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No Pucks Given | Pittsburgh Penguins Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Pittsburgh Hockey Now
Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now delivers the inside scoops and analysis a few times per week on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Locker room interviews, expert analysis and whatever else we can scrape together.
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- 1 weeks ago1h 14m
Why Dan Muse Isn’t the Problem With This Penguins Team
Dan Kingerski says the Penguins' problem is the roster Kyle Dubas built, not the coach. In this live-chat edition of No Pucks Given, Dan explains why Dan Muse can't fix a team with no puck retrievers, what the Andre Kuzmenko and Declan Carlile situations mean for the lineup, and why the theory that Dubas set this up on purpose doesn't hold up. Then he takes questions from the PHN+ live chat. IIn this episode: Why the veterans play and the kids sit, a decision made on July 1 Kuzmenko's good outcomes, the worst case, and what Justin Brazeau's return changes What Dan saw in the locker room after Tuesday's loss to Vegas Muse's quote on puck battles, and why Dan says it describes a soft team Muse digging in on Carlile Live chat: Solovyov, the Montreal chatter around Sidney Crosby, deadline candidates, Silovs and Murashov, ticket prices, and building a fan culture in Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Hockey Now+ is under $5 a month and includes a 7-day free trial. Subscribers get first access to the AMA and chatChapters: 0:00 Late start and tonight's plan 3:54 PHN+ and the 7 day trial 5:08 The fallacy: blaming Dan Muse 5:56 Why the veterans play 7:47 Kuzmenko's two good outcomes 9:58 The worst case and Brazeau's return 11:55 The "dubas did it on purpose" theory 13:19 Why the kids can't all come up at once 14:06 Kuzmenko's trade value 15:20 The locker room after Tuesday 18:16 Who are the puck retrievers? 19:56 Muse's quote on puck battles 22:02 What can a coach do with this roster? 25:19 Dubas's summer, in hindsight 26:13 Muse defends Declan Carlile 28:30 Player development and the Malkin question 30:00 Carlile stays, and Muse bares his teeth 31:51 End of No Pucks Given 33:08 Live chat begins: the PHN+ AMA 35:33 Fourth line, Novak, Crosby and Rakell 38:25 Why Muse keeps changing lines 39:47 Why Solovyov sits 41:13 Montreal, Crosby and the "Sid runs the team" theory 43:20 Deadline trades, Crosby's contract, Kucherov 44:24 This was supposed to be last year 46:22 Muse's defense of Carlile, take two 47:54 Where do the Penguins go from here? 49:57 Silovs and Murashov 51:14 Making room for the kids 52:48 Is the team tuned out? Checking the preseason predictions 54:17 What Karlsson could fetch 55:48 "Boring" hockey and the F3 58:53 Did Dubas fail this summer? 1:01:39 Prospects in the press box 1:03:26 A goalie's worst 24 seconds 1:04:49 Blomqvist and the goalie shuffle 1:06:40 Attendance outlook 1:08:21 Bettman and affordability 1:09:50 Pricing a $300 night at the arena 1:11:44 Building a Pittsburgh fan culture 1:14:00 Sign-off Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 2 weeks ago1h 12m
Penguins Trade Values: What Rakell and Rust Could Fetch, and the Cash Budget Debate
Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now recorded this right after Wednesday’s practice at the UPMC Lemieux Complex, with about 45 minutes of locker room conversations behind it. He covers the roster moves coming, what veterans are worth on the trade market, the new lines, and the internal cash budget conversation.Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:24 Practice recap and locker room notes 1:47 An anonymous veteran on trade rumors: “when you’re mediocre, they forget about you” 3:04 Hayes and McGroarty separated from the group, headed to Wilkes-Barre 3:54 Dan on another missed chance to start the youth movement 5:12 Sam Girard and Justin Brazeau expected back 6:44 Clearing a spot for Ben Kindel 7:13 Penguins trade values: the comparables 10:17 Rakell’s price and what Ottawa reportedly turned down 10:48 Why Brian Rust is the hardest player to price 12:10 Erik Karlsson’s salary, cost and trade value 13:00 Dubas isn’t ready to unplug it: winning and playing young players at once 13:46 What a 3-6-1 start does to playoff odds 14:56 Why the young players might make the team better 16:44 The Tommy Novak problem and the center depth chart 17:11 Lapierre and Koivunen’s advanced numbers, and Kuzmenko’s fit 19:00 Lapierre at center vs. wing 19:46 Novak on Crosby’s line, and what it asks of Rakell 21:00 The cash budget: what Dreger actually said 22:56 Why FSG’s budget differs from what the Penguins have 23:54 Evidence the Penguins aren’t cash strapped 25:20 Robertson and Dallas, plus sign-off
