Latest RFA Rumors; How Insiders View Penguins

Have you ever wondered just how those on the inside of the hockey industry view the Pittsburgh Penguins? Pittsburgh Hockey Now asked and the story was quite a read as one insider didn’t hold back, though his review was glowing. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan was tabbed for quite the honor from Team USA. Elsewhere in the Daily, the latest NHL rumors and reports on the top 12 restricted free agents, the Carolina Hurricanes trade rumors, and the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers need a Game 7.

A reader recently asked why we charge for subscriptions in the summer. I was a little bit taken aback. Over the past few weeks, we’ve done some in-depth and in person scouting of the top prospects who came to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, we’re headed to Saginaw next week to check out Brayden Yager, and we’re headed to Las Vegas for the 2024 NHL Draft. Our piece yesterday on how insiders view the Penguins wa a prime example of how hard we work, even in the summer.

A reader even asked why we don’t cover the Pirates. Hello, Pittsburgh Baseball Now! It’s already some of the best Pirates coverage with Danny Demilio and John Perrotto.

Also, I had a good chat with Penguins top prospect Brayden Yager on Saturday. His Moose Jaw Warriors won their first WHL championship and he’s having quite the run. I’ll have that story a little bit later Sunday morning. It will be behind the PHN+ paywall to reward those who have joined this band of hockey media rebels. You can, too — here.

Use code Dan10 and get $10 off, my treat!

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The coach many Penguins fans would like to see ousted, was named to lead Team USA in the upcoming Four Nations Face-Off, as well as the 2026 Winter Olympics. A high honor for Mike Sullivan.

I had an idea for a column on Friday morning. Hey, let’s talk to a handful of the hockey insiders that might give us an honest opinion–how does the industry view the Penguins, and their attractiveness to unrestricted free agents? I asked Dave to contribute, but his first phone call to an agent was so good that it became the story. Sometimes, opinions from an independent party can really shed light on what we’re seeing. So, despite Sidney Crosby turning 37 years old and Evgeni Malkin turning 38, how will pending UFAs see the Penguins situation?

I will corroborate what Dave wrote. I, too, spoke with an agent, granting anonimty, who heaped praise on the Penguins organization. Oh, I also got a little…