Pittsburgh Penguins / NHL category, Page 304
U mad, bro?: Readers pop off about Penguins trades, Pirates’ Ray Searage, NFL replay
In this week’s “U mad, bro?” readers pop off about Pirates pitching, defend Jim Rutherford, and attack instant replay. Greg wasn’t a fan of my thoughts on Jim Rutherford’s mixed messages about any more potential trades. A GM isnt being honest with the media and fans..this is a stunning event....in...
Trophy haul for Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov at NHL Awards event
LAS VEGAS — Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov won the Hart Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award on Wednesday night, receiving the NHL’s highest honors for his 128-point regular season for the Lightning. The Russian right wing also formally picked up the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s top scorer at...
Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov tops Penguins’ Sidney Crosby in NHL MVP voting
Coming into the NHL’s annual postseason awards ceremony Wednesday night, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby didn’t think he had a great shot at winning his third Hart Trophy as league MVP. His assessment was right on the money. Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, who won the scoring title by 12 points...
5 names to remember at forward for the NHL Draft
When scouts talk about this year’s NHL Draft being deep, they primarily are talking about forwards. It’s a talented crop headlined by a handful of stars from the U.S. National Team Development Program. That depth could cause an extremely talented player to drop to the Penguins at pick No. 21....
Can Penguins reach their offseason goals without trading Phil Kessel?
If the Pittsburgh Penguins had been able to trade winger Phil Kessel to the Minnesota Wild as general manager Jim Rutherford intended last month, it would have revealed the message the team was sending about its plans to bounce back from a disappointing finish to last season. More hunger and...
First Call: Penguins rivals making moves; ‘He Hate Me’ is safe
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” there’s news about two rivals of the Penguins. “He Hate Me” has been found. And Trevor Williams isn’t the only guy making a comeback Wednesday at PNC Park. What are they up to? The Flyers are making moves. Philadelphia acquired San Jose Sharks defenseman Justin Braun...
Penguins trade chatter doesn’t take Sidney Crosby by surprise
As a disappointing end to the season gave way to a summer filled with trade talk surrounding even cornerstone players such as Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby wasn’t surprised. Three of his 14 NHL seasons ended with a parade, which means 11 didn’t. He knew...
North Huntingdon’s Austen Swankler awaits NHL Draft
North Huntingdon native Austen Swankler did quite a bit to catch the attention of NHL teams in the past year. Now all that’s left to do is wait to hear if one of them calls his name this weekend. Swankler, a 6-foot, 181-pound forward, is a candidate to be selected...
Penguins set dates for annual prospect development camp
The Pittsburgh Penguins will hold their annual prospect development camp next week at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. Admission to all practices is free and open to the public. The highlight of the camp is a three-on-three tournament, which will begin at 7 p.m. June 28. On-ice sessions...
5 names to remember in goal at the NHL Draft this weekend
With undrafted 20-year-old Alex D’Orio the only developmental goalie in the system, it’s entirely possible the Pittsburgh Penguins will use a draft choice at the position this weekend. Amateur scouting has been part of goalie development coach Andy Chiodo’s duties. Here is a list of five names to remember at...
Former Penguins defenseman Rob Scuderi takes coaching job
Former Penguins defenseman Rob Scuderi is getting into coaching. Scuderi, who retired in 2017, will be the defense development coach for the Nashville Predators, the team announced Tuesday. Scuderi, 40, played parts of eight seasons with the Penguins from 2003-15 and was a cornerstone of the 2009 Stanley Cup championship...
Penguins to open preseason against Sabres at Penn State
The Pittsburgh Penguins will open their preseason schedule Monday, Sept. 16, against the Buffalo Sabres at Penn State’s Pegula Ice Arena. It will be the second visit to the arena for the Penguins, who faced Buffalo there in 2017. The game will count as a home game for the Sabres,...
