PHN did a deep dive on the Pittsburgh Penguins prospects Thursday, including parsing comments by Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas and sizing up which prospects took a big step this season and which might be in trouble. And for 40 minutes Thursday night, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins looked extraordinary, but then choked away a 3-0 lead in a stunning overtime loss. In better news, the Canadian Hockey League picked their 50 best players of the last 50 years, and the Penguins dominated the poll with nine players and the top TWO spots.
Elsewhere in the Daily, the Dallas Stars are dealing with salary cap hell and still have to sign Jason Robertson. The Dallas Morning News tried to put four players on the NHL trade block to make a Robertson signing possible. The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly still interested in Vincent Trocheck, and the Columbus Blue Jackets firmly rejected trade offers for Charlie Coyle before signing him to a lengthy extension.
I flipped off the WBS Pens game for the start of the Vegas-Anaheim game and missed the third period whoopsy in order to see Mitch Marner score the filthiest goal I’ve seen all season.
If any of you are finally ready to get your motorcycles cleaned and ready to go, I’ve been riding mine around the city when it’s not raining, but I’m thinking … road trip to Indianapolis for qualifying? Of course, I say that every year, and I have literally never gone to Indy for qualifying. It is hallowed ground to me, but it just never happens. The hotels are abysmal in the area, and even the ones in Ohio that are on the way are so bad that they don’t have to worry about bedbugs … because not even the bugs will stay there.
Maybe I get a wild hair today. I hope I do.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Mario. Sidney. Not Wayne and Connor. The CHL has been running a poll with an esteemed media panel and some fan voting, too, to name the top 50 Canadian junior hockey players of the last 50 years. The voting criteria factored in their NHL careers, international achievements, and their junior career. Guess who finished No. 1 and 2? Yes, but first place wasn’t Sidney Crosby.
A few Penguins prospects are hitting their +5 years, which means statistically it is make or break time because it will be five years since their draft day. However, Kyle Dubas seemed quite upbeat about several players. So, who is in trouble, who stepped up late in the season, and who seems like a lock next season? Grab a fork and dig into our Penguins prospects projections.
WBS and Sergei Murashov allowed three third-period goals and had to go to overtime. Then this ridiculous goal. Just bad luck to lose it. The series with Springfield is now tied 1-1. However, Bill Zonnon scored again–he’s two for two.
The goal will count. What a weird bounce, but that’s hockey!
Springfield stuns the #WBSPens and evens the series at 1-1 on a goal credited to Akil Thomas.@InsideAHLHockey pic.twitter.com/snHm3eGXEI
— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) May 15, 2026
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
NHLtraderumors.me: The CBJ dished six years and $36 million to 34-year-old Charlie Coyle. Over the last few months, teams have been trying to pry Coyle out of Columbus. The trade offers were there. Teams had been calling, and Don Waddell said no.
The NHL trade chatter seems to make sense here. The Toronto Maple Leafs are still kicking tires on 32-year-old Vincent Trocheck. Darren Dreger dropped the scoop on a radio show:
https://x.com/Leafslatest/status/2055041630520979689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2055041630520979689%7Ctwgr%5Eddf3987409a823e40a63200043e6c81510ee65aa%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nhltraderumors.me%2F2026%2F05%2Fstunning-maple-leafs-rumor-has-them.html
Dallas Morning News: I’m loathe to criticize colleagues or media outlets when they do an earnest job covering hockey. But as the DMN examines the Stars’ cap hell, they haven’t done the math well. Jason Robertson wants $12 million or more like Mikko Rantanen, but Dallas has only $11 million in cap space. So, DMN laid out the players that GM Jim Nill could trade away–while the paper’s math is short (as Dallas also needs to fill four roster spots), you can see how bad the situation is and why Robertson just might be available.
TSN: The Sedin twins are still joined at the hip in Vancouver. The owners named them co-presidents as Jim Rutherford steps down, they quickly hired a GM and put the org on notice that they are evaluating everything.
The Mitch Marner goal. Ridiculous. Guess he wasn’t the problem in Toronto, eh?
MITCH MARNER WITH THE ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING BREAKAWAY GOAL OH MY GOODNESS 😱🤢 pic.twitter.com/yuExArJm91
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 15, 2026
Vegas Hockey Now: Here’s the full story as the Vegas Golden Knights stomped Anaheim in Game 6, winning the series.
Sportsnet: Mark Spector doesn’t shy from tough questions. Edmonton fired coach Kris Knoblauch at 8 a.m. (so it was 6 a.m. local time), and Spector writes just how enormous this hire will be for the team–they need someone to get their best.
Philly Hockey Now: No trade rumors. Tamping down concerns of discontent. Flyers GM Daniel (Danny?) Briere put his full support behind Matvei Michkov.
Forever Blueshirts: What could have been? A late season series between the New York teams ultimately led to a Calder Trophy, a playoff chase, and a player who will be around for a long while. The New York Islanders got swept in a two-game series late last season, and that was the difference of getting Matthew Schaefer?!
Montreal Hockey Now: And…the kids up north are doing pretty well. The Buffalo Sabres are searching for answers after the Montreal Canadiens embarrassed them in Game 5.
Tags: Charlie Coyle nhl trade Penguins Prospects Pittsburgh Penguins
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