The Pittsburgh Penguins perfectly executed a news drip Tuesday as they announced several new contracts, including a pair of RFAs and a free agent Czech defenseman with ties to president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas. With the help of Blood Sweat and Tears, we looked at why the Penguins’ coaching vacancies remain unfilled. Elsewhere in the Daily, former Penguins in Vancouver have set themselves up for a payday this summer, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Nashville Predators pulled the first trade of the offseason, and Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer will turn to prayer to defend Connor McDavid.
I needed an extra slab of chocolate cake, which was not forthcoming Tuesday. More changes are coming to the network, some temporary. We met with tech experts downtown yesterday and got some bad news, forcing us to take action to protect our financial stability. The thing they don’t tell you when you start a business is you have to be a boss, and that means you’re alone to make decisions and deliver bad news.
Between being forced to spend thousands to fight for the Pittsburgh Baseball Now domain (someone bought it before the Sports Now Group moved forward so they could hold the previous owners/us hostage and the “human” demanded I give them all of our financials to prove Bob Nutting isn’t paying us. Oh, and stop using the term “prospects.” Total insanity), and the attempted extortion for Utah Hockey Now, which we squashed, it has been a two-week storm. I think I truly resent humans who try to take from others. When it is all over, if I’m able, I’ll tell you all about it.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Catch a painted pony on the spinning wheel ride. There are still a handful of NHL coaching gigs open, and the Penguins are caught waiting on the coaching carousel. But there remain two candidates with ties to Dubas to fill those Penguins coaching vacancies.
First up, Jack St. Ivany. He got a new contract, surprisingly a three-year bargain deal. Jonathan Gruden was next. Here are the in-house Penguins signings.
Then Dubas reached into his past to snag a solidly built Czech defenseman who bolted the Toronto organization last summer. The third and last signing of the day was defenseman Filip Kral.
Pittsburgh Baseball Now: I looked down, it was 6-2 Giants in the 9th. I looked up, it was 6-6?! The Pirates won 7-6, and Oneil Cruz hit a trio of triple-digit mph rockets. “I was really pissed off,” said the Pirates left fielder.
Get this–Barry Bonds will headline the 2024 Pirates Hall of Fame class.
I don’t like it—not one bit. If you cheat the game that badly, you should not be honored. Though he beat the federal charges, there is little doubt that he cheated baseball.
NHL Trade, News & National Hockey Now
Nashville Hockey Now: A little surprise move on the NHL trade front. Ryan McDonagh is a Nashville Predator no more. He’s headed back to Tampa Bay for draft capital in the Predators trade.
McDonagh took some heat last season as slowing down and nearing the end, so this is a bit surprising, but Tampa Bay generally knows what they’re doing. It will be curious to see if the defenseman rebounds or if Tampa Bay regrets giving up anything.
And from our boys in Nashville, if you want the Penguins to sign Matt Duchene this summer, this is an interesting read. Duchene lit up the scoreboard with Dallas this season and is in the Conference Final. However, one year later, here’s why the Predators were right to buy out Duchene.
Philly Hockey Now: Ouch. It was a bit controversial at the moment because Philly was solidly in a playoff spot when they started trading away players. However, Jon Bailey writes that the Colorado Avalanche were officially fleeced in the Sean Walker deal. The Philadelphia Flyers won big.
San Jose Hockey Now: Macklin Celebrini will be the first overall pick at the 2024 NHL Draft. However, where would scouts put him in the deep 2023 draft? Sheng Peng did some digging and got some answers about the future San Jose Sharks cornerstone.
The Athletic ($): Thomas Drance wrote about three Vancouver Canucks free agents who set themselves up well for a summer payday. All three are former Penguins, Ian Cole, Sam Lafferty, and Teddy Blueger, who might get a healthy payday.
I already know what you’re going to comment. Yes, Ian Cole’s tenure in Pittsburgh seemed to go much better on the ice than off.
