{"id":459749,"date":"2026-02-16T13:25:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T13:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/459749\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T13:25:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T13:25:09","slug":"great-chirps-crosby-sets-record-penguins-prospect-grades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/459749\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Chirps; Crosby Sets Record; Penguins Prospect Grades"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>WILKES-BARRE, Pa. \u2014 We\u2019re in Wilkes-Barre for another day. A good snowstorm rolled through last night, so we\u2019re going to hit up the WBS Penguins practice and get a few more conversations in with the Pittsburgh Penguins prospects. We got an eye full this weekend, and our full coverage is available for free (because I got a bunch more emails with subscriber problems and I\u2019m as sick of the problems as you are). We also delivered some Olympic break grades for the Penguins\u2019 defensemen. <\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere in the Daily, Matthew Tkachuk delivered some all-timer chirps to Leon Draisaitl in Team USA\u2019s win over Germany. Sidney Crosby set an Olympics record. And in the NHL trade rumors department, we\u2019ve got the Edmonton Oilers again shifting their shifted priorities and the New Jersey Devils looking for a shakeup. <\/p>\n<p>PHN+ subscribers, it seems problems are fixed for many of you, but I\u2019m getting a few more emails about problems. First, make sure you start at the beginning of this journey with the email we sent to reset your password. Then, let me know. I\u2019m getting some measure of control back this week, so we\u2019ll get you fixed up one way or another, but you may have to give me a minute because there\u2019s only one of me (often cited as a good thing). <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been a rough go for months here, but you know I\u2019ll keep working. My loyalty is to all of you above anything else. In those early days, I know who took care of me. I\u2019m also reminded of a story my father once told me:<\/p>\n<p>A sparrow was flying south, but the air was cold. As the ice formed on his wings, he landed in a field. A cow wandered past and crapped on him. Initially disgusted, he realized the warm manure melted the ice, and he began to sing. A nearby cat heard the happy chirps, dug him out, cleaned him up, and promptly ate him.<\/p>\n<p>The morals I so often ignore. Not everyone who craps on you is your enemy. Not everyone who digs you out is your friend. And when you\u2019re in the shit, close your mouth. <\/p>\n<p>Pittsburgh Penguins<\/p>\n<p>Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Over the past couple of seasons, the defense has been one of the worst units in the league. Now? Things are different, though far from perfect. We delivered some honest grades, plenty of good ones, but some real critiques, too. The resurgence and the questions on the <a href=\"https:\/\/pittsburghhockeynow.com\/pittsburgh-penguins-report-card-defenseman-grades-erik-karlsson-kris-letang\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Penguins\u2019 blue line<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>PHN+ (Free preview): Two games, plenty of conversations. My own eyes and experience are balanced with what they\u2019re saying on the inside. These Wilkes-Barre scouting trips are fun, though I might be banned from the premises after WBS earned only one point this weekend, thus continuing the Kingerski curse. <\/p>\n<p>From Rutger McGroarty to Owen Pickering, and the prospects in between, who is progressing, who is regressing, and who coach Kirk MacDonald said plays better when he\u2019s a prick\u2013It\u2019s in the <a href=\"https:\/\/pittsburghhockeynow.com\/pittsburgh-penguins-prospects-scouting-report-who-is-ready-who-is-regressing\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Penguins\u2019 prospects<\/a> report.<\/p>\n<p>Also, Matt Dumba suffered a facial injury Sunday. We\u2019ll update the story later this morning. <\/p>\n<p>I talked with Owen Pickering and Tanner Howe Saturday. Who do you want to talk to today? I\u2019m thinking Sergei Murashov and Ville Koivunen (though he\u2019s tough because of the language barrier). <\/p>\n<p>TSN: Shocked? During their pasting of France, Sidney Crosby became the all-time highest scoring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tsn.ca\/olympics\/article\/crosby-sets-canadian-record-for-points-in-olympics-featuring-nhl-players\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"(opens in a new tab)\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Olympian, ever<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll admit it. I enjoy covering Crosby, and I enjoy the accolades and records because it means some things are right in this world. <\/p>\n<p>NHL Trade Talk, News, &amp; National Hockey Now<\/p>\n<p>Sportsnet: OK, you may love Matthew Tkachuk. You may, like many opponents, hate him. But he really got after Draisaitl Sunday with some hard chirps, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/olympic-men-hockey\/article\/matthew-tkachuk-chirps-leon-draisaitl-always-a-bridesmaid\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Always a bridesmaid<\/a>!