Dan’s Daily: Penguins in Jiricek Sweepstakes; Team Hears Jarry Boos

The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of a half dozen teams vying for Columbus Blue Jackets 20-year-old defenseman David Jiricek. The big right-handed defenseman and Columbus haven’t been able to make it work, and the NHL trade rumors have swirled. Shelly Anderson and I rolled through the Penguins locker room on Thursday after practice, and as part of her story are a couple of interesting nuggets, including a reaction to fans booing Tristan Jarry. There are winds of change regarding the top prospects at the 2025 NHL Draft. And the TSN Insiders again updated the latest trade chatter with some free agent updates on Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen.

“This is the business we’ve chosen.”

I hope you had a solid Thanksgiving. It’s been several years since I’ve had stuffing and turkey on Thanksgiving, and I’m usually OK with it because I love what I do. I think pre-pandemic was my last Thanksgiving dinner. Anyway, I share this little restaurant story because it just made me laugh—until the bill came.

There were a few restaurants open on Boston’s North End, where all the great little Italian restaurants reside. I love going for Italian on the road because you usually get a generous portion and a good wine. It’s a nice evening, even if you’re in a bad mood. So, I picked the bustling spot and saddled up to the bar. The choices were a little too cute and lacked the staples such as carbonara, alfredo, or chicken parm, but so what? I made my selection. And a few minutes later, my dish arrived, or should I say only a portion of my dish arrived.

Unnoticed sarcasm…

Server: And how does everything look, Sir?
Me: I wasn’t very hungry. This is perfect. pic.twitter.com/vYIutNC4ud

— Dan Kingerski (@TheDanKingerski) November 28, 2024

To the hockey…

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The conversation I had in the locker room yesterday before bouncing to the airport will hit the site later this morning. A veteran player dropped a serious quote and confirmed he meant it when he noticed the “Are you sure?” look. It was a high-energy room. Shelly wanted to write about Tristan Jarry and the players’ reaction to the whole situation. Some guys were pretty forthcoming about that, too. So, here’s some food for thought on Tristan Jarry.

Steelers Now: There are rumors. UNC and Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The coordinator addressed those reports. Are the Steelers losing a coach?

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Does Josh Naylor make sense? We’re into the offseason. Does this potential Pirates trade work?

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

DFO: Frank Seravalli lists the Penguins among a half-dozen teams chasing Jiricek. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas has scouted Jiricek in person, and it’s a matter of when, not if, Jiricek is dealt to someone.

Sportsnet: Jason Bukala gives a scout’s perspective on the top prospects of the 2025 NHL Draft. James Hagens is dropping and new names are passing him. An interesting read for those of you who are anxiously awaiting a high Penguins pick.

TSN Insiders: Mikko Rantanen and Mitch Marner are headed toward 2025 free agency. The New York Rangers are fielding calls, and the Calgary Flames want a top-six center that will stick around for years.

Montreal Hockey Now: I don’t get these trade rumors whatsoever. Not even a little bit. But with the emergence of Lane Hutson (whom the Penguins passed on in the 2022 NHL Draft), there is real Montreal Canadiens trade chatter surrounding Mike Matheson.