- 3 weeks ago1h 11m
No Pucks Given: The Penguins’ Road Trip Fallout & Rebuild Reality
Dan Kingerski dives deep into the fallout from the Pittsburgh Penguins' recent road trip and breaks down the critical issues surrounding the team. From Ben Kindel's medical episode off the ice to the team’s glaring structural and defensive struggles on it, Dan diagnoses what’s going wrong and why the current roster construction isn't fixable as is. Plus, a look at Kyle Dubas' upcoming decisions, trade rumors, and whether it's time to bring up young prospects from Wilkes-Barre. Stick around for the live viewer Q&A covering Sidney Crosby, the goaltending situation, and the reality of a Penguins rebuild.0:00 Intro0:18 Ben Kindel's medical scare on the team plane2:01 Kyle Dubas to give an update Thursday2:44 The on-ice product: a brutal stretch4:00 Five Bad Thoughts from the road trip4:25 Arturs Silovs has taken a step forward5:06 Sergei Murashov hung out to dry in Vegas6:03 What Dan Muse means by "structural"7:39 Breaking down the Penguins' D-zone scheme10:00 The forwards' defensive coverage10:56 The track-back problem13:52 Lack of speed kills the forecheck16:39 As constructed, this team isn't fixable17:20 A 4% playoff chance after 10 games18:17 Dubas' offseason fork in the road19:57 Reading between the lines of the Elliotte Friedman report21:16 Why this trade market is different24:33 Did Dubas tank on purpose? The conspiracy theory27:12 Live chat begins27:46 What's the direction of this team?29:42 Is the Big Three to blame?32:20 Will the days off help or hurt?33:14 Ben Kindel update33:42 Who gets called up? Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes & more36:59 Is this hurting Murashov's development?37:43 Joel Blomqvist's situation39:55 Andrei Kuzmenko: trade candidate?42:03 Special teams: coaching or personnel?44:04 Are Crosby and Rust defensive liabilities?45:36 Speed isn't everything: the Konstantin Koltsov story47:15 How soon will Dubas start moving veterans?51:14 Tommy Novak's season52:40 Who gets moved? Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell53:56 Scouting report: Landon DuPont54:28 Selling the rebuild to fans56:24 Has Dubas made the team worse?57:01 Why trade Parker Wotherspoon and let Ryan Shea walk?59:11 Is Rakell too slow?1:00:35 Year 4 for Dubas: is Pittsburgh still attractive to players?1:02:54 Rapid fire1:08:40 Is this all Crosby's fault?1:10:46 Wrap-up
- Oct 13, 20261h 8m
Penguins Roster Crunch After Caleb Jones Trade
The Penguins made their second trade in a week, sending Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch to the Buffalo Sabres for left-shot defenseman Ryan Johnson. Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now opens with what the move says about how Kyle Dubas is rebuilding the blue line, then gets into the bigger problem: too many forwards, and a waiver decision coming this week.In this episode:Why the Johnson trade fits the pattern of Ryan Shea, Parker Wotherspoon and Spencer StastneyDan concedes the Hollander argument: Dubas did create the situation that forced the moveElmer Söderblom, Ville Koivunen and Hendrix Lapierre, and why the order changes depending on what the lineup needsWhat Söderblom’s puck possession did for Sidney Crosby’s line against DallasWhy Owen Pickering is further from the NHL than his play suggestsGoaltending, the Letang and Trevor van Riemsdyk pairing, and Sam Gerard’s good and bad momentsLive chat: Dan Muse’s lineup quote, prospects stuck behind veterans, Rutger McGroarty’s RFA outlook, the Capitals comparison, Dylan Larkin, and when Chris Letang’s untouchable status endsTimestamps 0:00 Intro 0:18 Penguins trade Caleb Jones and Daniel Laatsch to Buffalo 1:19 The pattern behind the Penguins’ defense pickups 5:41 Hollander trade fallout and a conceded argument 8:50 Roster crunch: Söderblom, Koivunen, Lapierre and waivers 11:25 What Söderblom does for Crosby’s line 14:11 Söderblom vs. Koivunen vs. Lapierre 17:21 Owen Pickering and what the new defensemen mean 19:49 Goaltending and the defense 22:35 Letang, van Riemsdyk and Stastney 25:27 Live chat begins 25:46 Dan Muse on lineup decisions 30:55 Young players blocked: Hayes, Brunicke, Pickering 38:56 Dubas’s open call to young players 41:53 Season expectations 43:37 Is Muse’s development skill being wasted? 47:33 Zanon and Rutger McGroarty’s future 50:41 Two left-handed defensemen in five days 52:32 Dubas working the phones at the draft 54:30 Penguins vs. Capitals rebuild comparison 56:31 Robertson and the Crosby line 58:50 Dylan Larkin and Detroit 1:00:40 When Dubas starts selling 1:02:36 How long Letang stays untouchable 1:04:06 Is this Malkin’s last season? 1:06:42 Crosby and Malkin on one line