\u201d <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve heard that Rowdy Roddy Piper had a notebook that he traveled with and was always scribbling thoughts and ideas for his famous one-liners. I feel like Tkachuk probably has one, too. <\/p>\n<p>Rory Boylen goes through the end of the Round Robin portion of the tournament. Everything you need to know, from the seedings, implications, and what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsnet.ca\/olympic-men-hockey\/article\/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-mens-olympic-hockey-bracket\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener noreferrer nofollow\">comes next<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, I\u2019m a little bit down on the tournament. If the USA gets to the gold medal game, it\u2019s going to be a squash. I can\u2019t see them hanging with Canada, which is so \u2026 so good. <\/p>\n<p>Edmonton Journal: Mr. David Staples and Mr. Bob Stauffer. It seems the Edmonton Oilers are shifting their trade market search from a fortifying top-nine forward to a top-<a href=\"https:\/\/edmontonjournal.com\/sports\/hockey\/nhl\/cult-of-hockey\/edmonton-oilers-trade-deadline-defenceman-top-9-forward\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"(opens in a new tab)\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">four defenseman<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>NHLtraderumors.me: Mike Rupp reports that Vladislav Gavrikov, who just signed a seven-year deal with the New York Rangers in the offseason, might be rethinking his life choices. Gavrikov may <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhltraderumors.me\/2026\/02\/nhl-insider-gavrikov-pondering-his.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener noreferrer nofollow\">ask out of New York<\/a>, please and thank you.<\/p>\n<p>RG.org: I\u2019m always hesitant with this website, so always keep it in perspective. Jimmy Murphy is tied in with the Devils, so I\u2019ll share this\u2013it seems New Jersey is chumming the trade waters not to sell or buy, but for a shakeup <a href=\"https:\/\/rg.org\/en-ca\/news\/hockey\/source-devils-looking-to-make-hockey-trade-to-shake-up-dressing-room\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener noreferrer nofollow\">sort of trade<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>San Jose Hockey Now: I know some of you are suckers for players and their dogs. Sheng Peng has the full rundown\u2013the players and their dogs of the <a href=\"https:\/\/sanjosehockeynow.com\/san-jose-sharks-toffoli-dickinson-gaudette-klingberg-ostapchuk-nedeljkovic-dogs\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener noreferrer nofollow\">San Jose Sharks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Montreal Hockey Now: Just wow. The Olympics have been a cotillion for young Montreal Canadiens forward <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsnaut.com\/nhl\/montreal-canadiens\/juraj-slafkovsky-dominant-olympics-highlights-canadiens\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Juraj Slavkovsky<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTags: <a href=\"https:\/\/pittsburghhockeynow.com\/tag\/nhl-trade\/\" rel=\"tag nofollow noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\">nhl trade<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/pittsburghhockeynow.com\/tag\/olympics\/\" rel=\"tag nofollow noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\">Olympics<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/pittsburghhockeynow.com\/tag\/pittsburgh-penguins\/\" rel=\"tag nofollow noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\">Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/pittsburghhockeynow.com\/tag\/sidney-crosby\/\" rel=\"tag nofollow noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\">Sidney Crosby<\/a> <\/p>\n<p class=\"categories single-categories\">Categorized:<a href=\"https:\/\/pittsburghhockeynow.com\/category\/links\/\" rel=\"tag nofollow noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\">Links<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/pittsburghhockeynow.com\/category\/nhl-trade-rumors\/\" rel=\"tag nofollow noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\" target=\"_blank\">NHL Trade Rumors<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WILKES-BARRE, Pa. \u2014 We\u2019re in Wilkes-Barre for another day. A good snowstorm rolled through last night, so we\u2019re&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":459750,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5113],"tags":[5,4,4433,2602,118,1469,100,5216,768],"class_list":{"0":"post-459749","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pittsburgh-penguins","8":"tag-hockey","9":"tag-nhl","10":"tag-nhl-trade","11":"tag-olympics","12":"tag-penguins","13":"tag-pittsburgh","14":"tag-pittsburgh-penguins","15":"tag-pittsburghpenguins","16":"tag-sidney-crosby"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116080536683374546","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=459749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459749\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/459750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=459749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=459749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=459749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}