Dan’s Daily: Canucks Consider Blockbuster; Penguins Reconfigure

The Pittsburgh Penguins practiced at an ice-cold municipal rink Saturday and may get some good news Sunday, while Pittsburgh Hockey Now had more success talking to the Penguins’ fourth line than any opponent has had against them in months. Elsewhere in the Daily, the Vancouver Canucks are considering what would be a blockbuster trade. Mark Messier said the New York Rangers core is fractured. Now, add those last two teams and situations together, and the ingredients exist for that bombshell trade.

I’m going to veer away from the Penguins for a moment to discuss a larger issue with you: media vs. fans vs. teams.

Our Steelers colleague Alan Saunders was under siege by a rabid troop of fans this week because he asked WR George Pickens for his side of the story and how they planned to improve the situation after QB Russel Wilson said he expected Pickens to do something differently on a crucial interception against the KC Chiefs on Christmas Day.

Pickens reacted combatively. He asked Saunders to clarify the source of the question, which Saunders did appropriately. And Pickens stormed off. Every national outlet quickly requested our video of the incident. Many fans, however, mangled and berated Saunders.

Here’s the deal that I try desperately to explain to young writers and even older writers set in their ways. We exist to provide the truth to fans about something they care deeply about. We don’t work for an outlet; our job isn’t merely to fill space with words about an event that happened. Writers who do that are a dime a dozen, and there’s absolutely zero value in that to the greater audience. We exist to find out what’s happening, but the number of fans who demand accountability but then shred the person who delivers it creates a break in the chain.

I think of many times when I caught hell from you for going hard: “You think you’re in Toronto.”

Like the media, teams also exist because of fans. Without you, there would be no circle of life in which the truth matters, no stadiums full of people, no network TV coverage, no tens of billions of dollars, and so on.

If Pickens enjoys those millions of dollars, the questions come with it. Just as accountability comes with our job and the wonderfully average amount of dollars we make to get publicly raked. Now and then, we have to brake-check you, too. Circle of life…

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Kris Letang was a full go at practice, which allowed coach Mike Sullivan to return to a more balanced configuration on the blue line rather than the “break glass in case of emergency” lineup. We have the Letang update as well as a stat you won’t believe about the Penguins’ fourth line and the reasons for it. Go inside practice and the Penguins locker room.

Sam Bennett’s penalty with 2:01 remaining gave the Penguins an opportunity, which they took. Here’s the video and story as the NHL levied a little more discipline Saturday and fined Bennett the maximum for his hit on Drew O’Connor.

Get all of the inside coverage from the locker room, the postgame analysis, and opinion from the Steelers’ fourth-straight loss at Steelers Now. It’s truly some of the best Steelers coverage.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

HNIC: I dismissed the talk earlier in the week as being blown out of proportion. It seems the situation is very real, and the Vancouver Canucks have a bad situation to sort out with two-star players, which could result in a blockbuster trade.

ESPN+: The NHL trade rumors are swirling in New York. Mark Messier said on the Saturday broadcast that the New York Rangers core is “fractured.” A former executive laid out how he would fix the Strangers.

New Jersey Hockey Now: I love the growth of our colleague Jame Nichols, who has become an ace reporter and the go-to for all Devils fans. He borrowed our locker room feature–after the team’s fourth straight loss, the coach was blunt, the players are “pissed off,” and James has it all in the New Jersey Devils locker room.

NYI Hockey Now: A GM over 80 years old. A team stuck in the middle, slowly sliding to the bottom. Russ Macias is on the story–how should the New York Islanders handle the 2025 NHL trade deadline?

Detroit Hockey Now: Whew, boy, the difference in Motown is stark. Things are not reflecting well on former coach Derek Lalonde (or on GM Steve Yzerman for not making a change earlier). Bob Duff has the five dramatic differences between the stinking Wings and the new-look Detroit Red Wings under coach Todd McClellan.

TSN TV: USA! USA! The Stars and Stripes swept past Czechia (because we brought our best players) and are in the WJC Final. Bring home the gold, boys. Here are the highlights.