Dan’s Daily: Penguins Cap Options; Why Power Plays More Crucial

The Pittsburgh Penguins have salary cap space and options, but the question is how will president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas use that money? We’ve got a pretty good idea and a good idea of what the money is worth in hockey terms. The Penguins have shared their net distribution plans with hot goalie prospect Sergei Murashov, and unrestricted free agent acquisition Blake Lizotte knows his role and won’t shut his mouth. Elsewhere in the Daily, NHL.com ranked the top 10 goalies, three things that must go right for the New Jersey Devils, and who the Philadelphia Flyers will put on the NHL trade block.

I’m not sure about you, but at this point in August, I always got a pit in my stomach that school was approaching. Summer is just far too short, but this year, I think we made good strides as a company. I hope you are enjoying the recent changes to the PHN, Pittsburgh Baseball Now, and Steelers Now websites. You may not notice them–which was the idea–but you’re seeing better ads and fewer of them. We’re moving the entire Hockey Now network to the new platform, AND we’re launching a few new markets.

We revived Washington Hockey Now, and Nate Moser is doing a nice job in his debut. We’re launching Ottawa soon, AND we’ve got a secret project out west. Stay tuned.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: So, Mr. Dubas, how do you plan to use the $3.5 million at your disposal? We think we’ve got a pretty good idea of what he’ll do and how it will benefit the team. From trades to additions, here’s what to expect (probably) with the Penguins salary cap space.

Blake Lizotte had a little chat with the Penguins media contingent. He uncorked a few good quotes, which is indicative of the type of player the Penguins signed. He knows he brings the energy. Shelly Anderson writes that Lizotte knows he’s a scrapper and knows he can be the heartbeat on the Penguins roster.

Hotshot prospect Sergei Murashov is headed to North America if he’s not already here. He spoke with a Russian reporter and revealed the Penguins coaches laid out the plan for the coming year with the Penguins goalies.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: A big rally. A big go-ahead run. Then … an error by Oneil Cruz and a big blown save by Jared David Bednar. The Padres got the sweep. Here are the fun, then gory details of the Pirates game.

What should have been. The Pirates had a big chance to gain ground in the playoff chase and instead dropped a cannonball on their foot. The Pirates analysis.

Steelers Now: Is it Brandon Aiyuk Day yet? Cmon, now? How about now? It appears the deal is at a standstill, perhaps a full-fledged stalemate. Here’s the latest from multiple reports and SN now sources on the Steelers trade.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

NHL.com: I agreed with the first couple of slots, but I can’t say I agreed with the majority of the list. The NHL website ranked the top 10 goalies in the league.

Philly Hockey Now: GM Daniel Briere (we used to call him Danny) has done a very good job over the last two seasons reconstructing the Philadelphia Flyers. They’re not quite done baking, but it’s time to see who becomes expendable and becomes the Flyers trade bait.

TSN: By the Numbers is usually an interesting read. Travis Yost dials up the power plays across the NHL. From the sometimes unstoppable Edmonton Oilers to several teams that were very stoppable, it shows why a good power play is more crucial than ever for team success.

Oh, the Penguins would agree.

New Jersey Hockey Now: We like to share ideas on the Hockey Now network. Three things that must go right. It’s a simple concept for teams hoping to achieve success–and one of those teams that made a big leap this offseason was in the Metro Division. There are again very high hopes for the season, and here are the three things that must go right for the New Jersey Devils.

NYI Hockey Now: The Islanders like depth. They may waffle on truly adding top-six talent, but PoHO Lou Lamoriello always has depth. Russel Macias thinks there are three depth players who could score 20 goals for the New York Islanders.

Washington Hockey Now: I think it was an underrated move, and I’m not sure why more people didn’t snap to attention. Jakob Chychrun is now in our nation’s capital, and there is no question that he is going to bolster the Washington Capitals blueline.

Montreal Hockey Now: The rebuilding teams often make a crucial mistake. It’s not bad trades or blowing boatloads of Benjamins on bloated benders, but instead, it involves sticking with prospects. Here’s Marc Dumont’s very interesting take on the Montreal Canadiens rebuild.