Dan’s Daily: NHL Trade Block, Olympics in Danger

There is increased worry about the NHL players participating in the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The National Hockey Now network updated the NHL trade block for the Thanksgiving benchmark. There is renewed national debate over Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are no longer that top-heavy team.

Vancouver Canucks ownership didn’t make sweeping changes on Thursday, but nearly everyone expects sweeping changes any moment now.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: As Ovechkin chases Wayne Gretzky, there is renewed debate about who is the generation’s best–Crosby vs. Ovechkin, 2.0.

NHL GMs, scouts, and executives chat with the Hockey Now network and our national reporter Jimmy Murphy. Three defensemen and three forwards, including a pair of former Penguins, are on our updated NHL trade block. 

Crazy, huh? Penguins are no longer the top-heavy team relying on talent. Now, goaltending and the Penguins bottom-six are shouldering the load.

NHL Trade Chatter, News & National Hockey Now:

Sportsnet: In the always must-read 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman discussed the growing fears over NHL-Olympics participation, the Buffalo Sabres cautiously shopping the NHL trade market for a goalie, and the impending Canucks implosion. 

Rant: Why does everyone tip-toe around China? How could they possibly be awarded the games? Twitter, Facebook, and other large corporations have enabled the oppressive Communist regime to take political prisoners and imprison or murder dissenters. Everyone talks about human rights. Talk is cheap. A leading researcher in Wuhan sounded the alarm in November 2019 about COVID and was promptly not seen again… A tennis player recently accused a well-connected official of sexual assault. She hasn’t been seen again.

I’m not so worried about COVID. Booster shots can quell the current outbreak, but that’s a significant issue, too. It’s time to be as outraged at actual oppression as we are at bad tweets. It’s time to teach China a lesson. So, it’s time to call it off.

TSN: Matt Murray is 0-5 this season and is coming under fire in Ottawa.

Colorado: What are Colorado Avalanche fans thankful for? 

San Jose: The Sharks are rarely favorites, but as Sheng Peng writes, the underdogs turn it on when they need to…

Calgary: The Calgary Flames are a powerhouse this season. One of the leading changes is the resurgence of big Milan Lucic.

Toronto: Scott Cullen took a look at the former Toronto Maple Leafs around the NHL. Nazem Kadri is the big loss. 

And lastly, Montreal: The Canadiens are in trouble. Deeeeeppp trouble. Our boys in the NHL’s most rabid hockey city take a poke at grading the goalies and defencemen at the quarter pole.