Dan’s Daily: Hello, Fleury! Penguins Prospects Shine; Crosby Trade Talk Everywhere
BUFFALO, N.Y. — It will be an emotional preseason game on Sept. 27 when the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena. You see, the team signed some goalie named Marc-Andre Fleury to a PTO for one last practice the day before and part of the game on the 27th. It’s going to be an epic send-off, and the complete story is below. Also, the Penguins’ prospects had their first game of the rookie tournament, and we’ve got the analysis of who looked good.
Elsewhere in the Daily, the Sidney Crosby trade speculations are spreading, not slowing. It’s becoming a game of “Would Crosby fit here?” We’re getting corroboration on Kirill Kaprizov turning down an 8/128 contract and some details of what he might want. And a lawyer with experience in sexual assault got real regarding the return to play for the acquitted 2018 Team Canada players.
Greetings from balmy Buffalo, where the weather is quite beautiful. One of my favorite road meals, which I only discovered a couple of years ago, is Wings and Weck at the Anchor Bar. A beef on weck would be a great addition to some Pittsburgh menus (cmon!). The roast beef sandwich with a salted bun, either dipped in Au Jus or generously spread with a strong horseradish, is great (Actually, I put horseradish on one side of the sandwich AND dip the other side, so I have both. I’m a rebel).
Be forewarned, the Anchor Bar locations are pricey. They take advantage of their tourist trap status, unlike Primanti’s. The in-house lager was $8, and the meal with the tater-tot upgrade was $26. That part sucks. It feels like a $15-$17 meal in Pittsburgh, but it is really good.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Hello again, Sir. The Penguins will say goodbye to one of their core players. Here are the full details of Marc-Andre Fleury’s retirement game.
I can only imagine how packed the UPMC Lemieux Complex will be for the practice day. You may want to get there a few hours early.
The Penguins waited until I was on the road for the news dump! Here is the Penguins’ training camp schedule.
And we have a couple of prospect stories, too.
First, the game yesterday. If you missed our analysis of the performances yesterday, here you go. We skipped over the guys who have a full year of professional experience and focused on three others. The Penguins’ first pick and their last shone, and Harrison Brunicke showed what he can do: Penguins prospect analysis.
And we had a chance to chat with the Penguins’ top first-round pick, Ben Kindel, and big goalie Gabriel D’Aigle, who was taken in the third round. I liked Kindel’s mindset, and D’Aigle told us something the Penguins’ goalie guru tweaked. It’s in our Penguins notebook.
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
Ottawa Sun: A bridge too far or a faint reality? Bruce Garrioch writes that if Sidney Patrick Crosby does indeed decide to move on from Pittsburgh, the Ottawa Senators would be one of the teams that could make the trade.
I don’t see it. Sid in Ottawa? If he went to Montreal, he would almost certainly get a statue outside the arena beside several other Canadiens greats. Now THAT is a tempting offer.
Sportsnet: A lawyer with experience in the matter, both personally and professionally, was bluntly honest about what comes next for the acquitted players, and part of the equation is how talented they are.
Balancing all sensitivities, there is a growing mantra online, “not guilty doesn’t mean innocent,” so I must point out that innocent isn’t an option for a verdict.
32 Thoughts Podcast: It’s from Thursday, but it offers more support for the report that Kaprizov turned down $128 million. There’s also the Sportsnet interview with Crosby from the U.S. Media Tour.
TSN: Hot or Not? The TSN crew discusses whether both Connor McDavid and Crosby could be on different teams next year.
Philly Hockey Now: Will James takes aim at the recent words of Flyers president Keith Jones. The brass thinks the patient approach is working. James writes, maybe, but time is running out for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Categorized:Pittsburgh Penguins