Dan’s Daily: Karlsson on Trade List; Shesterkin Turns Down $11 Million?!

Some may love Christmas shopping and decorations, others the feast at Thanksgiving, but the start of hockey season is rivaled only by the final day of the hockey season. Today is the start of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ march toward whatever destiny awaits as their 2024-25 regular season begins at PPG Paints Arena. Rutger McGroarty will be in the lineup and shared the moment he told his parents. Coach Mike Sullivan updated the Penguins injuries, including some progress. And we asked the players straight up–what do they think of their chances this season?

Elsewhere in the Daily, TNT’s Bleacher Report listed the six under-the-radar NHL trade candidates, and they made a good case for including Erik Karlsson. Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin turned down $11 million per season?! And the Florida Panthers both extended Carter Verhaeghe with a whopping sum and lifted their Stanley Cup banner.

How about this little trinket: Get a HALF PRICE PHN+ subscription. Yep, 50% off a Yearly to join this crew. The sale ends in 6 days. Use code HALF. Click here.

It’s going to be a long season, but there is an air of optimism around the Penguins. They earned some confidence in the preseason. Check out the long-form video by an old friend and hockey coach, Francis Anzalone, which we posted on the NHN YouTube page last night. It’s a pilot for a new series we’re going to do, so Francis spent the first few minutes on his bio, then really showing viewers the Penguins coaches’ internal process (He has been a guest coach with them on multiple occasions), and then he dove into the foundations for this season, including the lines, the players who have chemistry, and the power play. Oh, and Francis shared a picture at the beginning of my play-by-play days. I felt so old then, but I had hair. Brown hair!

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: OK, so what does the locker room think? We asked, point blank, what they guys think of the team this season. Of course, the responses were positive, but I think you’ll enjoy some of the descriptions and scenes as we take you inside the Penguins’ locker room.

Pony, Needs, and Ned. Oh, and Rusty, too. It sounds like a pretty good homecoming party, but instead, that was how coach Mike Sullivan began the Penguins injury updates.

The kid made it, and Tuesday, in the Penguins locker room, Rutger McGroarty shared his thoughts on killing penalties and told the tale of the moment he got to tell his parents his NHL dreams were coming true. Hello, Rutger McGroarty.

Steelers Now: Coach Mike Tomlin gave one of those cutesy and obfuscating answers when asked why George Pickens only played about half of the snaps on Sunday night. Alan Saunders writes–let’s be real, coaches benched Pickens, and he absolutely deserved it. There’s more WR drama with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Hey, at least one might return. Here is the 2024 Pirates free-agent class.

Here is Episode 1 of The Coach’s Debrief:

NHL Trade Talk, News & National Hockey Now

Bleacher Report: The under-the-radar trade candidates and Erik Karlsson made the list. I like the story, and I think Adam Herman very well might look pretty good by the NHL trade deadline, at least with a couple or a few of them.

You just made the list!

Forever Blueshirts: Shesterkin didn’t think $11 million was enough. Good grief. It sounds like the New York Rangers will keep trying to sign him, but I might be tempted to pull up stakes and trade him. Here’s the dish on the Shesterkin contract.

Florida Hockey Now: From just beneath the George Richards coffee bar, George Richards–who is THE go-to in Panthers’ land–got to cover the banner raising and a big-time contract signing on Tuesday. It was just a great night for the Florida Panthers.

Philly Hockey Now: I was pretty skeptical when I saw colleague Jon Bailey write this. But he built a great case. The Islanders waived Pierre Engvall just one year into a seven-year deal, and Bailey writes that he would make the perfect Flyers trade target.

New Jersey Hockey Now: Luke Hughes is skating and progressing, and our James Nichols has 10 bold predictions for the New Jersey Devils.

Boston Hockey Now: One team that I’m quite curious to see is the new-look Bruins. Rather, they’re the old-school Bruins with some toughness, a bit of Swedish flare for offense, and the original six logo. And our boys have five predictions for the Boston Bruins.