Wednesday brought a little bit of everything around the NHL, but the sharpest twist came out of the Elias Pettersson chatter. According to Elliotte Friedman in the latest 32 Thoughts, Carolina and Vancouver were working on a deal for Pettersson this summer. The surprising part is that Vancouver was the side that backed away, choosing not to take on Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who has opened the season well.
Kotkaniemi’s name has been floating through hockey circles for a while, and the idea of him as a shutdown center clearly still has believers. The source material also points back to his time in Montreal in 2020, when he looked like he could become exactly that kind of player before his career went sideways after he signed with Carolina.
The trade rumor wasn’t the only notable roster story. The Columbus Blue Jackets placed Danton Heinen and Emil Andrae on waivers, and Aaron Portzline reported that nothing was imminent beyond that move.
Columbus values Heinen as a veteran fourth-line forward and sees Andrae as a player with value and potential. The waivers, Portzline noted, were about creating roster spots and cap room, not about performance.
In Detroit, the Dylan Larkin situation keeps dragging on. TSN reported that Larkin has been asked to expand his no-trade list, or put another way, to stop using his no-trade clause the way the club wants.
Larkin and his agent have declined, and the stalemate continues. The source material also notes that the Red Wings trade situation remains unresolved, with Max Smith laying out the reasons the deal still hasn’t happened.
Canada’s stance on Team Russia at the World Junior tournament also remains unchanged. The report says Canada’s refusal to allow Russia into the country is final, and other countries are now trying to sort out how they’ll handle the issue.
Around the league, New Jersey Hockey Now had Connor Hellebuyck and the Devils goalie, while San Jose Hockey Now reported that the Sharks’ string of ugly losses led to a players-only meeting, with the group closing the door and closing ranks.
Back in Pittsburgh, the focus was on coach Dan Muse after practice Wednesday. Muse removed one veteran from the lineup, then spent time defending Declan Carlile and his place on the roster. The source says Muse made his case with conviction and strongly backed Carlile.
There was also a Penguins notebook tied to the economics of the Remix jersey, along with comments from commissioner Gary Bettman. The league’s financial side was described as “insanity,” and Bettman flatly dismissed a question about whether the NHL is getting unaffordable. The reaction to his tone was clear from the reporting: “Bettman’s tone was just…yeah.”
In Other News...
Penguins Face A Bigger Problem Than Just One More Loss
The Penguins are trying to steady themselves before a home game against Boston and the start of a California road trip, but the bigger concern right now is the slide showing up in the standings. The losses are piling up, and the issues are not limited to one bad night or one bad bounce. Even the power play, usually a place where a team can grab some momentum, has been sputtering lately and has not looked nearly sharp enough to change the tone.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has offered only mixed support on the other end of the organization, leaving the overall picture a little unsettled as the big club heads into another difficult stretch. For Pittsburgh, the Bruins game feels less like a routine stop and more like a chance to interrupt a troubling trend before the trip gets any tougher. The question is whether the Penguins can clean up the details that have been costing them, because the standings are starting to reflect more than just a short skid. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Let Another Winnable Game Slip Away Late
The Penguins had a chance to leave Las Vegas with a result they could have lived with, and for much of the night the game stayed within reach. Instead, special teams tilted the outcome in a 3-2 loss to the Golden Knights, with Pittsburgh unable to make the most of its late power-play opportunities and the margin for error shrinking as the third period wore on.
What stood out afterward was the familiar frustration around penalties and the need to be more resilient when the game gets tight. Players and coach alike pointed to the discipline issues and the defensive response in key moments, a reminder that this group can compete well enough to win on most nights, but still has to finish the job when the game is there to be taken. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Turn Veterans Day Game Into Something Bigger Than Hockey
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are adding a community focus to their Veterans Day weekend game on Nov. 14, teaming with the Penguins GOALS Foundation to support the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center. Before the matchup with the Hamilton Hammers at Mohegan Arena, the organization will stage a donation drive aimed at helping local veterans through the colder months.
Fans attending the game will have a chance to contribute outside the East Gate Entrance, where the team is collecting new cold-weather items and non-perishable food. It is the kind of pregame effort that fits the date on the calendar and gives the night a purpose beyond the score sheet, with the details laid out by the team as part of the event announcement. [Read more 🡒]