Dan’s Daily: Canada Debates Tristan Jarry; Rating Penguins’ Greatest

Will Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry play for Team Canada at the coming Four Nations Face-Off and the Winter Olympics? Canada is debating Jarry’s qualifications and whether he deserves the Maple Leaf. Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby are the best ever, but we ranked the Penguins’ top five “second greatest” centers. It was a tough call at the top. Elsewhere in the Daily, the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to shake up the organization today when they take the “C” from John Tavares and give it to an American. Evander Kane probably needs surgery, and Nathan Moser believes Alex Ovechkin has 42 goals in him this season.

Today is the first day of my three-day vacation. I have two meetings before I leave, another column this morning, and two phone calls in the evening. Vacation, uh huh. There will be new stories EVERY day. So keep coming back, as I’m still digging with sources, too.

In writing yesterday’s column, it was nice to chat with a few people who have been around the Penguins organization for a long while. I needed their help for some of the older players and wanted their opinion on the top of the list. When I asked their opinions on the list, the texts started flying, and they warmed to the challenge. Hockey people LOVE hockey. It’s what makes the sport.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Who is the best Penguins center not named Lemieux or Crosby? Who’s the best “second best”? We had a couple of names you probably don’t think of, but it was a fun list to compile. Take a look at the second-best Penguins centers.

TSN: Tristan Jarry. Is he Team Canada worthy? There are big questions for Canada in the crease, beginning with who fits behind Connor Hellebuyck? Here’s the problem and potential for Team Canada in goal.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: What did the Pirates do? Did they lose their eighth straight or break the string? Check out the latest on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Steelers Now: We’ve been through one preseason game and half of training camp. So, let’s project the final Steelers’ 53-man roster.

NHL News & National Hockey Now

TSN: He’s a Patrik Laine story that doesn’t involve the NHL trade rumors. Instead, Laine and his fiance are creating programs to help others with mental health issues. It’s a pretty good idea and a worthy effort to help.

Washington Hockey Now: OK, Ovechkin needs 42 goals to pass Wayne Gretzky. It seemed he was dead in the water for the first half of last season. The chase was over. And then the Russian gray bear surged. Nathan Moser looks at the probability of what is to come–can Ovechkin catch Gretzky?

NYI Hockey Now: Without the bone-crunching fourth line that has defined their lineup for most of the last decade, what will become of the New York Islanders‘ identity?

Sportsnet:

It looks like Evander Kane will be going under the knife.

Hearing there is a very good chance that the @EdmontonOilers Evander Kane won’t be ready for the start of the season…that he may require surgery…and is likely to be on LTIR to start the year

— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) August 12, 2024

Boston Hockey Now: There’s no new contract yet for Jeremy Swayman. Worry? Andrew Fantucchio says no worries, yet. This situation isn’t new for the Boston Bruins.

Buffalo Hockey Now: Here’s a fun one to end the daily. Several former Buffalo Sabres players are now general managers. From San Jose to Philadelphia, who is the best GM among the former Sabres?