After verbally eschewing the opportunity to be active in the NHL free agent market, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas indeed splashed a little cash and did so on some unlikely recipients. A long-awaited Penguins trade finally went down, and we’ve got a full analysis of everything.

Elsewhere in the Daily, there’s too much to get to it all, but the Edmonton Oilers traded Darnell Nurse not to the Penguins, the Toronto Maple Leafs snagged Sergei Bobrovsky, the Rangers traded Vincent Trocheck, and the New Jersey Devils decided to stick it to the Utah Mammoth with an offer sheet for Barrett Hayton, and Zach Werenski perhaps made the most significant news when he pulled an Emily Litella.

That was a long day, but I hope you enjoyed it. I spent the entirety of the day at the UPMC Lemieux Complex and didn’t wrap up our video until closer to 8 p.m., but it was nice being around colleagues so we could have numerous discussions that began with, “What the…?!”

I will write a column later this morning, but it’s fair to say that many of us who cover the team are as perplexed (or waiting for more) as you are. Here’s a video version, the No Pucks Given and Penguins Live Chat:

Pittsburgh Penguins

We’re not going to list ALL of the stories. We’ll skip the Penguins UFA primer (in which we called the signing of Declan Carlile. Woohoo!) and the basic newser on Trevor van Riemsdyk.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Trade! Here’s the recap and full analysis of the Nick Robertson-Penguins trade.

Here’s the signing and analysis of the second move that really makes sense. Later in the day, Penguins AGM Jason Spezza confirmed the Penguins have been watching this player–Declan Carlile.

Big skill, maybe some big offensive, but not big defense. The Penguins tossed a nice contract at now former Vancouver Canuck, Calgary Flame, Philadelphia Flyer, and LA King, and here’s what they are getting with Andrei Kuzmenko.

The Penguins broke custom on Wednesday, and we didn’t get to chat with GM Kyle Dubas, but instead Spezza took the mic to answer questions about the Penguins’ Day 1 in free agency. In blunt assessment, I thought it was one of our very best performances as a media group. We got after it without sugar.

As a group, we asked if the day’s moves made it likely that more trades were coming, especially Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang. Where do Ryan Graves and Owen Pickering stand? (That answer is in the video, not the story). Have they tried to acquire Nick Robertson before? And Spezza explained what the Penguins like about each player they acquired. Here’s the recap and explanations of the Penguins’ free agency moves.

Dubas really gets shy around us. It felt like he was hesitant to speak to us at the Draft HQ, too. I don’t get it–I don’t think we rough him up. The questions are straight and, without exception, polite. There are no Steve Simmons-type questions being lobbed from the back of the scrum here. Even the Qs to Spezza on Wednesday were asked in earnest.

Boys, have some fun. It’s only sports. We’re not curing cancer here.

NHL Trade Talk, Free Agency, & National Hockey Now

OK, I know most of you didn’t get the Emily Litella reference. The great thing about being a late Gen X’er is that we had the culture passed down to us. Emily Litella was a brilliant character sketch by Gilda Radner with the original cast of Saturday Night Live, which always ended with, “Oh. Never mind.”

Zach Werenski. NOT being traded. Has rescinded that request after turning down a deal to Dallas.

Columbus Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell and All-Star defenseman Zach Werenski have issued the following statements today. pic.twitter.com/kmNYvDEZfW

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) July 1, 2026

San Jose Hockey Now: No Darnell Nurse to Pittsburgh. Nope. He’s headed to the San Jose Sharks. In fact, no team had a more impactful day than did San Jose. They transformed from up and coming team to a thumper ready to contend. Mike Grier went to Ludicrus Speed. Sheng Peng has the full analysis. The rebuild is OVER. Hello, San Jose Sharks.

Florida Hockey Now: A changing of the guard in the swamp. In comes Jacob Markstrom. Out goes Sergei Bobrovsky to Toronto. The Florida Panthers weren’t shy.

Sportsnet: Perhaps to no surprise, John Carlson chose … the Tampa Bay Lightning.

New Jersey Hockey Now: There are multiple layers to this move. Barrett Hayton is 26, but improving, and has some skill. The Utah Mammoth had not yet locked up their RFA center, so the New Jersey Devils dished the first offer sheet of the offseason. The Devils caused some drama.

I just realized that without an expansion team in Atlanta, I’ll never be able to write, “The Devils went down to Georgia.”

Philly Hockey Now: Here’s the view from Philly. Fans aren’t happy, but the team is happy as Noel Acciari signs with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Forever Blueshirts: Headed out west in a substantial trade, the Pittsburgh native accepted a deal to Utah. Vincent Trocheck is no longer a New York Ranger.

NHL.com: It was a wild day for the Washington Capitals. They made some questionable moves, signed some longer-than-they-should contracts, and splashed some cash on Boone Jenner. It’s go time for the Washington Capitals.

So, in honor of the Werenski pulling himself off the NHL trade market, Ms. Litella would like a word.

Tags: NHL Free Agency nhl trade Pittsburgh Penguins zach werenski

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