Rangers-Wings Brawl; New Hughes Details; Penguins Potential

The Pittsburgh Penguins have real potential this season. We learned several things in Stockholm, including a bit more about the team’s mental makeup. And if you’d like, we also did a little travel blog, too. Elsewhere in the Daily, a partial bench-clearing brawl between the Rangers and Red Wings, Erik Karlsson was mentioned in Toronto trade speculation, and a few new details emerged regarding the freak injury to New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes.

This weary traveler walked in his front door around 11 p.m. last night. By the time the not-on-time city bus rolled to the airport, it was almost 10 p.m. The carry-on luggage is still zipped tightly, but I feel pretty good. I managed to sleep on the flights over and not sleep too much on the flights back.

I’m curious how my body will respond to regular octane coffee and American beers. I’ll take them in that order today. Shelly Anderson has Penguins practice coverage, but I very well might make an appearance just to get the legs moving.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: We learned a few things about the Penguins in Stockholm. I hope you enjoyed our coverage from over there–three of us made the trek (The Athletic, DK, and this guy), but this was the point at which the Penguins’ season could go sideways. After a few good games that were Ls, this was when they should have succumbed. Instead, they earned three of four points, and here is what we learned about these Pittsburgh Penguins.

And for some fun, here is my Swedish travel blog. As one commenter noted, nothing went wrong. There were no Mr. Bean moments or no “uh oh, how do I fix this” moments. I ate reindeer, moose, and elk. I drank Irish coffee in a 700-year-old prison that’s now a cafe, and dined by candlelight. It aw an interesting visit to a very interesting country.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

Detroit Hockey Now: FIGHT! FIGHT! The picture is pretty awesome. Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick didn’t mince words afterward. The Red Wing shot a puck into the net after the horn, and “The guys did the right thing.” It was a partial bench-clearing brawl.

Sportsnet: First, the Headlines Segment, in which Elliotte Friedman laid out the parameters by which the Toronto Maple Leafs would make a trade.

And then, Erik Karlsson trade speculation started. No, I won’t link to it for one reason: Uh, the Penguins are winning, while Toronto is struggling. If you were Karlsson, would you approve that deal? Further, the Penguins and Kyle Dubas would have no incentive to take on Maple Leafs cast-offs or Morgan Reilly in exchange for Karlsson. The proposed trades in the public sphere neither made the Penguins better now, nor in the future.

New Jersey Hockey Now: I hate when the rumor mavens double-speak and tease. Well, a team could be in on this player if he becomes available and if they need him, or they could wait for something better if it becomes available and if they need it. Just say you haven’t heard anything but it makes sense, all right?

Anyway, to James Nichols’ story on NJHN, which has now migrated to Sportsnaut as part of our Franchise section. The Devils are without Jack Hughes for eight weeks, and there are Devils trade winds.

There were also new details on what in the world happened at the team dinner and the injury to Jack Hughes.

NHL.com: Zamboni, the son of the ice reserfacing inventor, who ran the company for the last 50 years, has passed away at 93.

In honor, sir, the best Zamboni in hockey–The Lehigh Valley Phantoms:

Tags: nhl trade Pittsburgh Penguins