Will the Penguins look to add a defenseman?
Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Instead of looking for a depth defenseman, the Penguins could look to add a top-four defenseman like Jeff Petry and bump someone down. Jimmy Murphy reported it may only cost a second-round pick and a top prospect for the 34-year old. He has three years left on his deal.
Pierre-Olivier Joseph may be the best Penguins prospect. Would a second and Joseph be enough?
The Penguins could use an upgrade to their right side.
If the Penguins aren’t able to re-sign defenseman Kris Letang, Dallas Stars John Klingberg is a potential replacement. After Klingberg, the pending UFA market drops down to Rasmus Ristolainen and Colin Miller.
Chiarelli to interview with the Blackhawks
TSN: The Chicago Blackhawks are moving quickly to hire a GM or president of hockey operations according to Darren Dreger.
“Here’s an interesting name for you. Sources indicate that Peter Chiarelli, who is working with Doug Armstrong and the St. Louis Blues, has been contacted by the Chicago Blackhawks and will interview for their hockey operations vacancy, among others. So, this could move very quickly. The interviewing process is expected to begin this weekend and drift into early next week.”
A World Cup of Hockey coming in 2024?
TSN: The NHL and NHLPA met last week and were discussing the idea of holding a World Cup of Hockey in 2024 according to Pierre LeBrun. The sides will discuss the idea again next week, and then involve the IIHF in later meetings.
“Here’s the most interesting part, by far. The strongest possibility, in terms of a window to hold the World Cup in 2024 is in February, mid-way through the 2023-24 season, which is a complete departure from past World Cup and Canada Cup events that are usually held in September before the season. The NHLPA has asked the league for years to think about holding the events mid-season. ”
The owners obviously won’t be too happy about having the event in the middle of the season.
The NHL is committed to going to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
There may not be any regular-season NHL games to bet on this weekend, but there are some NHL All-Star game options.