The chorus of angels is singing, the sun is shining, and the NHL is moving up the 2026-27 NHL season to accommodate the 84-game schedule. Marco Rossi and the Minnesota Wild didn’t take long to move from thawing icy relations to a new contract, but remaining restricted free agent Mason McTavish appears to be off the NHL trade block. Elsewhere in the Daily, Matthew Tkachuk went under the knife, Rick Tocchet wants the crazy Flyers fans back, and we predicted the production of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ rookies.
Is that all?
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Later this morning, I will publish a Top 5 list that required a bit of research. I’m still tinkering with the order and debating the honorable mentions, but the Top 5 Worst Penguins Trades of the Crosby Era is coming.
In the burning light of hindsight, a few look even worse than they did a couple of years ago.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, and Owen Pickering. They are the three rookies most likely to become lineup mainstays this season, so we projected their usage and this season’s offensive point totals. Check out the Penguins rookie projections.
If you missed the Penguins Live Chat, it’s right here.
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Steelers Now: It’s a bad weekend for some with NFL dreams. “The coach wants to see you. Bring your playbook.” Keep up to date with the running live tracker for the Steelers cuts.
Pittsburgh Baseball Now: It took a while, but a rookie pitcher finally made his emotional debut and did so during the Pirates’ blowout win. Here’s the postgame reaction from Bubba Chandler.
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
The Athletic ($): The Anaheim Ducks want to sign Mason McTavish, and they will not trade him, reports Eric Stephens.
Sportsnet: Glory, glory hallelujah. With an 84-game schedule next season, the NHL is being proactive, and according to deputy commissioner Bill Daly, they will move up the start of next season into September.
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Florida Hockey Meow: Matthew Tkachuk had surgery, and he’ll not just miss the start of the season, but he’ll be out past Christmas. Here are the details for Tkacuk and the Florida Panthers.
TSN: Marco Rossi and the Minnesota Wild were not speaking to each other this summer. Communications over a new contract broke down a couple or a few months ago. Rossi wanted a trade to a team that wouldn’t stuff him on the fourth line. Then, Minnesota got serious with its small center. A couple of days later, Rossi got a healthy bridge deal.
I don’t think that stops the Rossi trade talk, especially if coach John Hynes dunks him on the fourth line again, but it will cool for a while.
This story is good news for the goalie market, but much better news for the person. Utah Mammoth tendy Connor Ingram has cleared the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
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Call it a hunch, but Ingram has a lot more talent than he’s consistently shown so far.
Philly Hockey Now: Rick Tocchet played in the heyday of wild fans and raucous Philadelphia crowds. The Penguins had a 42-game losing streak spanning 15 years at the old Philadelphia Spectrum, and they weren’t the only team that didn’t win there for years at a time. Tocchet is imploring Philly to bring back the crazy, bring back the Flyers fans.
NYI Hockey Now: In the struggle to break free from the middle, the New York Islanders have been busy this offseason. However, as Russ Macias (who just completed a month-long stint on jury duty and is back on the job) writes that the Islanders’ season will come down to two players. It’s high stakes for the New York Islanders.
Lastly, I know a lot of industry professionals and colleagues roll through the Daily. Currently, we are hiring as fast as we can find people. Our recent merger has opened up revenue streams and content demands that exceed our current network, so… we have contractor positions available to write about NFL teams (remote is OK), beat positions to get after NHL teams (Chicago, Calgary, Vancouver, and more), and we’re hiring quickly.
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Some experience is required. Sorry, what we need and the autonomy involved isn’t for first-timers.
Email us: jobs at national hockey now dot com.
The post Dan’s Daily: NHL Moving Schedule; McTavish Off Trade Block; Penguins Predictions appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now.
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