Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Muse changed up the lines at practice Friday, and the day also brought a clearer look at where a couple of players stand. One young player has locked down a spot, while another is out of the lineup. There was also a “message delivered” moment in the Penguins room involving rookie Sergei Murashov, along with fresh notes on the new line combinations.
Before practice, Bryan Rust and Elmer Soderblom were already on the ice on “injured ice.” Rust was going hard but not all out. Practice itself was supposed to be at 11 a.m. in my head, but it wasn’t until noon, which is how I ended up with a PHN exclusive courtesy of my own chaos.
The Erik Karlsson trade chatter is still out there, too. Pierre LeBrun reported that the Carolina Hurricanes had a “ton of interest” in Karlsson and still do.
As for Ville Koivunen, the reaction around Pittsburgh seems tied to the paycheck. If he wasn’t making $4 million per year, more fans would probably be asking for a longer runway.
In Pittsburgh, once a player gets paid, the patience tends to disappear. Why that dynamic exists would make for a fascinating sociological and probably historical study.
My two cents is that for 75 years, the town loved the Rooney family and thus identifies with the owners and their money first.
Around the league, Jennifer Streeter at Puckpedia reported that the NHL is dragging its feet on expansion and has delayed the process. The league, as described in that report, is extending the expansion process because enough owners don’t want it and enough others are lukewarm enough to pass on the money if that keeps the peace.
I’d be surprised if expansion happens. I would not be surprised to see relocation talk start within the next year, though Anaheim would have been my primary choice, even with the enormous money going into the arena renovation and arena district after 20 years.
There’s plenty of trade noise elsewhere, though not all of it feels equally solid. The Washington Capitals are said to be “inching” toward a trade for Ivan Miroshnichenko, but that headline seems to stretch the reality. Elliotte Friedman also updated the Simon Edvinsson situation, with the player making it clear that if Detroit doesn’t get a trade done by the Dec. 1 signing deadline, he’ll just play in Sweden.
Philadelphia has tried to shut down Matvei Michkov trade talk, at least for now. That didn’t stop a viral bench clip from circulating showing Travis Konecny and Michkov in a heated exchange, with Konecny yelling, “You’re a (bleeping) lunatic.” Which is probably true.
Elsewhere, the Montreal Canadiens’ history was suddenly a topic again when the NHL listed them as having won 23 Stanley Cups instead of 24. Even the Montreal writers were confused. The number is 24, and the league stepped in it here, though maybe it will stand firm.
And in Nashville, the Predators have won seven straight and sit in second place after beating Vegas on Friday. The question now is whether they’ll still sell off veterans as planned.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Linked To A Major Trade Target They May Not Control
The Penguins blue line has become part of a larger trade conversation as teams around the league look for help, and Erik Karlsson keeps surfacing as one of the more intriguing names. Toronto would like to add a defenseman but is boxed in by the salary cap, which makes any move complicated unless it can clear money first. For Pittsburgh, that keeps Karlsson in the middle of a market that is still trying to sort out who can actually afford to do business.
Among the clubs kicking tires, Carolina has been tied most closely to Karlsson, which is enough to keep the rumor mill humming in Pittsburgh. But any path forward is not as simple as a team deciding it wants him and calling it a day, because the veteran defenseman still has say in where he goes. Until that part of the equation is settled, the interest around him remains just that - interest. [Read more 🡒]
WBS Penguins Let Rivalry Milestone Slip Away In Brutal Collapse
The 300th regular-season meeting between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Hershey had all the markings of another hard-nosed chapter in a long rivalry, and for most of the night the Penguins looked ready to make it their own. They carried a 3-1 lead into the third period and had the game in hand before the Bears started clawing back, turning what should have been a landmark win into a tense finish.
Hershey finished the rally in overtime to steal a 4-3 victory, leaving the Penguins to sort through a collapse that will sting for a while. Taylor Gauthier was busy throughout the night, and Cal Petersen held up his end for the Bears as they found a way to turn a milestone game into a memorable comeback, one Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would have liked to close out much differently. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins May Be Headed For A Reset Faster Than Fans Expected
The early weeks of the 2025-26 season have done little to calm concerns around the Penguins, who have looked inconsistent and short on answers as the losses and flat stretches pile up. What is starting to matter now is not just the on-ice frustration, but the direction behind the scenes, where general manager Kyle Dubas is said to be weighing a much bigger reset than many around the team expected this soon.
That kind of pivot gets complicated quickly in Pittsburgh, especially with veteran contracts and movement clauses shaping what can actually happen. Sidney Crosby remains the center of everything, but the rest of the roster is no longer being viewed as untouchable, and the next stretch could determine whether the Penguins try to patch things up or begin reshaping the group around younger talent before the season gets away from them. [Read more 🡒]