Dan’s Daily: Penguins Salary Cap, Pacioretty Rips Golden Knights

It is the kind of news we needed to stay interested as we begin the dog days of August. It’s only been two weeks since the start of NHL free agency, but things have hit the wall despite Nazem Kadri’s name not appearing on a contract, at least that has been submitted to the NHL. Max Pacioretty took some good shots at the culture and atmosphere surrounding the Vegas Golden Knights. Our New York Islanders debunked frantic NHL trade rumors, laid out how the Islanders can clear space for Kadri, and we examined how the Penguins can get below the NHL salary cap limit, too.

Travel blog Day 2. I put a few photos and the story at the end. Once per summer, I go crazy on the motorcycle. I’ve ridden about 600 miles in two days, and yet my hotel on the second night was only 90 minutes from the first night and about two hours from home. Go figure.

Pittsburgh Penguins / Sports Now Group PGH

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PHN+: I heard from a parent of one of the players mentioned in this story — She is funny, and I hate that this is part of the business. Not everyone will stay–and decisions/actions will follow. The Penguins are over the salary cap. They can just squeak by, but that may not be the proper course. Here are the three realistic scenarios. Pittsburgh Penguins cap issues.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The PHN blog. The New York Islanders are at it again. GM Lou Lamoriello likes to lick the cupcakes to save them for himself. He may have secretly agreed to a deal with Nazem Kadri and is trying to shed salary. And how it impacts the Penguins.

SteelersNow.com: Whoa — Guess who got a promotion to QB2? Mr. Kenny Pickett. More coverage from training camp — and yes, our guys are actually AT training camp — Pittsburgh Steelers coverage.

SN+: Nick Farabaugh is a good football analyst, and you’ll love his work. He’s in Latrobe. Here are the takeaways from practice and the new Steelers offensive line.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Oneil Cruz–boom! The Buccos break a nasty losing streak as Cruz goes yard. Pittsburgh Pirates story.

The daily Pirates prospects watch.

NHL Rumors, News & National Hockey Now

Metro Division:

NYI Hockey Now: Stefen Rosner confirmed from sources that Nazem Kadri expects to be an Islander. Now comes Lou Lamoriello trying to clear cap space to make it happen. New York Islanders news.

A hot NHL trade rumor was also that the fish sticks were trading Oliver Wahlstrom. Stefen got to the bottom of that, too. The kid is crushing it! New York Islanders trade talk.

Washington Hockey Now: The trifecta of young Hockey Now writers, Sammi Silber, reports that Dmitry Orlov had no problems getting home from Russia. Amazing how the older stars who would draw attention have no problems, eh? Washington Capitals news.

Philly Hockey Now: Oh goody, the bullies are back. In the absence of a better team, the fourth line will rattle a few cages. The fourth line of the Philadelphia Flyers is TOUGH.

NHL Trade Talk & the Vegas Rip

Montreal Hockey Now: The Pierre-Luc Dubois scuttle making the rounds in the NHL trade rumors will not die. In fact, it’s still a daily topic in Montreal. An NHL exec tells MHN that if the Canadiens want Dubois, it will cost them Kirby Dach. Canadiens trade rumors.

Vegas: Speaking of our talented young writers, Owen Krepps has an INTERESTING story in Las Vegas. Max Pacioretty poked the Golden Knights culture pretty well. Maybe, indirectly, the fans’ happy-go-lucky attitude? You’ll judge for yourself on that one. Too much sunshine, too little accountability. Pacioretty rips the Vegas Golden Knights.

San Jose Hockey Now: Things are not great at the University of Michigan. Despite getting all of the top talents recently, there were some “toxic” situations. A couple of Sharks goalies are trying to change things — San Jose Sharks coverage.

Calgary: Andrew Mangiapane has been the quiet assassin. Not many casual fans know the late bloomer, but he just got PAID on a bridge deal to avoid arbitration. Calgary Flames news.

Dan’s Travel Blog Day 2:

The long bike ride continues. From Wellsboro, PA, I had to avoid some oil and chips and found myself near Lock Haven, where my adult life began. I have not been back in more than 22 years, but it was a sight to see my old fraternity house, the radio station where all of the old people despised how I read the morning news (I was TERRIBLE), and some great views. As promised, I did get my hot roast beef sandwich at a chrome diner (Wellsboro Diner), too.

In general, Lock Haven wasn’t the best time of my life, but the days I lived in that house surely were.

Almost nothing is the same here. The Eagle Hotel is long gone. The university is different. My old dormitory on the back side of campus is abandoned and covered in weeds. The hospital where my son was born has been torn down and replaced with a giant new UPMC facility (that’s good!).

There are also parts of Central PA that are sad to visit. The number of abandoned houses and faded For Sale signs are rivaled only by Trump Flags. For them, Trump isn’t the bombastic Donald Trump but a Guy Fawkes defense against closed gas wells, lost neighbors, and abandoned manufacturing companies.

I didn’t realize that Trump had already agreed to be a Vice Presidential candidate in 2024. There are dozens of signs:  F*ck Joe Biden / Donald Trump 2024.

I kid, I kid. I’ve already turned off the comments–You have your own platform to discuss Don and Joe.