The Pittsburgh Penguins have plenty of NHL talent, but too much can be a problem, and the overcrowded roster needs to be trimmed down with another Penguins trade or two. According to NHL transfer rumors, the Vancouver Canucks are looking for short-term goalie backup, while the Edmonton Oilers are eyeing a former Penguins (and Oilers) right back. We break down the fallout from the Yaroslav Askarov trade that made headlines Friday afternoon, and St. Louis Blues players feel empowered because they “won” the offer sheet drama.
The comments section at PHN has seen a huge upswing, and we’re happy about that. Go for it! Unfortunately, we’re also experiencing a flood of spam comments and are making changes in the backend so many of your comments will need to be approved before being published. It’s nothing personal. We’re trying to stay on top of things, but it’s taking a moment to get in there. Don’t be offended.
However, the people who get offended are pretty funny: “Kingerski only allows positive comments” or “Kingerski censors real opinions”. Just to clarify: we only delete comments that do not add value and simply insult the author, other commenters or those that refer to politics. The filter is set quite strictly for the latter.
I mean, poor Pete comments “Fire Sullivan” every day, and we post it…every day! To Pete’s credit, he’s been getting more creative lately. We love you, Pete.
But if you’re going to criticize me, at least explain it or give an example. God knows, there are plenty to choose from.
Pittsburgh Hockey now
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Nineteen forwards (19?!) have the talent to make the NHL roster this fall. Hockey President/GM Kyle Dubas has packed the station wagon with more kids than there are seats, so here’s the whole situation that will likely end in a few more Penguins trades.
Seriously, this story took HOURS to write. The details and research involved were much more extensive than I expected, but I think it puts the Penguins organizational puzzle together – or at least I honestly tried. And who doesn’t love a station wagon with wood on the sides and folding seats in the back?
Pittsburgh Baseball Now: It was Pirates Hall of Fame induction day. Jim Leyland, Manny Sanguillen and… Barry Bonds. John Perrotto and I don’t agree on this one at all, but JP writes a cracker in favor of Bonds – This is how Barry Bonds should be treated.
Oh, and the Pirates lost 10-2. Goodnight, baseball season.
Steelers now: The last preseason game. A big chance to do some game planning, show what they can do and get ready for the season. Or not. The Steelers lost to the Lions. So who played well? Who didn’t? All in Derrick Bell’s analysis of “Duds and Studs Steelers.”
NHL transfer talks, news and National Hockey Now
Daily Faceoff: Frank Seravalli reports that the Edmonton Oilers are looking for a right-handed defenseman. You may remember that fans once chased Justin Schultz out of Edmonton after he was signed as a coveted college free agent. Seravalli reports that he is back on the Oilers’ radar.
NHL.com: Jordan Binnington can get hot, but he was thrilled when the St. Louis Blues traded Edmonton RFAs Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. “It’s good to see management fighting like that.” Here’s Binnington’s take on the offseason in St. Louis.
TSN: The offseason was full of upheaval for the Penguins’ rivals in Columbus. PoHO/GM Don Waddell said losing had become acceptable in Columbus, but that’s not the case. In the days following the Patrik Laine trade, he laid down the rules and is trying to change the Blue Jackets’ culture.
Now let’s move on to Friday’s other earth-shattering transfer of a highly sought-after young player. Yaroslav Askarov could be the next big star in goal. Or not. San Jose paid a lot of money for the goalie and is now accelerating its rebuild.
San Jose Hockey Now: Sheng Peng says it’s simple. Here are four reasons why the trade makes sense for the San Jose Sharks.
Nashville Hockey Now: Our guys down south took the time to examine exactly what GM Barry Trotz got in return. Here’s the analysis of the Nashville Predators’ giant trade.
History shows that former Penguins GM Jim Rutherford should have traded the young goalie (Matt Murray) in 2017 as well. What’s really funny is the number of people who criticized me for advocating this and now claim they agreed. You know who you are!
The Athletic ($): Multiple sources are reporting that goalie Thatcher Demko will not be ready for training camp and may not be ready for the season opener. So – trade rumors. There are still a few free agents available who could fill the gap as well.
