Dan’s Daily: Huberdeau Pledges Brain, Penguins Excel in 3rd Round

The science of sports might one day fix all of the problems of lingering post-career issues. Why do some players develop CTE while most do not? Jonathan Huberdeau will leave behind a rich legacy for his family after signing an $84 million contract with the Calgary Flames. He also announced he would leave behind his brain for science. Also in the Daily, the Montreal Canadiens have yet another chip on the NHL trade block. The Vancouver Canucks might abandon radio and go all digital. The US and Canada finished pool play undefeated as their collision course seems destined. And the Pittsburgh Penguins’ third-round success is pretty impressive.

I spent the day in Latrobe up close with the Steelers. I have some thoughts on the QB derby and poor Dan Moore Jr., who plays left tackle and must attempt to block TJ Watt all day. That poor guy. You’ll have to wait until Sunday night to hear them.

Pittsburgh Penguins / Sports Now Group PGH

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: How about the Penguins third rounders? Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust…the list goes on. As Dave Molinari notes, the third shall be first. Pittsburgh Penguins oddity.

Steelers Now: George Pickens. “He’s a freak,” Diontae Johnson said. After seeing him up close, there’s no doubt the kid will be special. Nick Farabaugh has the story — Pittsburgh Steelers.

SN+: Takeaways from the start of the final week of training camp in Latrobe. The inside linebacker position is among several that are, at best, unsettled. Alan Saunders takeaways — Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Our boys hit the streets and shook some trees. The top 30 prospects list for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

NHL Trade Talk, News & National Hockey Now:

These dailies are getting more challenging! I’m getting up earlier, and they take longer to find enough readable stories. Not even my hockey chat group on Twitter is sending me stories. What’s up, Rick and Tom?!

Sportsnet: Huberdeau is doing a brave thing. I cannot say that I would be willing to do the same. Just the thought of not taking it all with me is…weird. But Jonathan Huberdeau is donating his brain to science for concussion research. Calgary Flames.

Team Canada had to survive a late 5v3 power play but held firm to beat Finland and finish pool play undefeated.

Montreal Hockey Now: Opportunity knocks. The Canadiens plucked Evgenii Dadonov from the Vegas Golden Knights for peanuts (after Dadonov blocked a trade to Anaheim at the NHL trade deadline), and Marco D’Amico notes that Dadonov will be the perfect sell-high rental on the NHL trade market. Montreal Canadiens.

Vancouver Province: Interesting note about the Canucks radio broadcast. Could they abandon radio and move to a streaming service?

I suppose most cars now have easy access to your phone, eh? As a radio guy at heart, I still cringe at the thought, but I’m sure the generation behind me will barely shrug.

Washington Hockey Now: Snub? Evgeny Kuznetsov not ranked among the top 20 centers in the NHL by the NHL network? Washington Capitals.

Colorado Hockey Now: There are no statues of Avalanche players outside Ball Arena. None! So, Adrian Dater proposes to fix that. Who gets the first Avalanche statue? Joe Sakic? Patrick Roy? How about Peter Forsberg? Colorado Avalanche.

Gotta be Sakic, right? Though all three wouldn’t be bad, either.

Speaking of statues, have the Pittsburgh Penguins set aside enough bronze for their trio?