaudreau? Who needs him? Now, the NHL trade winds quickly hit gale-force around power forward Matthew Tkachuk. Sportsnet looked at the top 10 remaining UFAs and the latest rumors, including Phil Kessel and surprise UFA Patrice Bergeron. The Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal is looming over several high-profile careers, yet details remain oddly sketchy. And the Pittsburgh Penguins are working the system, adding legit prospect goalies and intriguing forwards, including one “ski.”

Hey, I’m all for a few more skis floating around. The Penguins prospects stories are a bit more interesting this year, aren’t they?

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Don’t look now, but general manager Ron Hextall has stocked the Penguins’ prospect cupboard full of goalies. It could be five deep, and we could see some NHL goalies soon, including Joel Blomqvist. Here’s the full story. Pittsburgh Penguins prospects.

Dave Molinari looked at prospect Corey Andonovski. The young man is a high achiever and no dummy. Here’s why the Penguins made the grade with the Princeton lad. Pittsburgh Penguins feature.

SteelersNow.com: Former Steelers WR Charles Johnson passed away at the age 50. Far too soon. Here’s the full story, Pittsburgh Steelers news.

PittsburghBaseballNow.com: David Bednar tossed a scoreless ninth in the MLB All-Star game. Good on him. Pittsburgh Pirates coverage.

NHL Trade Rumors, News & National Hockey Now:

Sportsnet Calgary: Oh boy. Eric Francis told a radio audience he expected the Calgary Flames and Matthew Tkachuk to part soon. The suitors will be three-deep in the NHL trade market. Calgary will soon begin accepting offers.

Calgary Hockey Now: What the hell is going on up there? Steve Macfarlane sheds more light and context on the situation. Maybe, just maybe, Tkachuk is playing hardball for a new deal? Or maybe this ends quickly. Here’s what comes next —  Calgary Flames coverage.

Montreal Hockey Now: Sources tell our Montreal bureau that Christian Dvorak is likely on the way out. Montreal Canadiens trade scuttlebutt.

Boston: Patrice Bergeron is still unsigned. Surprisingly so. However, did new head coach Jim Montgomery spill the beans on Bergeron’s future? Boston Bruins slip.

Sportnet: The top 10 remaining UFAs, the latest news and rumors, including Kessel, Bergeron, and Kadri.

Metro Division:

Washington: The Capitals made a few additions over the last week, including Dylan Strome. What do they mean for existing players? Here’s a sneak peek at what the Pittsburgh Penguins will face next season. The Washington Capitals lines.

NYI: Oh, this should stir some discussion. The Islanders were in the thick of the 2021 NHL trade rumors, but missed on Vladimir Tarasenko. It was an epic fail, but could it be a home run in 2022? New York Islanders analysis.

Philly: I’ve been telling you for years what a great coach John Tortorella is and what a good human he is. I know, he’s low-hanging fruit for low-info fans to mock. But here’s a look at the coach’s human side in an exclusive interview with our colleague Sam Carchidi. Fiery coach unplugged, the Philadelphia Flyers story.

Hockey Canada:

I’m not sure how closely Pittsburgh fans are following the Hockey Canada scandal. I’m not sure I want to follow it, but the high-profile players and gravity necessitate it. London, Ont., police investigated the assault at the time. There are videos and text messages involving the alleged victim. Police closed the investigation not long after the incident. TSN’s Rick Westhead has been far too busy this year. Hockey Canada has reopened the investigation under heavy national pressure. I think this may be the best reporting and account. It’s … a lot of gray areas that I suspect will be seen differently by different generations. Hockey Canada scandal.