Top Line: Would Penguins trade Kris Letang?; Dubnyk's bad ways; more links
Trading defenseman Kris Letang's could fetch the pieces the Penguins need to put them over the top. (Icon SMI)
By Allan Muir
An annotated guide to this morning's must-read hockey stories:
• Dejan Kovacevic looks back at the impact that the Penguins' trade of a young Mark Recchi had on them in 1992 and believes it might be time for Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero to make a similarly bold move by dealing Kris Letang. Sounds shocking, but this isn't just an attempt by Kovacevic to stir the pot. The logic is pretty compelling.
• Sidney Crosby wouldn't accept the C for Team Canada before clearing it with this guy. Class move all the way.
• This crazy story out of the Western Hockey League serves as a reminder that you should never date a reporter.
• Why let a furor die down when you can get in one last shot? Flames GM Brian Burke used a law school address to tweak the Canucks.
• Predators coach Barry Trotz says that newly acquired goalie Devan Dubnyk"picked up some bad habits" while playing with the Oilers. That's an unusually blunt assessment in the wake of a trade, and one that has probably generated a little ill will in Edmonton.
• Talks should pick up soon between between the Islanders and Thomas Vanek, but it looks like defenseman Andrew MacDonald will have to look elsewhere if he's hoping to cash in big this summer.
• Senators GM Bryan Murray has the green light to rent a top-six forward ahead of the trade deadline. Could the Sabres' Matt Moulsontop his wish list?
• The Bruins have had a hit (Zdeno Chara) and a miss (Wade Redden) when bringing in former Ottawa defensemen. Are they willing to go to the well a third time as they try to fill the hole left by Dennis Seidenberg's injury?
• It was an unacceptable risk/reward ratio that led the Rangers to finally cut ties with former first-rounder Michael Del Zotto.
• Phil Kessel may be an unusual cat, but as long as he's playing sweet jazz like this, who really cares?
• The Coyotes are drifting south of the postseason cut-off line after another tough loss last night. If they're going to get back into the playoff picture, their turnaround will start behind the bench.
• How about this second effort from Jonas Gustavsson to deny Patrick Kane in last night's shootout?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk22TZHdyRU
• Team Canada legend Hayley Wickenheiser admits to some concerns about safety in Sochi, but says she believes that the Olympic host city will be "the safest place in the world."
• That may be true, but one member of Team Canada is leaving his family at home. "It’s not worth it," he says. "It’s not worth it for myself thinking ‘Is she OK?’ when I’m not with her. It’s just unfortunate but that’s just the way it is."
• An evacuation plan involving the U.S. military isn't soothing concerns for some U.S. athletes.
• Forget security. These uniforms are reason enough to ensure that no NHL player from Team USA will pull a Jack Johnson and head to Sochi in time for the Opening Ceremonies.
• Will Dallas Eakins become just another coaching casualty, or has the carousel finally slowed in Edmonton?
• The recent roster shakeups in Nashville are nice and all, but David Climer writes that the Predators have too many problems to make the playoffs this season.
• Some heart-to-heart advice from Patrick Roy was only the beginning in the career transformation of Semyon Varlamov.
• With three goals in his past four games, Jaromir Jagr is proving that there's still some gas left in his old tank.
• Top draft prospect Sam Bennett followed his dad's advice to play like a legend he'd never seen. Then, as fate would have it, he ended up working for Doug Gilmour.
• It's not just a lack of drama that's turning this season into one of the best of Roberto Luongo's career.
• Didja miss episode 1 on "NHL Revealed: A Season Like No Other"? No worries. We got ya covered: