The center of the NHL trade chatter over the weekend was not Dallas or Detroit, but some confirmation that the Winnipeg Jets are indeed trading elite goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. On the trade chatter front, there’s a bit more on the Elias Pettersson stuff that essentially puts the speculation to bed. Anthony Mantha is among the top-ranked free agents remaining, and we expanded on our running opinion this summer that it’s time for the Penguins to move on from the big-name trade chase and embrace their situation.

I’ll be on WPXI Final Word tonight. So, there’s that. I’ll do my best to deliver an entertaining appearance, though I don’t suppose we’ll be talking hockey.

And, I booked a little vacation. I’ll have my laptop as I always do, but it’s something I’ve made into my annual trip. During this trip two years ago, the Penguins traded for Cody Glass, and I missed dinner plans to write the story and spent the next day in the hotel writing more. Last year, the Penguins acquired Matt Dumba during my travel, and I was talking to sources and writing the story from the side of the road with my flashers blinking at a high point in Cherry Springs State Park, where I could get a cell signal.

So buckle up for the big news of the summer over the next few days.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: It’s an expansion of a core idea, but the explanation left a few behind who didn’t like it. Others, very much did. It’s time to move on from the big-name chases; it’s time for the Penguins and general manager Kyle Dubas to embrace their situation. Here’s the Penguins opinion.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: Saturday began the MLB Draft, and the Buccos snagged a college player that a lot of people have some high hopes for. So, here’s the pick and what we can expect from the Pirates’ draft pick.

Steelers Now: Derrick Bell, not of Operation Shutdown, has five key areas that could improve for the 2026 Pittsburgh Steelers.

NHL Trade Chatter, News, & National Hockey Now

Winnipeg Free Press: A 95% chance that Connor Hellebuyck is traded? And, the Penguins played a role, too. That’s what beat writer Mike McIntyre reports, and he spilled the tea as to why he believes Hellebuyck is a goner.

NHLtraderumors.me: Our favorite aggregator, Dave Littman, had a busy day digging through a few stories. He has more from Vancouver as reporter Rick Dhaliwal on Oilers Now (no relation to Hockey Now), reported that Pettersson doesn’t want to leave Vancouver, and the organization has tried to trade him but has not asked him to waive his no-trade clause. The report basically pulled Elias Pettersson off the trade block.

Also, beware. There are some headlines out there reporting that Anthony Mantha and the Montreal Canadiens are in negotiations. They are fake. Unfortunately, the source of the story is one of those anonymous X accounts that has long been fake but poses as an “insider.”

NHL.com: Here’s a real story–the top UFAs still available include the aforementioned Mantha and Patrick Kane at the top of the list.

No, that is not a list with a lot of talent.

Florida Hockey Now: The Florida Panthers couldn’t keep all of their free agents and salaries. After earning a couple of Stanley Cup rings, Sergei Bobrovsky and Evan Rodrigues have departed this offseason. Matthew Tkachuk had some thoughts about the Panthers’ losses.

ESPN: How about a $20 million per season payday? It might be coming with some heavy-duty UFAs who could hit the market, such as Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar. What kind of salaries are we going to see in the very near future?

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