Dan’s Daily: Penguins Miss Chance; Ripping the Sabres; Rangers Trade Talk

MONTREAL — The Pittsburgh Penguins have been on a roller coaster of emotions this season. From some attitude in the locker room to roster reclamations and a missed opportunity on Wednesday, it’s already been a wild ride. We’ve got full coverage and analysis. Elsewhere in the Daily, the NHL trade rumors are just starting around the New York Rangers, where another half dozen players could be on their way out. The Buffalo Sabres are tanking, and the boiling mad fans are demanding changes, which it appears they just might get. And the league is trying to figure out how to add more games and award the Stanley Cup earlier than late June.

There are a few unfinished remodels around the league with no end in sight.

Most of the long-suffering teams are angry this season. Detroit. Ottawa. Buffalo. They all went through tear-it-down rebuilds, and they’re stuck with half-finished houses. but no local news reporter to shame the contractor into finishing the work. That’s not an argument but merely an acknowledgment that there’s a great deal of luck involved in retooling/rebuilding/restocking, and if your dice don’t show seven, it can be a long time.

The problem with the Sabres is they’ve rolled seven a few times. *Ahem, Jack Eichel, Owen Power, and so on. They’ve traded away a No. 1 center, a rock-ribbed No. 2 center, and a goalie who won the Vezina after being traded. Buffalo has had eight first-round picks in the last five drafts, and…they still stink.

And to the hockey we go…

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Passing on a young, big right-handed defenseman with a sparkling scouting report who is on his way back from a knee injury? Almost inexplicably, yes, the Penguins did.

From Cranberry, Dave Molinari did his best weather report, and the Penguins roster is in a drought. Sidney Crosby has gone seven games without a goal, Noel Acciari has 14, and Drew O’Connor is mired in an epic goal-scoring slump. Also, the lines and notes from Penguins practice.

There was some chippiness and other attitudes in the room on Tuesday. Some reclamation projects are going well, and others are not. Five Thoughts from the Penguins locker room.

Consider me shocked by some of the comments and anger directed my way on the YouTube channel. Specifically, some pro-Jarry and pro-Grzelcyk people were jumping mad. It takes all stripes!

NHL Trade Talk, News & National Hockey Now

The Score: A recap and reset of the swirling winds in the Big Apple. The NHL trade chatter is quiet for a moment, but only a moment, as more New York Rangers could be on their way out the door, and more changes could be afoot.

Sportsnet: The Penguins very well might be a lottery pick, so it behooves us to keep an eye on the 2025 NHL Draft prospects, and Sportsnet scouts laid out their new rankings.

Buffalo Hockey Now: Shakeup time! They are careening toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference despite playoff hopes. The anger is roiling in Buffalo after their eighth straight loss. It’s time for a big move by the Buffalo Sabres.

Detroit Hockey Now: Oh, the fans in Detroit are mad, too. Play the young players! Coach Derek Lalonde says he likes players, so why won’t he give them a chance? Rancor in Motorcity for the Detroit Red Wings.

TSN Insiders: How high will the salary cap go? Can the league figure out how to award the Stanley Cup before late June? And will we see NHL-affiliated teams in Europe or China? The Insiders report.