Rumors and discussions about contracts; McGroarty speaks

Pittsburgh Penguins rookie Rutger McGroarty sidestepped a question about his impasse with the Winnipeg Jets that led to his trade to Pittsburgh, but shut down rumors about his demands. By all rights, he seems like a pretty good kid with a lot of energy. We also looked at the one really big thing Penguins President of Hockey Operations/GM Kyle Dubas needs to change. NHL rumors persist regarding contract talks between Leon Draisaitl and Jeremy Swayman. Also on the Daily, it’s Dubas vs. Daniel Briere – Colleague Jon Bailey wrote an interesting piece comparing the Flyers rebuild to the Penguins path. And we have a growing problem in Detroit with a pair of high-level RFAs unsigned.

We had an interesting press conference with McGroarty on Wednesday. The Penguins don’t advertise it to the public for obvious reasons, but as soft and gentle as the Penguins have been in the recent past, the team has some high-energy sandpaper interiors with a touch of scoring along the way. Tanner Howe could be a nice bookend.

I think you’ll like McGroarty. He has that contagious energy and enthusiasm. Several of the other prospects came to have lunch with him before the presser. I could have gone a few different ways with our story, and I tried to provide a buffet of the different stories, but the one question he didn’t answer directly was the situation in Winnipeg. I guess we’ll never get a good answer on that, though I guess for an American kid the prospect of playing in “Peg” isn’t all that appealing.

It’s a real problem for Winnipeg, Edmonton and, to a lesser extent, Ottawa. Honestly, I’d happily take all three cities over Long Island or Buffalo, but that’s just me. If you like a test of human endurance, take a January walk around Winnipeg.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: There are going to be some great bobblehead giveaways this season, but not everyone is going to get one — you just have to get there a little early. Here are the five dolls and dates for the Penguins bobblehead giveaway.

Here is the McGroarty press. He said the only promise the Penguins made him was a spot in the Prospects Challenge. I’m starting to think the narrative that he claimed an NHL spot in Winnipeg was a snow job. Here’s Rutger McGroarty’s story and video.

Here’s our Wednesday Heavy Hits story – before you leave for the holidays. Looking at this Penguins roster and what it could be, there is one thing Dubas needs to change for the Penguins to be successful. I swear, the numbers keep getting worse. Check out the full Penguins breakdown.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: 10-3 lead in seventh inning. It’s been seven years and almost 1200 games since any team had that kind of lead and LOST. However, that’s exactly what the hapless Pirates did, losing 14-10. Manager Derek Shelton gutted his team after that, and it’s time for a clean sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Steelers Now: It’s official. Russel Wilson is the QB1 and will start against the Atlanta Falcons. Coach Mike Tomlin called it a “tough decision.” Here’s the full scoop on the Steelers’ starting QB decision.

And more bad news for the offensive line – the starting point guard suffered a potentially serious injury. Here’s the Steelers injury news.

NHL Rumors, News & National Hockey Now

Sportsnet: The latest buzz on Leon Draisaitl, Jeremy Swayman and even Thatcher Demko. There are doubts about Swayman’s reports and we wonder how much Draisaitl will get. The latest rumors and rumors are sure to shape the NHL.

Philly Hockey Now: I think you’ll enjoy this story from Bailey. Philadelphia is rebuilding, as are the Washington Capitals and Penguins. How does Dubas’ performance compare to Penguins rivals Danny Briere and the Philadelphia Flyers?

Detroit Hockey Now: Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider remain unsigned. Hmm. What to make of the drama spilling out of the Detroit Red Wings.

TSN video: Egde from the inside. What are the over/under goals scored by Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini and a guy named Sidney Crosby? Here’s what people in the Canadian media think.

Buffalo Hockey Now: Let’s end the day with a good laugh at Buffalo’s expense. When you rebuild, every mistake is magnified and things have to break right to get out of the vicious cycle. That certainly didn’t happen on the lake, and Jason Moser ranked the five biggest mistakes of the Buffalo Sabres’ drought.