The Pittsburgh Penguins had an hour-long practice on Wednesday, which itself was a bit surprising after three games in four days. The team returned Tristan Broz to the AHL, but we teed up several pressing issues and analyses, including a bit of a stunner regarding Kris Letang.
Elsewhere in the Daily, New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald sat down with a few reporters, including our James Nichols, for a roundtable talk about what in the absolute hell is going on with the New Jersey Devils and all of the NHL trade rumors. Fitzgerald didn’t pull punches. The Philadelphia Flyers are hunting goalies. Nick Kypreos’s 2.0 trade board hit the streets, and not coincidentally, there are two teams with three goalies. Should the Toronto Maple Leafs trade one of their goalies?
Oh, and the Ottawa Senators vented some frustration by drubbing the New York Rangers, who have been stomped a few times over the last week.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The news item was Tristan Broz was sent back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. We touched on that, as well as impressive numbers from the Brett Kulak-Kris Letang pairing, Evgeni Malkin’s shoulder, and revisited a trade target in the Penguins One-Timers.
Rutger McGroarty returned, kind of, on Thursday. And the boys had a long go at Penguins practice.
Philly Hockey Now: Your opponent tonight is getting roughed up lately and isn’t very happy. Our Penn Stater and Philly beat writer, Will James, gets out his red pen to grade the latest Philadelphia Flyers loss.
And Flyers goalie Dan Vladar was injured last night, too.
Steelers Now: Day 2 of no Mike Tomlin. Potential replacements and interviews are starting to emerge. Here’s the latest on the Steelers’ head coach search.
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
New Jersey Hockey Now: When the GM sits down with a few reporters to clear the air, get a few messages out in public, and take the hard questions, things are serious. Props to Fitzgerald for doing it. Our man Nichols was at the table. And there were some pointed Qs on Jacob Markstrom, Dougie Hamilton, not getting Quinn Hughes, and his job security. And there are indeed daily trade talks, according to the Devils GM.
Daily Face-Off: The Penguins’ opponent Thursday is goalie hunting. The Flyers are looking at a playoff chase, and they are hoping to upgrade their goaltending tandem. The trade hunt is on in Philly.
Sportsnet: In this trade-talk heavy edition of the Daily, Nick Kypreos put out his (usually eye-catching) trade board 2.0.
TSN: Hmm. A few teams need a goalie, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of two teams that genuinely have three. Should Toronto flip one of their netminders, and what can they get in return?
Detroit Hockey Now: It seems the Detroit Red Wings are hot on Rasmus Andersson. What will he cost the Motown brigade? The latest on the Red Wings trade pursuit.
Forever Blueshirts: Rangers fans booed their team off the ice after another huge loss. The Ottawa Senators hung an eight-spot on them in an 8-4 loss. Trouble for Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers.
Florida Hockey Now: Brace yourselves, Eastern Conference teams. Guess who is close to returning for the Florida Panthers? Yep, Matthew Tkachuk.
Tags: new jersey devils nhl trade Philadelphia flyers Pittsburgh Penguins tom fitzgerald
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