After last week’s NHL combine, general managers say talk is heating up and NHL trade rumors are getting more intense. Daily Faceoff released its list of top buyout candidates, the Toronto Maple Leafs fired a big-name assistant coach, and we take a look at what’s realistic and what Pittsburgh Penguins fans should expect going forward.
I decided to beat the heat, at least for a day or two. Below is my whereabouts in the north. I tried to stop at a small motel on the way along Rt. 6, but it was full (the owner said he didn’t have a cleaning crew on Sunday, but the open room looked pretty good. Uh, no thanks!), so I ended up in my favorite little town of Wellsboro.
I stopped longer than usual and took pictures of some of the more interesting scenes along the way. Potter County has the best hills and mountain landscapes for some amateur photography. Someday I’ll find out what this abandoned building was: it’s on the road. 666 in Endeavor, PA (just beyond Tionesta and near Tidoute), but there isn’t much evidence that a thriving community ever existed. So what was this great building?
Next stop… Parts unknown.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Maybe. Maybe. Possibly, it’s time to consider adjusting expectations regarding the top three and the Penguins. Is it realistic to talk about winning a Stanley Cup or is it time to accept that simply being competitive is acceptable? Here’s a look at what’s coming next for the penguin franchise.
I knew the headline would generate a lot of comments before people read it. Seriously, stop doing that!
Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Jason Delay is a terrible name for a baseball player, but he brought the bat and changed the game. The Buccos won the deciding game against the Colorado Rockies. Here are the happy details of the Pittsburgh Pirates win 8-2.
Remember Tyler Glasnow? He doesn’t really remember you. John Perrotto is writing a series of stories about the Pirates’ opponents and some former Bucs. Check it out: Glasnow weather with the Pirates It is nothing more than a faint memory.
Steelers Now: OK, our guys took a look at the ’90s. Now, they’re projecting who they’ll see this fall: the 53-man roster of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
NHL Trade Talks, News and National Hockey Now
Ottawa Citizen: Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios said trade rumors are intensifying. The GMs are talking. and things are to get serious.
DFO: The purchase candidates. I don’t necessarily agree with Frank Seravalli’s (Pierre-Luc Dubois) number one candidate, but he makes a good case. There are a few others, including Joonas Korpisalo and Barclay Goodrow. Seravalli even mentions Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry. Here is your list.
If Goodrow hits the UFA market, he would be an interesting option for the Penguins, at the right price, of course. However, he only scored four goals in 80 games. But why does he score so many in the playoffs?
Sportsnet: Guy Boucher has had a wild ride as an NHL coach. The Toronto Maple Leafs hired Craig Berube as head coach a few weeks ago and now Boucher is outside of a job.
We’ve been waiting for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to make their hire. It has yet to materialize, despite a report linking former Northern Michigan coach Grant Potulny to the job. I don’t know if Boucher would come into the picture or not. He was unemployed for five years, between getting fired in Ottawa and hiring him as an assistant in Toronto (at least according to Wikipedia and the Elite Prospects bio page).
TSN: For those of you in the draft, London Knights prospect Sam Dickinson isn’t shy about telling you about himself: “I don’t think there’s a D that has everything that I have.” OK so. Here’s more than one of the NHL’s best defensemen of 2024. eraser class.
I’m not sure if I love or hate that attitude. A veteran will attack him and then quickly learn the quantum leap between the OHL and the AHL or even the NHL. But I like the spirit.
Florida Hockey Now: We’re back for Game 5 in Florida after Edmonton absolutely stomped Florida in Game 4. Have things changed in the series? Connor McDavid says the Edmonton Oilers have no pressure on Game 5.
Philly Hockey Now: Sure, I’d take my chances. Morgan Frost, the player John Tortorella called “a toilet seat” last season because he was up and down, up and down, had a spectacular season this year. However, that only means that his name is more prominent in the NHL trade rumors.
Boston Hockey Now: I’m posting this because it parallels the Penguins. The young players, the next generation, are coming. Despite trying every year, the next wave of Boston Bruins It’s almost ready.
Now it’s time to decide where to go next. Anywhere with higher elevation and lots of shade.