Dan’s Daily: Metro Teams Become Buyers; Crosby Accolades Pile Up

Greetings from Chocolate Ave. in Hershey, where the weather kept me for the night after covering an absolutely wild Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins game. The Kingerski curse for the WBS Pens was in full effect, and I wouldn’t blame the team for banning me from all future games because of the jinx. The Pittsburgh Penguins are probably enjoying some downtime while captain Sidney Crosby is being honored in words from Team Canada and deed by the QMJHL. The NHL trade rumors are percolating in the Metro Division as more teams are becoming buyers, not sellers, at the deadline. And is Nathan MacKinnon the best player in the game, ahead of Connor McDavid?

My apologies for not getting more content on the website yesterday. The lack of adrenaline to cover something hit me in the morning, and then we met with two CFO candidates and had to get on the road.

Getting a hotel and some unexpected sundries ate up time last night, and I haven’t finished my player analysis of the WBS Penguins scouting trip. I really should watch the weather, but this little $50 motel on Chocolate Ave (No joke, 50 bucks with tax) deservedly gets an 8.0 rating. There’s even Primanti Bros. down the street. The motel is on the back side of Hershey Park, and while I wouldn’t recommend just one room if you bring the kids this summer, Simmons Motel is a good spot to save a few bucks before paying amusement park prices.

After a few of the hotel disasters I’ve had this year, it’s crazy to pay $50 and be quite comfy this AM. If the weather keeps me here today, I’ll end up just buying some T-shirts and Underoos to stay in Wilkes-Barre through Saturday.

Shelly has a great story this morning at 10 a.m. on a former Penguins teammate not known for gushing praise speaking on Crosby.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) delivered an honor by naming a trophy after Sidney Crosby.

The league quietly honored Mario Lemieux by naming the scoring trophy after him last January. Mario holds an unbreakable single-season scoring record—133 goals and 282 points in 70 games in 1983-84. No, those aren’t typos. Two goals and four points per game. Ridiculous.

Sportsnet Video: Nathan MacKinnon uncorked the line on Crosby: “Half our team grew up a huge fan of him.” At the Four Nations Face-Off practice, Team Canada’s praise for Crosby flowed.

I think Sid appreciates that stuff but also hates it because it means he’s old. Crosby often smirks and jests about his age when such things are said; you know he’d give anything to run it back and do it all over again. Hey, maybe he’ll play another 13 years like Jagr?

TSN: Crosby is playing wing on the second line, and the Canadian media is debating the choice. For goodness sake, boys. Here’s the breathless report!

NHL Trade Talk, News & National Hockey Now

New Jersey Hockey Now: The New Jersey Devils have been shopping, and it’s pretty much accepted that they badly need a 3C. As Jake Evans pops on the trade market, here’s what a Devils trade package would look like.

The Athletic ($): Don Waddell probably didn’t expect to be a buyer at the NHL trade deadline, but performance and injury leave the Blue Jackets with a chance to make the playoffs but holes in the lineup. So, Waddell has gone shopping.

Chicago Hockey Now: I’ll absolutely be stealing this idea from our new Chicago writer, Greg Boysen. He knocked this out of the park–three reasons to pay attention to the rest of the Chicago Blackhawks season.

Sportsnet: It’s an interesting debate–who is the best player in the world? It’s McDavid, right? There’s a real argument that McDavid isn’t the best, but Nathan MacKinnon’s 200-foot game, dogged determination learned by running the Nova Scotia dunes with Crosby, and leadership make him the No. 1 player.

If I were starting a team right now, I think I’d choose MacKinnon, not McDavid. I think. Maybe.

NYI Hockey Now: While a few teams anxiously await the availability of Brock Nelson, the Islanders are also trying to re-sign him. What would an extension for Nelson look like? Russel Macias digs into what a sensible contract looks like for the New York Islanders.

Detroit Hockey Now: The Russia debate is heated in the Red Wings world. With many Russians as former high-profile players colliding with Dominik Hasek’s repeated and blunt criticisms, perhaps they won’t be having an alumni picnic anytime soon. Henrik Zetterberg, not a Russian, expressed sympathy for the Russian players, so Hasek invited Russian players and his former Red Wings teammates to rip the war on Ukraine.