Dan’s Daily: Leafs in ‘Trade Mode’; Former Penguin Shines in Cup Final

After a Florida Panthers goalie steal in Game 1, Florida dominated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2, and leads the Stanley Cup Final 2-0. Former Pittsburgh Penguins utility forward Evan Rodrigues has shined in the Cup Final, scoring a pair of goals in Game 2. Elsewhere in the Daily, the Ottawa Senators are aggressively working the NHL trade market, the Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly in “trade mode,” and we put the Penguins’ drafts under the spotlight for recent painful misses and a few they got right.

This is where I usually put something personal or anecdotal. I must confess, I got nothing. However, it is absolutely great to see E-R0d shine on the big stage because he’s always been the underdog, and even the Penguins’ management seemed to downplay his value. For all of us who seem to constantly feel that short shrift, there’s a little joy in seeing teammates mob him after scoring the go-ahead and insurance goal. And he’s an unassuming, appreciative, good dude, too.

So, we’ll break the format and lead with the Stanley Cup Final.

*Florida Hockey Now: It’s E-Rod. Here’s the full story from our colleagues in Florida. Rodrigues’ performance propelled the Florida Panthers.

I almost exclusively root for the team with the better fanbase to win the Stanley Cup. There is no question that it’s Edmonton, but Florida is just such a fun team to watch. And–here’s a local connection for you. The Panthers’ assistant GM Brett Peterson was a Johnstown Chief in 2005-06, but we called him “Chubs.”

The nickname was from Happy Gilmore’s golf coach. I predicted Florida in five. So far, so good.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Oh, the swings and misses at the NHL Draft. The Penguins passed on a Norris Trophy winner and have missed on valuable contributors but have gotten a few right. Looking at the good and bad since 2016 of the Penguins drafts.

Dan on TV, or so I call the weekly post of the Final Word show. It was a pretty good debate about the Penguins and what we would do if we were the GM. I am not sure if my response will surprise you, but Chris Carter of the Post-Gazette and I also tangled a little bit in the Penguins debate.

Late Monday night, the story unfolded. The Penguins’ special assistant to president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas, Amanda Kessel, was drafted in the final round of the PWHL draft. However, she’s also reportedly in talks to take over the league champion. Here’s the Penguins news.

Good for her.

NHL Trade Talk, News & National Hockey Now

Toronto Sun: Our buddy, Spector’s Hockey, dug this up. The Toronto Maple Leafs are in “trade mode.” Reportedly, everyone but Auston Matthews and William Nylander is available as Toronto tries to solve the issue of playoff failures. However, Mitch Marner has not been asked to waive his no-trade clause, yet.

It’s been enough time. Sometimes, what is on paper and what should be aren’t. You can only bang on the square peg that looks round for so long before you put down the hammer and try a new peg.

Florida Hockey Now: More from the Cup Final. Leon Draisaitl went in high and hard on Florida captain Sasha Barkov. Forearm to the jaw? It wasn’t as dirty as it sounds, but it wasn’t clean, either. Barkov’s status is in doubt for Game 3 in Edmonton. Here’s the Panthers’ news.

Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars was named the NHL GM of the year. What about the amazing Florida turnaround? Seriously, what does a guy have to do to get recognized around here? This is a pretty big snub of Panthers’ GM Bill Zito.

New Jersey Hockey Now: OK, now we’re getting somewhere. The Jacob Markstrom trade is drawing near, and it’s bad news for the Penguins. Here’s the full report–the frontrunners are the New Jersey Devils.