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Dan’s Daily: Former Penguin Revives Career; Goalie Trade Talk
The Pittsburgh Penguins need some goals beyond just their top line and they have a few options beyond the current NHL roster. Dave Molinari noticed a significant Sidney Crosby statistic or anomaly that should benefit the Penguins but hasn’t yet paid dividends. Elsewhere in the Daily, the Ottawa Senators, who are the Penguins’ chief competition for the second wild-card spot, are joining a few other teams on the NHL trade market for a goalie and a former Penguins winger who cost a lot but has bounced around is resurrecting his career with the Edmonton Oilers.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s quest to cover all 82 games for you is in full swing. We finished booking our California trip later this month. Whoa boy, it’s not easy, nor is it cheap. I understand why the newspapers have ceased to travel regularly, and the job of daily coverage is left to the two independents, including us.
I haven’t decided if I risk our 82-game coverage by flying in and out of Seattle on the same day. If anyone is headed on the Penguins’ West Coast trip, I found a few solid hotel deals in LA, San Jose/San Fran, and Salt Lake City. I’ll be happy to help.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Podcast–No Pucks Given. Some angry locker room reactions, some roster talk, an honest assessment of the Jesse Puljujarvi situation and more—here’s the No Pucks Given show. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. If I’m missing one, let me know.
Where is Rutger? The Penguins are a winger short of a clicking top-six. They do have some options, including a trade. But more accessible and easier, there are some internal options to help the Penguins roster.
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
Sportsnet: Kasperi Kapanen. He washed out with the Penguins. Washed out in St. Louis. Now, he’s getting his groove back with the Edmonton Oilers. Here’s the full story on Kappy, though he dodged questions on the past.
Ottawa Sun: Linus Ullmark is out with an upper-body injury, and the prognosis is more mysterious than short term. Ottawa is essentially the second-wild card team (winning percentage), but that might not be the case for long without Ullmark. So, it’s time to crack open the goalie trade market.
The best option for Ottawa? Yeah, it would be Alex Nedeljkovic. Wouldn’t that be an interesting phone call?
Hockey back in Arizona?
BREAKING: Newly elected Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Tom Galvin announces the formation of a committee of political & business leaders to bring the NHL back to Arizona.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed that he met with Galvin before Christmas via Zoom.— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) January 6, 2025
No. Dear God, no.
New Jersey Hockey Now: Holy glove save, Jacob Markstrom. The Seattle Kraken couldn’t put a dent in the New Jersey Devils.
Philly Hockey Now: Elias Pettersson. The trade rumors are picking up even as Vancouver tries to tamp them down. There’s one rebuilding team that could jumpstart that rebuild pretty quickly with a trade for Pettersson, and it’s the Philadelphia Flyers.
Detroit Hockey Now: Another team has needs and top prospects. If you watched the World Juniors, you saw some special Red Wings prospects. Is Detroit willing and able to pull Axel Sandin Pellikka in mid-March?
Forever Blueshirts: We’ll never know if the Penguins would have claimed Arthur Kaliyev, the New York Rangers sent Matt Rempe to the minors and snagged Kaliyev off waivers.
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Certainly an interesting start to 2025. I don’t think anyone commented on the title (specifically) of your previous article “Where is Rutger?” Will WPG have the last laugh ?!?
Also I’d say the Pens have about 9 legit trade candidates currently on the roster. Rakell is worth a 1st all day long and probably MP as well, albeit a late first.
I did not write an article with that headline
https://pittsburghhockeynow.com/pittsburgh-penguins-blog-where-is-rutger-mcgroarty-scoring-help-needed-4-options/
Thanks for the assist Rob!
It was technically a PHN Penguins blog, but six to one, half dozen to another. I assume you snatched the partial title from WPG’s chant/taunt. I added, Will WPG have the last laugh, but sounds like McGroarty is coming along in the AHL.
I thought if multiple teams claimed a player off waivers the team who finished lowest in the standings would get first claim on the player. Or am I missing something?
Its the team that is lower in the standings and New York is currently lower in the standings than the Penguins.
You’re correct… I think maybe you missed that the Rangers are down bad.
Arizona hockey – Seems like it would have been easier to figure out how to keep them in AZ than to try to bring hockey to AZ. They are probably at the bottom of the list now, eh?
The only way NHL hockey works in Phoenix is if the owner of the Suns owns both teams and a new arena is built near the current arena. The Suns want and need a new arena.
I’m sorry but that Kapanen story is fluff. I don’t remember a more frustrating player in recent memory. All the tools physically, but just can’t produce consistently. And he has been on very, very good teams. He has done this before too. Came to the Pens and did great then faded. Then he went the Blues on waivers and did great. Then faded. I think that story is more hopeful than honest.
PS he will be in town Thursday, so I expect he’s going to get a lot of questions about this “best team I have ever played on” quote.
While he did not live up to draft status, he got a bad rap by fans and media here, little known fact-he led Maple Leafs in short handed goals one season-NEVER tried on PK by Sully, also we could not win a game in OT to save our life when he was here, one of fastest skaters on team, NEVER got a chance to play OT by Sully, went to St. Louis and score game winner in OT! Other interesting career stats with Pens- Kapanen-162 GP-29G, 53A, 82 Pts., PLUS 9, Playoffs-13GP, 1G, 5A, 6 Pts, PLUS 1 Zucker-172 GP-50G,… Read more »
I don’t agree with that. He was a feature on Malkin’s wing on line two and I remember pretty dramatic goal slumps after his initial success there. Put up 30 points in 40 games and then 52 in the last 122 games with Pens.
Played himself down onto the third and fourth line. I recall a bit of a resurgence playing with Carter, I think, but never sustained it.
I remember wanting them to keep Kap because my eyes said he was solid player, but I wish they kept Rodrigues instead.
He will be on waivers again by the end of February.
See: Morozov, Aleksey. Penguin from 1997 to 2004.
Their NHL careers are strikingly similar.
I did say recent memory, but an apt comparison.
I was high on Morozov at the time. If all his games were against NJD he could have had a lasting career😀. Might be a constellation prize but his KHL career wasn’t too bad
Not too many teams are going to want a 2.5 million dollar backup with term when they committed 8+ million for a number 1 goalie. The 22 yr old seems to have taken it from Forsberg for a time ..but why make a trade for Ned when all three (Ned, Leevi, Forsberg) have similar numbers. What’s the point?
PLEASE! NO MORE HOCKEY IN ARIZONA. When it was obvious the ‘Yotes were doomed there was virtually no support. This was Bettmans folly. The same thing will happen as in Atlanta.
If Ottawa needs a goalie give them Jarry.