Blackhawks reporter: Penguins winger Dominik Kahun worthy of positive reviews
I’ve given a wholehearted endorsement of the Penguins-Blackhawks trade. It feels like most fans and media types in Pittsburgh have, as well. Are we perhaps overrating Dominik Kahun as the return for Olli Maatta, though? Well, if you are expecting Mark Recchi circa 1991, maybe. But if you are buying...
Tim Benz: Sifting through Jim Rutherford’s mixed messages about Penguins
Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is sure sending a lot of smoke signals. Either that or Rome is burning. Maybe both. For the first time since 2006, a Penguins season ended without the team securing at least one playoff victory. And after the season ended, Rutherford said changes needed to...
Deep draft could be boon for prospect-depleted Penguins
Over the last decade-plus, the Pittsburgh Penguins have treated their first-round draft pick like a colonoscopy appointment. They know they should make it. They know it’s important for their long-term health. Ultimately, they decide to worry about it next year. Five times in the past six drafts, the Penguins traded...
Five names to remember on defense at this weekend’s NHL Draft
Here are five names to remember on defense at the NHL draft this weekend in Vancouver. — Bowen Byram: A dynamic all-around talent with great skating ability, Byram is the top defenseman in the draft by a large margin. A 17-year-old defenseman leading the WHL in playoff scoring is practically...
Newly acquired Dominik Kahun looking forward to teaming up with Penguins stars
When he heard he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the first thing forward Dominik Kahun did was pause the video game he was playing against his brother at his offseason home in Germany. The second thing he did was think about the teammates he was about to play with....
Penguins GM discusses why Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang haven’t been labeled untouchable
Looking to change up his roster after a disappointing playoff exit, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford has yet to include Evgeni Malkin or Kris Letang on a list of untouchable players in any public comments he’s made this offseason. He still hasn’t, but in a radio interview on 93.7...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden talk Olli Maatta trade, Steelers running backs, Pirates quandary
In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden and I discuss whether Jim Rutherford did the right thing by trading Olli Maatta to Chicago. We also investigate the quality of the return in Dominik Kahun. Maatta took a lot of grief in Pittsburgh. We debate whether it was warranted. Another...
Tim Benz: Even Olli Maatta defenders should endorse this Penguins trade
My first reactions to Saturday’s trade of Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta to Chicago for forward Dominik Kahun were: • What am I missing? • Are the Penguins absorbing a lot of the salary? • Is this part one of a two-part deal? So far, the answers to those questions appear...
What Maatta trade means — and doesn’t mean — for Penguins future
After the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins bludgeoned their way to the Stanley Cup Final, there was speculation heavy hockey was back in the NHL. General managers all over the league soon would be reconstructing their rosters to copycat the way the big, bad Blues claimed the franchise’s first...
Penguins trade Olli Maatta to Chicago for forward Dominik Kahun, draft pick
Shortly after the Pittsburgh Penguins were swept out of the first round of the playoffs, general manager Jim Rutherford made headlines when he said all options were on the table when it comes to returning the team to championship-contender status. One of the items on his offseason to-do list wasn’t...
3 issues Penguins, Jim Rutherford must cope with in retooling
When he traded defenseman Olli Maatta to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford jumped feet-first into the busiest time of the offseason. The NHL Draft is set for next weekend in Vancouver. On July 1, the league’s free-agent signing period opens. It’s prime time...
First Call: Strange Stanley Cup odds; Seth Meyers talks Pirates
Friday’s “First Call” features NBC’s Seth Meyers talking Pirates. Emmanuel Sanders actually saying something nice about Antonio Brown. And inconsistent odds for the Penguins and other NHL teams winning the 2020 Stanley Cup. Sliding scale The Penguins are usually one of the top offseason favorites to win the Stanley Cup....
Stanley Cup Final a hit in Pittsburgh TV market, but not as big as last year
A Stanley Cup Final matchup between the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins was popular with local television viewers, but nowhere near as popular as last season’s meeting between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights. Wednesday’s Game 7, a 4-1 victory that gave St. Louis its first Stanley...
