No Pucks Given | Pittsburgh Penguins Podcast

The Penguins made their second trade in a week, sending Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch to the Buffalo Sabres for left-shot defenseman Ryan Johnson. Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now opens with what the move says about how Kyle Dubas is rebuilding the blue line, then gets into the bigger problem: too many forwards, and a waiver decision coming this week.In this episode:Why the Johnson trade fits the pattern of Ryan Shea, Parker Wotherspoon and Spencer StastneyDan concedes the Hollander argument: Dubas did create the situation that forced the moveElmer Söderblom, Ville Koivunen and Hendrix Lapierre, and why the order changes depending on what the lineup needsWhat Söderblom’s puck possession did for Sidney Crosby’s line against DallasWhy Owen Pickering is further from the NHL than his play suggestsGoaltending, the Letang and Trevor van Riemsdyk pairing, and Sam Gerard’s good and bad momentsLive chat: Dan Muse’s lineup quote, prospects stuck behind veterans, Rutger McGroarty’s RFA outlook, the Capitals comparison, Dylan Larkin, and when Chris Letang’s untouchable status endsTimestamps 0:00 Intro 0:18 Penguins trade Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch to Buffalo 1:19 The pattern behind the Penguins’ defense pickups 5:41 Hollander trade fallout and a conceded argument 8:50 Roster crunch: Söderblom, Koivunen, Lapierre and waivers 11:25 What Söderblom does for Crosby’s line 14:11 Söderblom vs. Koivunen vs. Lapierre 17:21 Owen Pickering and what the new defensemen mean 19:49 Goaltending and the defense 22:35 Letang, van Riemsdyk and Stastney 25:27 Live chat begins 25:46 Dan Muse on lineup decisions 30:55 Young players blocked: Hayes, Brunicke, Pickering 38:56 Dubas’s open call to young players 41:53 Season expectations 43:37 Is Muse’s development skill being wasted? 47:33 Zanon and Rutger McGroarty’s future 50:41 Two left-handed defensemen in five days 52:32 Dubas working the phones at the draft 54:30 Penguins vs. Capitals rebuild comparison 56:31 Robertson and the Crosby line 58:50 Dylan Larkin and Detroit 1:00:40 When Dubas starts selling 1:02:36 How long Letang stays untouchable 1:04:06 Is this Malkin’s last season? 1:06:42 Crosby and Malkin on one line

With the NHL Draft nine days away, Dan Kingerski breaks down three under-the-radar prospects the Penguins could target with picks 22, 39, and 54 — including a "wrecking ball" center from Quebec and a defensive-minded Finn who held his own in the SM-liiga at 18. Dan also updates the trade board: why Ricard Rakell is being undervalued by the league, whether a Darnell Nurse deal to Pittsburgh actually makes sense, the real ask in a Shelikhov package to Edmonton, and why Dan thinks Stan Bowman is gambling like a guy with his last $2.50 at a Vegas roulette table. Live chat questions on Shane Wright vs. Maverick Bourque, the Penguins' prospect fatigue, and the state of Connor McDavid's ring chase round out the episode.Chapters:0:00 – Intro / Cold open (technical difficulties acknowledged)0:18 – Jakub Okúliar scouting report — Slovakia's Olympic run, energy and intensity breakdown1:00 – Emil Pieniniemi signing — the Penguins get a potential NHLer for Pieniemi; waiver exemption question3:32 – Shifting to the NHL Draft — nine days out, Penguins media setup in Pittsburgh4:37 – Wyatt Cullen scouting debate 6:06 – Draft prospect No. 1: Maddox Stajanay — "scary" wrecking ball center, 30 goals in 60 games (Quebec Remparts)7:22 – Draft prospect No. 2: Liam Ruck — 45 goals, Medicine Hat Tigers, the Pete Davidson lookalike8:14 – Draft prospect No. 3: Oliver Savanto — 18-year-old in SM-liiga, defensive upside, potential Jordan Staal comp9:32 – Programming note: Jesse Marshall joining Hockey Now for draft week coverage10:28 – NHL Trade Board update — Dylan Larkin, where Pittsburgh fits as a third-team facilitator11:45 – Jason Robertson RFA reality check — why no one's making an offer sheet13:48 – Rakell trade market frustration — Dan makes the case for why Riquelme is undervalued16:30 – Dan's dynasty team confession and armchair GM self-awareness16:54 – Segment break / return — Dan notes break at 20:07 for producer Scott17:21 – Live chat: McTavish to Pittsburgh + Carlson to Ducks? Dan breaks down the contract risk18:52 – Eric Carlson's Norris Trophy case — why trading him for a gamble is bad math19:31 – Top-six needs discussion — Crosby/Malkin load management, roster construction reality21:24 – Shane Wright vs. Maverick Bourque — which trade chip intrigues Dan more and why24:22 – Darnell Nurse deep dive — the case for and against; cap math, Shelyukhov package complications27:35 – Stuart Skinner, Bobrovsky, and the thin goalie market31:46 – Draft trade math — moving up vs. down, Dubas's history with second-rounders32:32 – Salary dump strategy — why Dubas isn't going back to that well35:14 – Penguins prospect fatigue — fan enthusiasm shift from a year ago; Murashov expectation management43:44 – NHL religion and locker room culture47:31 – Darnell Nurse/McDavid pressure — the Dan Marino parallel and hockey's best-player-without-a-ring history51:00 – Sam Girard + Koivonen + 2nd for Nurse and Savoy/Howard — fan trade idea dissected52:15 – Murashov in a blockbuster; Blomqvist's trade value reality54:33 – Mike Babcock/Edmonton 59:20 – Stuart Skinner rights trade — why it doesn't work1:01:26 – Closing thoughts: NHL getting younger, first-round pick value, the "morning Jerry vs. nighttime Jerry" Cup-chase philosophy