We are close to changing “this season” to “last season.” It is tradition in hockey writing that after the Stanley Cup has been awarded and a day following the captain’s skate with Lord Stanley, the wording changes. For Game 6 Sunday, the VGK have made their goalie choice. Also in the Daily, Pierre LeBrun chummed the NHL trade chatter by reporting that Dylan Larkin expanded his list of acceptable teams for a trade. The New Jersey Devils are testing the market to see what goalie Jacob Markstrom is worth, and the Pittsburgh Penguins traded previously unhappy prospect Emil Pieniniemi.
Tonight, the Stanley Cup is in the building. If you have never been to a Cup game with the Cup packed away neatly in that soft red cushioned velvet, it has an energy. A drumbeat that calls to everyone. Chills will and do cover you from head to toe. Everyone from the fans to the players can feel its presence. It’s an experience unto itself. Let’s do this.
First, let me tell you about an action packed 30-minute ride Saturday. Rather than take a long ride north, I took a lap around the city, starting with a slice of pizza in the Strip. I must say, some people really need to learn how to drive in an urban environment because my ride ended in a belly laugh, but it began a little uneasy when I tried to ride past the arena. An SUV ran a red light at the new FNB Tower (where there are parallel lights) forcing me to take a left turn I didn’t want. At least the car behind me absolutely let the driver have it.
I rolled through the Hill District and it looks like the revitalization is growing. I saw a wild turkey in North Oakland. A big ol’ gobbler, too (?!). I took the twisty part of the Schenley Park course, then down past the Bob O’Connor course back into Oakland, through Bloomfield and the Strip District where I witnessed not one but two people absolutely block traffic on Penn for an extended time by attempting to parallel park.
And the Hall of Fame of bad driving was completed while I sat at a red light on Liberty and watched a woman in a brand new SUV, still with temp tags, back straight into a light pole. Of course, why she backed into the pole made me chuckle because she was otherwise going to back into oncoming traffic or across two lanes and into a line of stopped traffic without a space. There was nowhere for her to go, but she was going anyway.
Despite getting out to check her damage, she didn’t pop her taillight back into place. I know this because a few minutes later she passed me near the Convention Center, getting on the Ft. Pitt, with her taillight still swinging in the breeze held by a lonely black wire. If we had caught a red light, I would have fixed it for her, but ultimately, I ended my ride just laughing and thankful for that initial red light, lest I would have been under her SUV.
If you’re reading this, madame, it will take 10 seconds to pop the light back on, but consider checking your surroundings … before backing into traffic.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Whew, let’s do the hockey. The Pittsburgh Penguins traded fading prospect Emil Pieniniemi to the Florida Panthers for an interesting return, who was an Olympian for Team Slovakia. Very interesting return, actually. Here’s the deal and the full Penguins analysis.
I didn’t realize this until after I published my story, but the new Penguin was the one who called the Tkachuk brothers “scumbags” during the Olympics. Take it for what you will.
If you missed our weekend stories, here is the semi-viral piece on the connections for a potential Darnell Nurse – Penguins trade.
And the NHL Awards, the vote tally, and my ballot.
I was made aware of a controversy in Colorado Saturday. One Colorado voter basically voted for all Avalanche players for the Lady Byng, and skewed her other awards for the Avalanche. I can only say, gee thanks. Thanks for making the rest of us who agonize and take real time for that process look bad. Her local chapter chair should never allow her to vote again, and we, as a writers’ union, should issue a public statement affirming such punishment. The only way that never happens again is if we take a hard line and embarrass such unprofessional nonsense.
Pittsburgh Baseball Now: The Buccos rallied from down two, and Spencer Horowitz earned a battle scar as the Pittsburgh Pirates won.
NHL Trade Chatter, News, & National Hockey Now
TSN: The biggest trade story of the summer. Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman asked Dylan Larkin for more teams. Pierre LeBrun reports Larkin agreed. And so there are more teams now in the Larkin sweepstakes.
Detroit Hockey Now: Pay special attention to this story. Trust me. Could the Red Wings find a deal for Larkin with the Dallas Stars? Bob Duff pens a prescient piece on the Red Wings trade talks.
TSN Video: Carter Hart spoke to the media. He’s allowed more than four goals in every game this series, but Vegas will stick with him. Hart also addressed “those” chants from Carolina, and Darren Dreger gave him props for his answers.
New Jersey Hockey Now: Goaltending has been an issue with the New Jersey Devils despite acquiring Jacob Markstrom a couple of seasons ago. So, new GM Sunny Mehta is taking the temperature, gauging the market, to see if he can move Markstrom in a Devils trade.
Florida Hockey Now: Goalies, you say? The Florida Panthers need a goaltender because they have not yet re-signed Sergei Bobrovsky. If they don’t, Alan Greenberg looked at the free agent goalies.
It sure looks like Stuart Skinner is going to cash in, bigly. Somewhere. And good for him.
The Athletic ($): Jordan Kyrou. It is believed he wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause for the Ottawa Senators, but Jeremy Rutherford writes about a few destinations including the New York Islanders, the new Blues GM, and if St. Louis will re-sign Dillan Dube. It’s a boatload.
Sportsnet: And my apologies, I forgot to include this story yesterday despite including it in my lede paragraph. There are four primary buyout candidates in the NHL. Here they are.
Tags: dylan larkin nhl trade Pittsburgh Penguins Vegas Golden Knights
Categorized:Links NHL Trade Rumors Pittsburgh Penguins