The NHL rumor mill has found a new name to circle, but it’s not the Pittsburgh Penguins this time. Alexander Nikishin is back in the trade chatter, though the club being publicly linked as a possible suitor is not Pittsburgh.
The biggest money headline of the day came out of San Jose, where the Sharks handed Macklin Celebrini a massive new deal and made him the highest-paid player in the game. The contract runs five years and is worth $18.8 million, and Sheng Peng laid out the move in the broader context of the Sharks’ rebuild. With that deal done, the spotlight shifts to GM Mike Grier and what comes next for the organization.
Looking farther ahead, Sportsnet took a shot at projecting which pending free agents might actually reach the market next summer. Sidney Crosby and others are not expected to be there, but the conversation included names such as Jason Robertson as the league starts peeking toward the next wave of UFAs.
There was also a contract note out of Ottawa that could stir up more speculation. Bruce Garrioch reported that sources say the Senators and Drake Batherson remain far apart in talks.
Back in the Penguins’ orbit, the Wheeling Nailers helped clean up one more piece of business by trading prospect Gabriel D’Aigle to the Florida Everblades. That closes the book on the potential saga involving the Penguins prospect.
Elsewhere in the local sports world, the Pirates dropped a bad series and slipped back behind the Diamondbacks in the wild-card race, with Danny Demilio breaking down the takeaways. And at Steelers camp, Day 1 is already here, with Alan Saunders covering the opening of training camp as summer keeps moving fast.
In Other News...
Sidney Crosbys Old Penguins Deal Looks Different After Agents Admission
Sidney Crosbys old Penguins contract has taken on a new light after agent Pat Brisson opened up about how the deal came together. The 12-year agreement carrying an $8.7 million cap hit was built to bring the average annual value down, and it now reads very differently in an NHL landscape where younger stars are landing much bigger cap numbers as salaries keep climbing.
Brisson said the structure reflected real uncertainty around Crosbys future at the time, which helps explain why the deal was arranged the way it was. With the market moving and Crosby still producing at a high level, the next question is whether he and his camp will revisit his compensation soon, especially as other top players continue to reset the price of elite talent. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Trade Leverage Could Shift Fast Around Rust Or Rakell
The Penguins have already done the part that often starts the trade rumor mill: they listened. According to Josh Yohe, Pittsburgh at least explored the market for Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, but the offers on the table never reached the point where a deal made sense. For a team trying to balance present value with future flexibility, that matters, because both players still carry the kind of reputation that can draw real interest if the timing and the price line up.
Toronto may be the club worth watching if this conversation heats back up. Brad Treliving has been linked to the idea of one more major swing, and if the Maple Leafs decide they still want to chase a blockbuster, Pittsburgh could find itself back in the middle of it. For now, though, this is less about a finished trade market than a shifting one, with the Penguins waiting to see whether the right bidder eventually shows up. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Still Face One Big Erik Karlsson Problem On Defense
The Penguins head into training camp still trying to sort out the shape of a blue line that looks a lot different than it did a year ago. With several departures from last season and a few new faces in the mix, the opening weeks will be less about polishing details and more about finding the right combinations, especially on a defense that already projects as a potential weak spot.
Erik Karlsson is the biggest piece of that puzzle, and he needs a new partner after the changes around him reshuffled the depth chart. Trevor van Riemsdyk is part of the conversation, while Declan Carlile has also been pushed into the mix as the team looks for someone who can give Karlsson a workable fit. The answer is not obvious yet, which is why the Penguins still have plenty to figure out before camp settles anything down. [Read more 🡒]