Dan’s Daily: NHL Rumors; Penguins Injuries & Cuts; Nick Robertson Battle

The Pittsburgh Penguins pared the roster to 52 ahead of this weekend’s back-to-back in Detroit and Sudbury against the Ottawa Senators. We’ll get to see some of the NHL regulars suit up. Coach Mike Sullivan updated Erik Karlsson’s injury status, though you could parse his words in two very different ways. The Penguins’ lines and groups at practice gave us a clear idea of who was up and who was down on the depth chart. Our buddy Mark Lazerus at the Athletic unintentionally caused a little stir when some aggregation outlets took his words a bit out of context, and he tried to clarify rumors about Kirill Kaprizov going to the Chicago Blackhawks in two years (I HATE when they do that). And Nick Robertson isn’t out of the woods in Toronto and may yet be available.

We’re going straight to the hockey today. It’s a rare day off, and PHN has a few irons in the fire. I think we’re due for a stock-up and stock-down piece later today. Shelly Anderson has a good story with Lars Eller scheduled for this morning, too.

We are going to lose our perfect attendance mark this weekend. I apologize in advance. There’s just no way to get from Detroit to Sudbury to Pittsburgh in 36 hours without complete and total exhaustion. It’s a nine or 10-hour drive from Detroit to Sudbury, then a long drive home on Monday. There are no flights from Detroit to Sudbury that arrive before game time, and a preseason game just isn’t that important to exhaust the resources and energy at the expense of other coverage. I will be in Detroit Saturday, which is probably going to be the most important game as the NHL hopefuls get one last shot to make the roster.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Mike Sullivan updated Erik Karlsson’s status. Pay careful attention to the wording, as Sullivan may have given us a politician’s answer. Here’s the Penguins injury update.

The training camp groups are solidifying, with the NHL players in Group 1 and the AHL players in Group 2. Sullivan placed Rutger McGoarty in the AHL group. Jesse Puljujarvi and a few others made it to the NHL camp. The defense battle might get interesting, too. Here is the NHL group and the new Penguins lines.

Here’s the video version for those who like the conversation. Like the video and subscribe to the channel so you get alerted for the Live Chats, too:

PHN+: Noel Acciari and Blake Lizotte have become a camp combination. While others around them have shuffled, they have remained together. So we talked to both of them, and Lizotte had some good quotes about their role. Sullivan said Lizotte is a “Dog on a bone” with the puck. There’s some sandpaper and ill-intent on the Penguins’ fourth line.

The roster is down to 52 after the first real round of cuts. I don’t think you’ll argue any of them. Here is the list of Penguins cuts.

NHL Rumors, News & National Hockey Now

X: So here’s how the story goes down. Mark Lazerus casually spoke on his podcast for the Athletic. Bleacher Report seized on it with a tweet reporting that he reported that Kirill Kaprizov is biding his time to jump to the rival Chicago Blackhawks. It wasn’t quite true, but there is truth to the backstory. Lazerus used a tweet thread to explain and clarify the NHL rumors.

The aggregations drive me up the wall. I had my own run-ins this summer. When you speak, inflection, tone, and context have different intonations, but when the aggregators put the words into print, they look entirely different. But now that X and Facebook/IG pay for engagement, there’s no incentive to use discretion or even common sense.

Sportsnet: Nick Robertson might yet be available. I question whether Dubas has any interest in such a Penguins trade, but Robertson is in a tight battle to make the NHL roster, and he may have tried a little too hard Thursday night, leading to William Nylander’s injury. Here’s the scoop of the kid giving it his all, but things are still cloudy.

And here’s the wrong way to start the season. Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson had an appendectomy. He’s out for three to six weeks.

TSN: Perhaps we should keep a watch on the top 32 draft prospects of the 2025 draft? Craig Button has anointed a No. 1 and dropped a solid comparison on him. Here’s the future.

Philly Hockey Now: The NHLPA finally filed the grievance for Ryan Johansen, contesting his contract termination by the Philadelphia Flyers.

The situation is murky. He played a few days prior but claimed an injury–a legit one–when he arrived in Philadelphia. After the season, he cut loose on the dance floor at a wedding. It’s going to be a slobberknocker case, and I don’t know who wins.

New Jersey Hockey Now: You love to see it. A young defenseman thought to be a couple of years away decides he’s ready NOW. The Devils have such a player (and fantasy players may want to watch closely) as Seamus Casey charges.

Detroit Hockey Now: The motor city is gearing up (no, not for my arrival) for a playoff run. It’s getting close to the make-or-break time for this organization and Steve Yzerman’s Yzer-plan. If you want to put down some coins on the first coach fired, Derek Lalonde is not a bad bet. For Detroit to be successful, they have to become a top-10 defensive team, and that’s going to be a real challenge for the Detroit Red Wings.

Florida Hockey Now: The Stanley Cup champions are going to hold a public ring ceremony (awesome!). Here are the Florida Panthers’ details.

That’s one thing I’ve never seen. Pretty cool, Florida.