From the slowest stretch of summer to the first day of September, the hockey news cycle is suddenly moving fast. The Quinn Hughes situation has taken on a little more weight, Connor Hellebuyck keeps surfacing in trade chatter, and there may be a real shakeup coming at Hockey Night in Canada if Elliotte Friedman and Kevin Bieksa don’t return.
According to Jonah Sigel, both men are set to become free agents when their deals expire today, and neither has signed on for another season of HNiC yet. Sigel wrote, “And because you are asking , I'm told that both Elliotte and Kevin will essentially be free agents when their deals expire today.
This doesn't mean either or both won't return but my sources tell me neither has yet to do so… As they say, could change in a minute ..” If that stands, it would be a major jolt for the hockey media world.
Friedman in particular would be a name plenty of outlets would chase, with TSN or Amazon seen as likely landing spots.
The Quinn Hughes contract talk also got another dose of clarity from Minnesota. Bill Guerin was at the Minnesota State Fair, and between corn dogs, funnel cakes and rides on the Whipper Wheel, he was asked about the Hughes negotiations. This time, the answers were more direct than the usual front-office noncommittal routine, and the outlook for Minnesota did not sound encouraging.
On the trade front, Connor Hellebuyck is still a topic worth watching. The latest discussion from the Buffalo side centers on the cost: what the price would be, and whether it is worth paying that price to land him.
There was also movement out of Dallas, where Sam Nestler reported the Stars are moving away from the smaller Victory+ streaming service and heading in a bigger direction. Instead of sticking with free TV, Dallas is among the teams putting local broadcasts on Amazon.
Back in Pittsburgh, the Penguins made a change behind the scenes on Monday, naming Hailey Hunter’s replacement as rinkside reporter. The new hire comes with hockey ties and Johnstown Chiefs roots.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now also dug into the Penguins’ September trade history over the last 40 years, and the results were ugly. The record in this month has been poor, really poor.
Elsewhere in the Pittsburgh orbit, Steelers Now posted a practice squad signing tracker, while the broader hockey conversation kept circling back to the same big names and bigger questions. And if Hockey Night in Canada really is about to lose two of its most recognizable voices, that would be the kind of change the sport would feel immediately.
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 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 🡒]
Penguins Future After This Era Looks Murkier Than Fans Realized
The long view around the Penguins has started to feel a lot less comfortable, because the conversation is no longer just about squeezing one more run out of the Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin era. Under Kyle Dubas, the franchise is trying to walk a narrow line between staying relevant now and preparing for whatever comes next, and a recent projection of the 2028-29 roster made that uncertainty easy to see. Only six players are currently under contract for that season, a reminder that the future core is still more idea than reality.
Sidney Crosbys status by then is one of the biggest variables hanging over everything, but the deeper issue is broader than one players timeline. The Penguins will need real development from within and a steady stream of outside additions just to build a viable next version of the roster, and that is where the challenge gets complicated. For a team that has lived so long off elite continuity, the path toward a possible rebuild looks far murkier than many fans probably expected. [Read more 🡒]