The Pittsburgh Penguins took center stage Thursday, but it was not a blockbuster trade, nor bold proclamations that snared the headlines. Instead, it was signing prospect Ville Koivunen to an eight-year contract. The news and general manager Kyle Dubas’s explanations are below. Elsewhere in the Daily, the NHL trade rumors are growing in the midst of the barren August wasteland as Quinn Hughes has not yet signed an extension in Minnesota and our New Jersey colleagues put together the trade cost if the New Jersey Devils make a run. The Philadelphia Flyers also signed a 23-year-old second-year player, but gave him far less money. And a new team picked up the Wheeling Nailers as their ECHL affiliate.

The Daily was a little late this AM as I did a hit on 93-7 the Fan to discuss the Koivunen matter. I’ll write a column for today, too. I wanted to give it a moment to digest before dashing off thoughts, but many of you picked up on Dubas’s answers and the circular nature of them. It is a difficult contract to parse, and the shrugs that the Penguins can get out of it easily overlook one very important factor…

But I should also point out–my vacation streak is intact! Dan takes an overnight trip in August, and the Penguins make news. It’s like clockwork. From Matt Dumba to Cody Glass and Rutger McGroarty, usually it’s a trade, but we got a whopper of a contract this year instead.

Also, I plan to take a short trip next week, too.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Here are the details. An eight-year contract for Ville Koivunen.

We participated with a handful of other local outlets in an email exchange with Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas. The answers were interesting, and some of you noted the contradictory nature of one of them. Here are his responses as he answered to the Koivunen contract.

And some good news for those of you who cared–the Wheeling Nailers got an NHL affiliation.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

New Jersey Hockey Now: So, let’s just hypothetically say the New Jersey Devils notice that contract talks are stalled and they don’t want to wait until free agency next July. Here’s what a Devils trade would cost.

Philly Hockey Now: Soooo, the Philadelphia Flyers also signed a 23-year-old RFA Thursday. They gave him a lot less term and a lot … a lot less money. It was a fair deal for Nikita Grebenkin.

Florida Hockey Now: You can’t go home again? Maybe. Maybe not. To revive their Stanley Cup hopes, some important players have come back to the Florida Panthers.

Sportsnet: And let’s grade the offseasons of the stacked–very stacked–Atlantic Division.

NHL.com: Is it time to start watching the consensus top overall pick in the 2027 draft? If so, Landon DuPont is gearing up to begin his college career, and here’s more on the big fish at next summer’s draft.

As Jeff Hatthorn asked me on the air–Where does Koivunen fit? I just … There’s a lot that doesn’t fit right now.

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