The complete 23-man roster is set, and we put the Pittsburgh Penguins under the microscope, the breakout and disappointment candidates. Elsewhere in the Daily, the fallout from the brawl in Florida continued as the league wants a say, too. Sportsnet laid out the nine pressing storylines of the NHL season. Adrian Kempe is the latest to want a hefty extension. The Flyers made a significant trade, and Nick Robertson 's future or potential trade is again at the center of great debate in Toronto .
And we're on the road again. I'm off to New York today, and I think I've finally perfected my NYC trips. Rather than the sometimes backside-numbing, hair-raising six-hour drive that becomes more of a game of Mario Kart when you reach New Jersey with expensive, unsecured parking in Newark, I'm driving to Harrisburg this morning and catching the Amtrak from there. For reasons unbeknownst to me, I can drive to Harrisburg as fast as the train, then get a much less expensive rail direct to Penn Station.
I couldn't think of a better roadie to begin the season, though my last trip in and out of New York City this summer was more of a humanitarian eye-opener and tug upon even these decaying heartstrings.
However, as a writer and reporter, I find myself entirely disinterested in the Mike Sullivan angle. It had grown stale in Pittsburgh. You're glad he's no longer the coach. There are some players who felt the same (and some players did not), but the situation was obviously over. It wasn't like he left the Penguins abruptly or that general manager Kyle Dubas exercised a heavy-handed power play and fired him.
If you'd like to know how difficult our job could be covering Sullivan, he declared that he would remain as coach about a week before he wasn't.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: We begin the look forward to the season with a preview of the Penguins' lines and some projections with disappointments and breakouts. Which rookie will pop 10 goals and 40 points? Which free agent might find himself in the press box? The P nguins' projections know.
Unsurprisingly, all five waived players cleared on Sunday. Ryan Graves , Sam Poulin , Alex Alexeyev, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, and Boko Imama will report to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins .
I was hoping against hope that Poulin would be claimed–I'd like to see the young man get a fresh start and a chance. I was curious if a team would snag Alexeyev because he can be a physical defenseman, but he looked a step slow. Ultimately, Harvey-Pinard really tailed off in preseason after an eye-popping start to camp.
PHN+: I had one of those moments Saturday morning. I spent a couple of hours writing a long roster predictions story–who would make it and who wouldn't, and why. I was putting the finishing touches on it when the Penguins announced their final cuts.
D'oh! So, for our subscribers, you can get a look at the raw story, complete with some inside nuggets and analysis regarding the potential Penguins roster .
I was made aware of the ad situation for our loyal subscribers. I'll make sure to discuss with tech–I think you can expect a very ad-reduced version, like the Wall Street Journal. I was just happy enough that they figured out the email situation and most of the subscriber issues–if you're still having an issue logging in, let me know!
NHLrumors.me: Today will be quite interesting on the goalie market. One or three GMs are going to regret standing pat on the trade market as three desirable goalies hit the waiver wire Sunday .
I know what you're thinking, and no, I don't see Dubas putting in a claim on Michael DiPietro or Clay Stevenson . But.. I could be wrong.
Florida Hockey Now: The league handed down punishment (fines) to four Tampa Bay Lightning players for the brawl on Saturday. Our buddy George Richards dug deeper into the old-time hockey spectacle, the crazy stats from the Bolts and Florida Panthers donnybrook.
New Jersey Hockey Now: The New Jersey Devils also exposed a young goalie to waivers, and they are holding their breath on Nico Daws .
TSN Video: Don't drive angry. It's Groundhog Day for Nick Robertson, who had a good preseason, but will he stick in the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup, or am I going to be putting him on Penguins trade target lists all season ?
Sportsnet: The nine storylines the folks up north are watching this season. And yes, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin trade talk is on the list. They're…kind of mundane .
Chicago Hockey Now: Hellooo Matt Grzelcyk . After waiting until the 11th hour, the last minute, and the final seconds to sign a PTO, Grzelcyk earned a one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks .
Philly Hockey Now: Alas, Ryan Ellis, Philadelphia barely knew thee. GM Da iel Briere traded the essentially retired defenseman to the San Jose Sharks . The return was less important than the mountain of cap space that the Philadelphia Flyers just recouped.
If it wasn't Philly, I think a lot of you would really appreciate their rebuilding. Briere is going about things methodically and decisively. I don't think he's made a big mistake yet. Of course, it's easier to rebuild when you have no choice.
Detroit Hockey Now: ASP! The rookies are arriving in Detroit as GM Steve Yzerman's final cuts included veterans, but not a trio of rookies who are a bit green but talented. The rebuild took a step forward Sunday for the Detroit Red Wings .
But will it be a big enough step? *Cue the ominous organ music.
The post Dan's Daily: Flyer Trade; Goalies on Waivers; Penguins Breakout Candidates appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now .
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