Dan’s Daily: Low Grade for Penguins LWs, Huberdeau gets PAID

It’s August, and we’re still chugging along. Despite the pandemic, travel, illness, and sometimes boredom, Pittsburgh Hockey Now has published fresh content every day since April 21, 2019 — that was the last time we didn’t publish a new story. In the Daily, the Pittsburgh Penguins LWs graded near the bottom of the league on the TSN board. The Penguins should quickly sign one of their 2023 UFAs before the price increases. Sportsnet analyzed the recent salary dumps on the NHL trade market, including the Penguins trade for Ty Smith, and the Calgary Flames bellied up to the bar and dumped the cash on Jonathan Huberdeau.

I suppose that after losing Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary GM Brad Treliving wasn’t going to waste time, nor was he going to lowball. When someone offers you $84 million…you take it (hint, hint, investors).

Pittsburgh Penguins / Sports Now Group PGH

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Tristan Jarry will be a UFA next summer. GM Ron Hextall can’t let that happen. With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang locked down, the Penguins can’t afford a bad year because of a stopgap goalie. Lockdown Jarry, too. Pittsburgh Penguins analysis.

Here we go Steelers!

SteelersNow.com: The story of Week 2 has been Diontae Johnson’s contract and the young QB firing the ball to him. Camp takeaways–Kenny Picket was spectacular on Thursday. Pittsburgh Steelers camp coverage.

Steelers practice — Cam Sutton left, Minkah Fitzpatrick came back, Diontae Johnson wants to retire a Steeler — so much content. Pittsburgh Steelers news.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: The daily prospect watch. The Indianapolis Indians struck out 15 hitters, and Osvaldo Bido whiffed eight of them in three innings. Dariel Lopez impressed, too. Pittsburgh Pirates prospects.

PBN+:  The Pirates swept the Brewers! And you get all three sites for one price — If you’re a PHN subscriber and haven’t activated your code (a few hundred of you), it’s free! John Perrotto writes that errors aside, Ke’Bryan Hayes shows his defensive value. Pittsburgh Pirates analysis.

NHL Trade Talk, News & National Hockey Now

Calgary Hockey Now: Show me the money. Eight years. $84 million. Bam! Jonathan Huberdeau got the biggest contract in Calgary Flames history.

Edmonton Journal: Staying in Alberta, the Oilers gave Kailer Yamamoto a two-year deal similar to the Pittsburgh Penguins dish to Kasperi Kapanen. Like the Penguins, it put the Oilers over the salary cap. So, the Oilers are on the clock for a trade — NHL trade talk.

TSN: The analytics and hockey folks have analyzed the positional depth of all 32 teams. The Penguins scored well at RW, but at LW? Yeah … not so good. Ranking LWs.

Sportsnet: There have been quite a few salary dumps on the NHL trade market this summer. Sportsnet analyzed the biggest ones, including the Penguins trade of John Marino to New Jersey.

Detroit Hockey Now: Tank for Bedard. That’s the slogan in fanbases across the NHL. As Kevin Allen writes — Bedard plays a lot like a Red Wings great and Hockey Hall of Famer. Is another Steve Yzerman coming to the NHL?

Boston Hockey Now: Jimmy Murphy published dueling columns. He’s been covering the Boston Bruins for us for three years and the second chair on the Canadiens beat since January. He was a lifesaver when our Canadian operations did a faceplant. On the anniversary of his father’s passing, Jimmy explained what it is like covering both sides of one of hockey’s most heated rivalries. Boston Bruins coverage.

The plan is to have Jimmy return to full-time Bruins coverage and national columns this season.

The season can’t get here fast enough!