The NHL trade market stirred Sunday with a pair of trades, but the notable one featured the Seattle Kraken shedding Shane Wright, and the quality of the return is debatable. A few teams, including the San Jose Sharks, are stepping up their offers for Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson. The Pittsburgh Penguins are being mentioned as a possible trade partner for a couple of teams looking for NHL scoring, but the limitation on the Penguins trade talk is that they want something in return.

Sheesh.

Elsewhere in the Daily, our Penguins Q&A was quite the column with some hard questions but also one headshaker. There’s a former Penguins draft pick starting to light up the scoreboard, and we’re still waiting for the breathless bombshell report of Dylan Larkin adding more teams.

The drive back from up north on Sunday seemed to take forever. I had planned to stop between Buffalo and Erie to watch the second half of the Steelers game, but by the time I got there, the Steelers were well in control, so we motored on.

One of these days, I’m going back to little Brockville, Ontario on the St. Lawrence for a few days just to enjoy it. There’s an English tea house, a pool hall, a micro brewery, a coffee shop, a pizza shop, a Vietnamese-Thai food place, and some great views. What else would I need?

So let’s do the hockey…

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: We only did one full story Sunday following the stinging report card late Saturday, but the residual effect on the perceptions of the team and expectations are beginning to firm up the discontent. We got some good questions for the Q&A that represented the fanbase, from how close are the Penguins to becoming contenders, to where are the trades, to worries about Sidney Crosby. I was feeling especially blunt, so check out the Penguins Q&A.

Steelers Now: The Cleveland Browns trash talk became the Steelers beatdown. An interesting look at how the big Steelers win went down.

NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now

Sportsnet: Trade. Seattle sort of dumped Shane Wright, trading him to Nashville for 2023 first-round pick Matthew Wood.

I could be wrong, but Wood strikes me as a bottom-six forward with a bit of offense, though not much, and not great wheels. The Penguins passed on him to select Brayden Yager. So, essentially, Nashville got Wright for an asset the Penguins spent on Rutger McGoarty. Maybe it’s time McGroarty is in the Penguins lineup…

San Jose Hockey Now: Sheng Peng did some digging and the San Jose Sharks have put some serious talent on the table for Simon Edvinsson. The story is behind the paywall, but Keaton Verhoeff in the mix. PHN+ subscribers can read the full story of the Sharks trade hunt.

New Jersey Hockey Now: A Metro Division trade. It’s not much on paper, but it could become something. The New Jersey Devils recently claimed goalie Rémi Poirier off waivers but then they acquired Connor Hellebuyck. So, instead of losing Poirer to waivers the Devils traded him to the Capitals.

TSN: Cutter Gauthier netted a hat trick and the Anaheim Ducks scored six straight to beat the Ottawa Senators. Nestled on the scoresheet, Anaheim forward Judd Caufield scored a pair of goals. Yes, former Penguins prospect Judd Caufield, who played college hockey at North Dakota and three full years in the AHL. He has four goals and eight points in 12 games, and Sunday Anaheim won big.

My vague recollection of Caufield at the Penguins rookie camps was a big guy and slow. He wasn’t on my NHL radar. You just never know.

Ottawa Citizen: Those same Ottawa Senators are looking for wingers who can play top-six and score. Huh, the Penguins have two of those, right? It’s an interesting outside perspective as Bruce Garrioch essentially dismisses Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust because the Penguins want a hockey trade.

Boston Hockey Now: Defenseman Nikita Zadorov is a little poorer today. The NHL fined him for a pretty good sucker punch Saturday.