Dan’s Daily: Draisaitl Speculation; Stamkos Interest; Penguins Decisions

LAS VEGAS — The speculation is just starting, but some intense conclusions regarding Leon Draisaitl’s future in Edmonton are already being reached. Will he stay, or will Edmonton put him on the NHL trade block? Steve Stamkos has not re-signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning and there are two teams reportedly lined up to make him an offer. The Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks hooked up for the first big trade of the week. The NHL unveiled the new Fanatics jerseys, tweaked the rules, and expanded replay challenges while we discussed the growing pressure on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Las Vegas cooled slightly yesterday, and our new Boston writer, Andrew Fantucchio, had never been here before. I don’t think I’ve ever played tour guide here, but I showed our newbie the thematic casinos, explained some of the history, and explained why the glass towers of Aria ruined the strip. We finished our walking tour with lunch at Gordon Ramsay’s Burgers.

The burgers there are pretty fantastic. It’s funny to see someone see and experience this city for the first time. There’s just so much. Tonight, I’ll get to see some friends that I much too infrequently get to see. Perhaps if the NHL fixed the schedule, an in-person draft would remain on the calendar. It’s just much better for the game.

All of the GMs in one place like this? The trade talks are ongoing as I type.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: First, the new jerseys were announced. You will notice absolutely zero difference between the new Fanatics jerseys and the old Addidas sweaters, but there are a few construction improvements that the players requested. Here are the new Penguins jerseys.

Coaches can now challenge the puck over the glass call. However, if they are wrong, the opponents not only get the original call, but the challenging team also gets a delay-of-game penalty. Here are the latest NHL rules changes.

PHN Video: The live chat was a brisk discussion. There was no filler or wasted time this week. We went straight into the pressure on Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas over the next week and the potential fallout if the Penguins do not improve. And there’s no denying there’s trade chatter surrounding Tristan Jarry. We laid out the Penguins’ trade scenarios.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Luis Ortiz tossed a gem, and the Pirates knocked a couple of balls out of the park. The Pittsburgh Pirates finally won a rubber match and took the series against the Cincinnati Reds. Here’s the Pittsburgh recap.

Steelers Now: Kenny Pickett’s trainer is sounding off, and he’s taking dead aim at the rumors and reports surrounding Pickett during his time in Pittsburgh. He didn’t mince words regarding the treatment of the former Steelers QB.

NHL Trade Talk, Free Agency & National Hockey Now

The Athletic ($): The national reporters have a few stories about what will happen next with Draisaitl and the Edmonton Oilers. I picked this one because Chris Johnston believes the Oilers will not let Draisaitl play out a lame-duck year and bolt via free agency. It’s sign or trade.

There’s a minor hitch in the Draisaitl story. General manager Ken Holland will not be back with the team, and the Edmonton GM gig will be open.

So, Edmonton has a million decisions, only a few days to make them, conduct the draft, and chart the course with or without Edmonton’s version of Evgeni Malkin, but must do so without a GM?!

Chicago Hockey Now: Sam Lafferty is heading back to Chicago. Ilya Mikeyhev and a second-round pick will accompany Lafferty on the way from the Vancouver Canucks to Chicago. Here are the details of the big Blackhawks trade.

Speaking of the Canucks, they signed Teddy Blueger to a pay cut. Blueger inked a two-year, $3.6 million contract.

Nashville Hockey Now: Steven Stamkos. What will become of the player thought to be a Tampa Bay lifer, who is just a few days away from unrestricted free agency? It seems a couple of teams are waiting with offers in hand, including the Nashville Predators.

TSN Video: Pierre LeBrun has a bit more on Stamkos, including another suitor. Also, there’s more on Mitch Marner and Draisaitl from the TSN Insiders.

Boston Hockey Now: Using their return from the Linus Ullmark trade, are the Boston Bruins the team that jumped to the front of the line for 25-year-old forward Martin Necas?