Dan’s Daily: 3 Teams on the Trade Market; Penguins Make Moves

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in Columbus today, and we will be on the road shortly. Three teams are prowling the NHL trade market, and the Penguins are one. TSN’s Daren Dreger named the other two teams most aggressively poking around. The Penguins made a few moves Thursday, and a prospect could be in a sweater tonight. Hockey is celebrating Connor McDavid for notching his 1000th point Thursday. The New Jersey Devils should be looking hard at the Penguins for help, and Matvei Michkov shined with an overtime winner.

We’ll have full coverage today and tonight, and we will probably stop at Big Fun on High Street, the greatest toy store, perhaps, in any NHL city. Where else can you get original WWF wrestling dolls, the original Millennium Falcon, some mutant turtles, every He-Man, G.I. Joe, and a ton more? It’s a guilty pleasure when I’m in Columbus, and my wallet recoils.

I’m sure I’ll see a few Penguins fans on the road today (and late tonight).

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: We’ll start with the transactions. It seems likely that center Blake Lizotte will not be available tonight after taking another puck to the face in the first period Wednesday. So, the Penguins used their cap “windfall” from the Lars Eller trade and solved their three-goalie situation by re-assigning Joel Blomqvist to the AHL and bringing up a pair of players, including Vasily Ponomarev. Here’s the Penguins news.

The word is out, “open for business.” Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is working the phones and making just about everyone available except Sidney Crosby. The NHL trade rumors are about to get thick. Elliotte Friedman also had a priority list for what Dubas is looking for in subsequent Penguins trades.

I did another podcast—No Pucks Given, Episode 6. I did my best to lay out all of the Penguins’ problems, building to Kyle Dubas and Mike Sullivan’s security, or lack thereof.

Here’s the link to Spotify and Apple podcasts. It’s also on the YouTube channel for the few thousand of you who subscribe there.

I’m enjoying doing the podcasts as well as getting something new off the ground. Constructive criticism requests or tips to make it easier or more enjoyable to listen to are welcome.

NHL Trade Talk, News & National Hockey Now

TSN: There are three teams on the prowl, or in the Penguins’ case, looking to sell on the trade market. The TSN Insiders dish on Buffalo and Nashville, as well.

New Jersey Hockey Now: GM Tom Fitzgerald has done wonders to push his team over the hump of missing the playoffs to one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. He has a few more holes to fill, and James Nichols is looking at the Penguins. Here’s what the Fitzgerald should want from Dubas in the next Devils trade.

Montreal Hockey Now: Montreal is one of the teams burning cell phone data. However, GM Kent Hughes isn’t finding the market as he hoped, and the GM may have to adjust the Montreal Canadiens’ trade strategy.

Sportsnet: McDavid became the fourth-fastest player to reach 1000 points. He did it in style, then added an assist for the overtime winner. Here’s how the hockey world reacted to McDavid’s feat.

McDavid very well might crest on the other side of 2000 points, but will he have that singular moment in June?

You may not want to see this if you want to find Penguins praise (and I have to get on my horse and get back to publishing power rankings), but here is Sportsnet’s latest power ranking and each team’s most promising young player.

Philly Hockey Now: It’s the Russian Invasion Part 2. Matvei Michkov sniped the overtime winner, but starting goalie Sam Ersson was injured, and the team rallied behind backup Ivan Fedotov for the win. It was a feel-good night for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Detroit Hockey Now: The story of the trade when Steve Yzerman pulled a late-night deal a few weeks ago, sending former Penguins d-man Olli Maatta to the Utah Something Somethings. Maatta got the call well after midnight and was on a 5 a.m. flight. He recounted the entire Red Wings trade saga.