If Pittsburgh fans want to see the best hockey player not in the NHL, they won’t have far to go, as phenom Gavin McKenna has officially committed to Penn State. The Pittsburgh Penguins prospects dug in Monday, and we have the full analysis of who looked good, the surprises, and one high-profile prospect who didn’t shine. There are also two prospects who are quite possibly going to break through this season. Elsewhere, Marr Larkin at DFO ranked the Eastern Conference goalie tandems and the Penguins didn’t do well, the Philly Flyers took care of some blue line business, and reports have another unhappy youngster chumming the NHL trade waters.

The prospects tournament was good fun. I hope you enjoyed the videos I was able to pop onto X. Maybe next year I will pay someone to film it rather than just aiming my phone at one zone and hoping to get lucky with the shot.

We got Will Horcoff’s goals and a beauty by Bill Zonnon. Later this morning, we’ve also got more on some changes to the Penguins organization over the past year-plus that led one exec to refer to his team as the LA Dodgers.

As you read my detailed breakdown of the prospects and their skills,and if I besmirched or ignored your favorite prospect, just remember that it does not matter how many times that I’m right, it only matters that I have been wrong. I kid, I kid.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Let’s start with who and why–The pair of second round picks who may very well break through this year and become important Penguins lineup regulars.

We didn’t do a lot of feature stories in Development Camp. We’ve done those in years past and quite frankly, their parents read them and about no one else. It only matters how they perform and how close to the show they are. After a couple of days of combat and Monday’s scrimmage, we’ve got a much better idea of where everyone stands. There were some winners, some nice surprises, and one big, “uh oh.” Here’s the Development Camp edition of the Penguins prospects analysis.

Small spoiler: One of the first rounders looked great, one did not.

Steelers Now: After the Fitzpatrick trade, the Steelers got a jolt. And an attitude adjustment. So, how will Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin deploy the new Steelers secondary?

PBN+: All righty, what happens next? For our Sports Now subscribers (You have to log in at each website), how will the Buccos look after the coming MLB trade deadline? And what of Don Kelly’s future? Here’s the latest PBN+ Pirates Q&A.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

Centre Daily Times: Oh boy this is a biggie. Gavin McKenna, the 17-year-old phenom who will be the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, is about to put the blue striped domes on the hockey map. He’s headed to Penn State to play hockey this season.

Philly Hockey Now: Cam York, come on down! You’re the next contestant on The Price is Right. The RFA defenseman signed a hefty new deal with the Philadelphia Flyers.

DFO: Yikes, the Eastern Conference goalie rankings for the coming season are not kind to the Penguins. I suppose they shouldn’t be. I thought a few of you might get a kick out of them.

Sportsnet: Mark Spector is one of my favorite writers. He covers the Oilers with fairness and firmness without being combative. The Oilers have undergone a little bit of a forwards overhaul, is it enough to get them over the hump?

TSN: Travis Yost goes over the best of the remaining free agents.

Vegas Hockey Now: The Golden Knights rumors are all over the map. Emerging hockey rock star Hannah Kirkell just arrived at her new Las Vegas apartment and has been sending me pictures of all of the food available after 9 p.m. (I consider it an evil flex). She’s getting settled in Vegas and a first-hand look at the VGK rumors flying about, and the potentially troublesome Jack Eichel contract talk.

NYI Hockey Now: I can think of no better adjective to describe the Long Islanders than underrated. The fans think they’re sleighted every year, and the team often is. Russel Macias asks the big question–and has a good answer–after a big summer, are the New York Islanders underrated?

New Jersey Hockey Now: There was something that felt incomplete. There wasn’t a period at the end of the sentence, and now the summer could get explosive with Dougie Hamilton’s name popping up in the chatter. James Nichols writes, the Devils’s summer is about to get hot with the latest Devils trade rumors.