The annual August chatter. Perhaps it is becoming a benchmark of the season, like the first leaf falling or the first frost, but the Montreal media has again resurrected the Sidney Crosby trade talk. We’ve got that bit of fun as well as Vince Comunale’s feature piece on the coming spate of new arenas and how the Pittsburgh Penguins’ past will affect their future. Elsewhere in the Daily, the Detroit Red Wings GM search is starting to yield some candidates, and Red Wings D-man Moritz Seider ripped his team.
Hey, it’s August. It hasn’t been easy keeping the wheels turning. But I do think we’ve put out better-quality work than in previous Augusts by getting into some real research stories that are also fun. I hope you’ve enjoyed.
Quick story. Today, I have my friend’s third annual muumuu party, where everyone must wear the ugliest possible muumuu or mumu, if you will. This is the friend group where anything goes, and no roast is off-limits. It’s my cup of tea. Of course, in Year 1, my custom-made mumu with my TV head all over it was a hit. In Year 2, others upped the game with some wild imagery and South Park inclusions. Year 3…I used AI to create some raunchy photos, but they weren’t funny. So, I went back to my favorite subject: Me. You get to see it before they do:
With this job, I do not get to see the people in my life nearly enough. In fact, from October through May, I barely see people outside the hockey sphere at all. And as people age, get married, and settle in, geez, they get dull. But as long as you keep some friends who will make you wear a mumu and drink bottles of champagne and beer while eating stacks of pizza, at least once a year, life is OK.
Feel free to steal the idea for your friend group. It’s a blast … And I just realized that I should have used Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, too. Oh well, next year. On to hockey.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: How much longer will PPG Paints Arena last? There’s new development on the Hill, and real estate is moving. There is a coming wave of new arenas in hockey that will not include the Penguins. So, here’s the full arena story.
Steelers Now: All of the attention was on the Steelers’ young QBs Friday night. Will Howard played the first half. Drew Allar played the entire second half. Yet, the Steelers mustered only a missed field goal. After last week’s wave of enthusiasm for both, today is different. Alan Saunders takes aim at the situation, Howard’s stumbles, and Allar’s struggles in some sharp Steelers analysis.
Howard looked a lot like Mason Rudolph, but not as polished. That was tough to watch. And the more I watch Allar, the more I wonder if they actually had coaches at Penn State. He has a world of talent and abysmal technique from snap to whistle.
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
NHLtraderumors.me: Four potential candidates for the Detroit Red Wings gig. The names are emerging, though we don’t yet know about interviews or process, just yet. Here’s who to watch in the early stages.
Detroit Hockey Now: Also, Moritz Seider had a little crack for his team. He wants Dylan Larkin to stay but understands it’s not his call. However, Seider also poked his team for “falling asleep” in two straight seasons to miss the playoffs. It’s not kind, but it is the best analysis of the Detroit Red Wings.
Spector’s Hockey: The Sid Sixerio show. Sidney Crosby trade rumors. He’ll get sick of Kyle Dubas. He’ll want out of Pittsburgh. And, of course, he’ll want to come to Montreal. That’s the line–here you go, if you dare, the Crosby trade talk never dies.
New Jersey Hockey Now: That new fifth year of eligibility for NCAA players is creating some decisions. Actually, it’s creating the need for paperwork. Just like Cruz Lucius, who didn’t do the paperwork to become a UFA (why?) and needed to be traded because the Penguins retained his rights, the New Jersey Devils have a prospect in limbo, too. Go back to Europe or turn pro with the New Jersey Devils. Hmm.
Boston Hockey Now: I have avoided participating in the widespread public criticism of The Athletic’s U23 ranking, but almost no one was happy with it. Jack Studley levied some criticism, with receipts, about undervaluing some pretty good Boston Bruins players.
San Jose Hockey Now: Some thought Otto Stenberg should have been the first overall pick, and his play at the World Championships did nothing to dissuade that opinion. Sheng Peng spoke with some scouts. What should the San Jose Sharks expect in Year 1?
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