Dan’s Daily: LeBrun Floats Penguins Teardown; Maple Leafs Huge Comeback

Perhaps the idea is so incomprehensible to me that I missed the remark during Kyle Dubas’s Monday press conference despite sitting 10 feet away. Dubas said the Pittsburgh Penguins will know more about their direction by the All-Star break. The national media has seized upon that idea, and Pierre LeBrun wrote in the Athletic about a possible teardown, including Penguins trades involving Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson. Oh boy. Elsewhere in the Daily, the Toronto Maple Leafs had a furious give-goal third period rally against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Vancouver Canucks honored Roberto Luongo, and St. Louis fans let their own have it after Craig Berube was fired.

It’s been an exhausting road trip, and we’re only one game into it. The flight situation and exorbitant costs forced me to drive, but the Montreal hotel upgraded me, and I thought the Toronto accommodations did, too. Check out this view of my “upgrade”:

However, what looks nice is not always nice (that’s good dating advice, too). I booked an apartment on Booking.com. I’ve done so several times with great results–it can save a good chunk of change. However, this one had no sheets on the bed, no toiletries, no towels, and the giant televisions in the living room and bedroom are basically for decoration as there’s no cable, no apps, and no antenna. I found a top sheet in the in-unit dryer, and I finally got some sleep on this trip. I won’t be leaving a good review of this place. But that view…

Pittsburgh Penguins / NHL Trade Talk

The Athletic ($): Pierre LeBrun swings for the fences. Trade Letang, Malkin, and Karlsson? Maybe even Sidney Crosby? If the team doesn’t right the ship, LeBrub believes Dubas could tear it down before the NHL trade deadline this season.

Karlsson, yes. Sorry, I can’t wrap my head around the idea that the core who made such a big deal about staying could bail a year after signing their contracts. They are ride or die with the Penguins. Next year? I could see one or two getting shoved out the door. Not this year. I think I’ll begin writing a Penguins’ future column after hitting publish on this.

If you missed yesterday’s Penguins stories on Pittsburgh Hockey Now — Here’s the locker room story as the team reacts to the win. I didn’t know how to categorize Erik Karlsson’s comments, but they got a little reaction from me. At the very least, “What did he mean by that?” Penguins locker room.

NHL News & National Hockey Now

NHL.com: The only goalie to be a captain, a big personality, and now in the Vancouver Canucks ring of honor. Vancouver honored Roberto Luongo on Thursday.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Fans let Jordan Kyrou have it. Coach Craig Berube got his walking papers this week, and Kyrou declined media comment, “No comment, he’s not my coach anymore.” Oops. Kyrou held back tears following the Blues’ win but explained his comment.

We can’t have it both ways — we can’t mock athletes for using words to say nothing and then get angry when they might have said something. Too many people get their jollies from being upset or spreading negativity. Perhaps the one thing social media has taken from us is perspective. Or maturity.

NYI Hockey Now: Zach Parise is hitting the ice hard and could return to the NHL this season. Will it be to the New York Islanders?

Philly Hockey Now: Go ahead–relax, Flyers fans. Sam Carchidi writes that the GM has his priorities straight. There won’t be any fire sale or bombshell Flyers trades.

Boston Hockey Now: Pierre McGuire thinks Bruins GM Don Sweeney should ask Santa for a center. Things have gone cold on the NHL trade block, but perhaps it will happen if the Boston Bruins stockings are hung with care.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs were down 5-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. I watched the second period over a slice of pizza and local beer, and then I went to the convenience store to get soap and shampoo for my Toronto stay. I joked with the clerk about the score. He said, “Oh, what if they come back?” We both laughed. Then he said, hey–it’s 5-2. It could happen. We laughed again.

It did happen. The wild comeback and the OT loss. The Blue Jackets survived the wildest comeback we’ll see this year.