Dan’s Daily: Remarkable Comeback; Canucks Took Sides; Penguins Moves

The readers had questions. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ four-game winning streak has dulled the edge of vitriol and frustration, but the voluminous submission list from readers about the Penguins’ immediate future and summer plans took us to potential trades, RFA signings, and tangible hypotheticals about Tristan Jarry. We also rolled through the Penguins’ locker room with a simple question that brought deep answers.

Elsewhere in the Daily, the NHL trade chatter and deadline fallout still aren’t done. It seems the Vancouver Canucks room took sides in the J.T. Miller vs. Elias Pettersson dispute. Mitch Marner is now front and center, and it seems he declined a trade to the Carolina Hurricanes. So, what is his future? And Gabriel Landeskog just might pull off a Lazarus-type hockey comeback.

I had some fun with my singular question on Monday. Choosing the players to ask was a bit of a chore. There’s always the internal process. Who is going to look at me nonplussed and give a stock answer anyway? I tried a big-picture question with Sidney Crosby in Vegas and got mostly a headshake, so I gave him a pass on this one. The only person I wanted to ask, but didn’t get a chance was Erik Karlsson. His response could have been dismissive or epic, but I was already speaking with Kevin Hayes and missed my chance.

It’s going to be a real challenge to keep coverage fresh over the next month, but I think I’m up to it. I have some fun ideas, but if things turn sour, I’ll adjust to that, too.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: I tried to keep my answers short and pointed. No fluff and strong explanations. But some of you had some good questions, so we included more Qs. It’s like Raisin Bran–20% more raisins! In this case, it’s two scoops of questions from Tristan Jarry’s options and scenarios to Mitch Marner coming to Pittsburgh to potential RFA signings. Here you go–the Penguins Q&A.

Dave Molinari’s locker room feature checked in on the players’ belief that they can make the playoffs. So, can the Penguins do it?

PHN+: I think you’ll enjoy this. It required some introspection, and I pushed the players away from the stock answers. Besides two points, what does a win really mean at this time of year? Bryan Rust had some fun with us, too. ‘Have you seen (the standings)?!” And then he gave us the best answer I’ve gotten in a long time. Check it out–the Penguins locker room.

Use code Dan10 to save 10 bucks. Our monthly is only $4.49 (I really should raise that price, eh?)

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

Toronto Sun: Steve Simmons reported that Marner slept on the idea of being traded to Carolina before declining the deal. Simmons blasted Marner for considering the trade and questioned the player’s desire to stay in Toronto.

TSN: Carolina has to spend money this summer to remain competitive, but they could also fall below the salary cap floor. So, how will new GM Eric Tulsky spend the money? Could he deliver a duffle bag and an armored car to Marner? Pierre LeBrun believes it could be an explosive summer for Carolina.

Philly Hockey Now: Reality is hitting hard in Philly. The Tampa Bay Lightning squelched the Flyers 2-0, and the playoff hopes that were present two weeks ago are gone. Will James does the takeaways, and they are not kind to the Philadelphia Flyers.

NTR: Elliotte Friedman briefly veered into a serious topic on the 32 Thought Podcast. You know where you can find the pod. But Vancouver fans quickly noticed that Friedman reported the Canucks locker room had to take sides in the Miller vs. Pettersson dispute, and Quinn Hughes was a deciding voice.

NYI Hockey Now: Goonies never say die. Russ Macias has three reasons the playoffs are still possible and very plausible for the New York Islanders.

Colorado Hockey Now: Unbelievable. It’s come this far, and the player insists it’s going all the way. The Colorado Avalanche welcomed their captain to the ice as a participant in practice for the first time since 2022. Here’s the video and comeback of Gabriel Landeskog.