The NHL’s money machine is humming louder than ever, and the ripple effect is getting harder to ignore. With the salary cap climbing and TV revenue soaring, the league is heading into a stretch where player prices keep rising - and so do the costs that land on fans.
That was the heart of a comment that stuck with me: “With the price for players going up, the price for games, merchandise, cable, and apps will all have to compensate. I’m a free-market guy, but this will eventually have a negative effect on fans who can’t afford it.” - Steve.
That point hits home because hockey already asks a lot from the people who love it. In Pittsburgh, Penguins fans are paying $25 per month for an app or channel just to watch the team.
A night at the arena usually runs about $100 before food or drinks even enter the picture. That’s not a small ask, especially for younger fans who are still getting started in life and don’t have much room in the budget.
Some teams are already trying to ease that burden by returning to free TV, with Vegas leading the way and Utah and Nashville among the Western Conference teams moving in that direction.
The broader message is simple: the sport needs to think about affordability before it prices people out. Hockey can’t become a game reserved for the well-off.
And if the league, the NHLPA, and the teams are going to keep benefiting from the revenue boom, there ought to be some thought given to leaving money on the table in ways that help fans stick around. Lower ticket prices would be a good place to start.
Fans would notice.
Around the league, the trade chatter is already getting loud enough to feel like launch day. Writers from different corners of the NHL world have been putting together mock trades for Connor Hellebuyck, with some of the proposed Buffalo Sabres deals looking way off and others landing much closer to reality. That’s where the rumor mill sits now: plenty of noise, a few ideas that actually make sense, and a lot of teams trying to sort out what comes next as the offseason winds down.
Detroit is dealing with its own mess. Bob Duff’s column dug into the frustration there and pushed back on the idea that Dylan Larkin and Hellebuyck are somehow innocent bystanders in the trade-request fallout they’ve helped create.
On the podcast, Duff also discussed Simon Edvinsson’s contract situation, and his agent made “some fairly alarming” comments about having no one to call to talk about a new deal. As Duff put it, it’s a gong show in Detroit.
Columbus has a contract problem of its own to solve. Adam Fantilli is a name to watch as camp approaches in a few weeks, and GM Don Waddell doesn’t sound overly worried, even while admitting there’s still a difference of opinion.
The reality, though, is plain enough: Waddell has two choices, whether he likes it or not. Pay up or lose out.
Fantilli may not be on the same level as Leo Carlsson, and certainly not Macklin Celebrini, but the market says he’s going north of $15 million.
In Pittsburgh, there’s no shortage of angles to sort through either. The latest Penguins catch-up covered the big-picture reasons for optimism and pessimism heading into the season, plus a column that surprised some readers by showing the other side of the argument on extending the Big 3.
The question of whether Evgeni Malkin could play more than one more year is part of that conversation, along with some public misconceptions and a look at GM Kyle Dubas’s thinking. There’s also a bellwether to watch when it comes to Penguins trades and the direction the team is headed.
And if you want the broader Penguins picture, the week started with a deeper Q&A touching on trades, blocked prospects, and the Malkin trap. Steelers fans had movement too, with a couple more trades getting them to the final 53.
In Other News...
Mario Lemieux's Penguins Era Just Reached A Stunning Turning Point
Mario Lemieuxs long formal run with the Penguins has come to an end after he and Ron Burkle sold their minority ownership stakes, closing the book on nearly 40 years of direct association with the franchise. It is a significant shift for a team that has long carried Lemieuxs influence not just from his Hall of Fame playing days, but through years of stewardship behind the scenes.
The Penguins recent purchase by the Hoffmann Family of Companies adds another layer to the transition, especially with the new ownership group signaling it would be open to Lemieux remaining involved in some capacity. Even without an ownership stake, Lemieuxs presence still matters in Pittsburgh, and the next chapter will hinge on how that relationship is defined under new control. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Fans Just Got A Reminder Of One Frustrating September Trend
The Penguins have spent enough Septembers reminding their fans that the calendar can be its own source of anxiety, especially when the conversation turns to roster moves and front-office decisions. Now the team is drawing a different kind of attention, with a new rinkside reporter in place as the season edges closer and the hockey news cycle starts to tilt from summer speculation toward real business.
Around the league, the broader landscape is shifting too, from uncertainty around Hockey Night in Canada personnel to the Dallas Stars preparing to move local broadcasts to Amazon. For Pittsburgh, though, the familiar concern is less about the television side and more about how this month has historically gone when the Penguins have tried to make their biggest trade calls, a track record that has left fans waiting for the next shoe to drop. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins May Have A Goalie Prospect Worth Watching Very Closely
The Penguins are part of a small but intriguing group of teams that could be leaning on a rookie goaltender in 2026-27, and Sergei Murashov keeps showing up in that conversation. Around the league, the discussion is centered on a handful of young netminders expected to have meaningful roles, with the Boston Bruins Michael DiPietro, the Montreal Canadiens Jacob Fowler and the Toronto Maple Leafs Dennis Hildeby also drawing attention for where they sit in their development.
For Pittsburgh, Murashov is the name worth filing away because the outlook is about more than just who gets a camp look. The broader read on this crop of rookies is that some carry past NHL experience that rules them out of Calder consideration, but the real point for the Penguins is simpler than awards talk: if Murashov takes the next step, he could become a very relevant part of their goaltending picture before long, even if no roster decision is settled yet. [Read more 🡒]