Dan’s Daily: Ovi Wants Beer with Crosby, Vegas Has Money for Trade

Alex Ovechkin buddied up to Sidney Crosby on Thursday at the NHL All-Star Game and wants to have a beer when the two are done. Rick Tocchet called his Canucks soft. Vladimir Tarasenko knows he’s on the NHL trade block. TSN Insiders poured cold water on getting Josh Anderson out of Montreal, Larry Brooks believes Patrick Kane is not what the New York Rangers need, and Dave Molinari posited the Pittsburgh Penguins season hangs on the big three.

Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards is handling our All-Star Game coverage. He’ll be covering Sidney Crosby’s availability today. I’m sorry, the All-Star events are fun, but we’ve tried to cover them in the past, and readers don’t care. Heck, I really don’t care, and when I read the questions being asked of the players at the ASG, I probably would have audibly groaned. It doesn’t appear easy to ask serious questions, which means I would have been a marlin out of water.

The event is so unserious. No wonder Crosby politely smiles when he has to go but doesn’t show much enthusiasm. The game was Mario Lemieux’s chance to show hockey he was the best. Now, the game is barely a blip on the radar. Maybe we need to go back to actual 5v5 hockey, Wales and Campbell, and try to play a little something resembling our sport.

We’ll wait until everyone returns to practice on Sunday to ask more hockey questions. 

Pittsburgh Penguins / Steelers, Pirates:

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Why are the national TV ratings falling? Here’s some data and simple fixes courtesy of PHN and from a guy (me) whose job requires we pay attention to fan behaviors. NHL TV ratings fix.

PHN+: Dave Molinari lays out the case and, as they’ve done so many times before, responsibility rests on the core to save the Pittsburgh Penguins season.

We’ve got a few more stories coming today. Who said this was an off-week? I’m rather glad I didn’t travel. We’ve experienced a tidal wave of traffic propelled by Dave’s exclusive interview with Brian Burke (but I helped, too).

Steelers Now:

SN+: Alan Saunders is still in Mobile, AL. Day 3 of the Senior Bowl — some Steelers Draft targets popped.

Winners and losers so far at the Senior Bowl.

Putting to rest old tensions with T.J. Watt? There seems to be a lot of talk about Taylor Lewan coming to the Steelers.

Pirates Baseball Now:

The Pirates invited 17 non-roster players to Spring Training. Pirates news.

The final story in the Pirates 40 series. Something the Pirates needed and didn’t have. What Andrew McCutchen will bring.

As a baseball fan, I loved McCutchen, but expectations are starting to rise beyond reality. Read the story above; it’s a good and fair read. I caution fans that you will not see a .300-hitting centerfield beast. Those days are over.

NHL Trade Talk, News & National Hockey Now:

Vegas Hockey Now: Now that Mark Stone had back surgery, that’s bad for the player and team but good for the Golden Knights’ salary cap and the trade rumors. Now they have money. Owen Krepps looked at the star players available to Vegas Golden Knights.

Sportsnet: They say they care, but they don’t. They’re soff. Rick Tocchet dug into his challenge as coach of the Vancouver Canucks and didn’t hold back.

I so wish I could cover the Canucks. What a wild ride.

Boston Hockey Now: Jimmy Murphy gets the scoop again — Bruins GM Don Sweeney has been big-game hunting on the NHL trade market for two seasons. An NHL exec opened up about the Bruins’ calls on Jakob Chychrun. Here’s the price for the Boston Bruins.

NYI Hockey Now: More top six forwards, including Vladimir Tarasenko, should be in the sights of the New York Islanders?

TSN: What will it take to get Josh Anderson out of Montreal? What’s the deal with Dylan Larkin ahead of the NHL trade deadline?

NY Post: We picked this up from our buddy Spector’s Hockey. Despite a year of NHL trade rumors, Larry Brooks says “pass” on Patrick Kane.

San Jose Hockey Now: A peculiar search on the NHL trade market — the San Jose Sharks want goalie prospects?

Funny, I know a local team with two, maybe three of them. Heck, the Penguins might have four if Taylor Gauthier keeps improving. But no, a couple of them won’t get you Timo Meier.

Montreal Hockey Now: There was a kid I really liked at the NHL Draft. The Penguins got a solid pick with Owen Pickering, but Lane Hutson was an explosive defenseman. I thought for sure the Penguins would snag him. They didn’t. He went to the Montreal Canadiens several picks later, and he’s destroying the competition at Boston University. Our boys in Montreal had a good chat with Lane Hutson.

Sportsnet: When it’s all over, Alex Ovechkin wants to sit down and have a couple of beers with Sidney Crosby.