- Sep 23, 20261h 6m
NPG 71: State of the Penguins: Opening Night Lineup, Letang's Decline and a "Weird Spot"
The Penguins are days from opening night after a short camp, and Dan Kingerski says most roster decisions were made before anyone could force their way in. He walks through his projected lineup, from the locks to the waiver-bubble battle between Hendrix Lapierre, Filip Hallander, Elmer Soderblom and Justin Brazeau.Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke have earned a third-pair look, but they don't fit the left-right balance behind Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang. Kaedan Korczak hasn't stood out either, which makes the Parker Wotherspoon trade look odd. Dan grades Kyle Dubas after a strong 2025 draft, asks whether he outthought himself this summer, and explains why he doesn't see a playoff team in a tougher Metro.In the live Q&A:Ilya Solovyov's slimmed-down campVille Koivunen's worst-case scenarioLiam and Markus Ruck setting up Rutger McGroartyThe Brayden Yager tradeWhy Letang's game is shrinkingWhether the Penguins should have kept Stuart Skinner and Brett KulakJason Spezza's midseason youth promiseFirst impressions of the new ownership and Marcel BraithwaiteFollow Pittsburgh Hockey Now on YouTube, Facebook and X, and read more at PittsburghHockeyNow.com.Chapters:00:00 Welcome to No Pucks Given 03:03 Projected lineup: the locks 04:05 Murashov's net to lose 04:56 Why Lapierre doesn't fit 07:20 What should happen on D vs. what will 08:48 Projected pairings and the Letang problem 10:50 Korczak and the Wotherspoon trade 12:10 Why this isn't a playoff team 13:09 Grading Kyle Dubas 16:05 Q&A: Solovyov on the top pair? 18:59 Injury conspiracy? 19:34 Koivunen's worst-case camp 22:46 The Ruck twins set up McGroarty 26:07 Korczak and the Red Wings' cheap shots 27:43 Is Dubas' pipeline flawed? 29:04 The Yager trade looks worse 31:32 Letang's game is shrinking 32:57 How fans kept Malkin in Pittsburgh 35:48 The players hold the leverage now 37:06 Seller at the deadline? 38:45 Spezza's midseason promise 40:00 Should they have kept Skinner? 45:12 Missing Brett Kulak 48:44 Stunting the prospects? 52:57 Kindel's gun show and Rust's role 54:57 Silovs and the long shots 56:53 Contract inflation and the Fantilli fight 57:48 Pens need more sandpaper 58:17 How scouts really work 1:00:09 First take on the new owners 1:05:14 Letang every night? 1:06:00 Wrap-up
- Jul 31, 20261h 23m
Penguins Offseason Grades: Split Decision on Dubas, Plus the Final Ask Dan Anything Before the August Break
Dan Kingerski closes out the season with Penguins offseason grades for Kyle Dubas — landing on a split decision between a D and a strong B depending on what the front office's actual goal was. He breaks down the Anthony Mantha-to-Kuzmenko downgrade, the righty-heavy defense problem with Van Riemsdyk stepping in, the low-risk Nick Robertson swap, and why holding onto expiring veterans like Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, and Bryan Rust without trading them undercuts the rebuild. Then it's the last live chat and Ask Dan Anything of the summer: lineup battles, the Wheeling/Florida ECHL affiliate swap fallout, Ville Koivunen's contract standoff, 39-year-old defensemen aging curves, and why Pittsburgh isn't yet a top free-agent destination. Show goes dark for August, back before training camp.Chapters:00:00 – Intro / show format for the day 00:25 – Final No Pucks Given Penguins chat of the season; August break announced 01:35 – Penguins offseason grades begin: grading Kyle Dubas 02:22 – Grade breakdown starts: Anthony Mantha → Andre Kuzmenko downgrade 03:41 – Right-handed defense glut: Trevor van Riemsdyk in a tough spot 09:38 – Nick Robertson trade: low-risk, high-reward move praised 13:04 – Rutger MacGroarty and Ville Koivunen; lineup considerations 16:02 – Why holding pending free agents (Karlsson, Rakell, Rust) hurts the grade 19:34 – Wraps monologue; reiterates "split decision" grade, ties to March 1 trade deadline 19:59 – Live chat begins 22:29 – 15 back-to-backs this season, travel/roster management 25:11 – Do Penguins moves signal real competition for young players? 31:35 – Draft Kings playoff odds discussion; Penguins favored to miss 36:15 – Are the Penguins the "next Red Wings," stuck in the middle? 43:00 – Wheeling/Florida ECHL affiliate swap fallout, explained in depth 1:00:03 – Point-producer predictions, Erik Karlsson trade scenarios 1:09:04 – 39-year-old defensemen aging data (Karlsson replacement scenario) 1:19:33 – Why Pittsburgh isn't a top free-agent destination yet 1:22:26 – Sign-off; back in September
- Jul 23, 20261h 8m
Penguins Rebuild Timeline: Why 2029 Is the Realistic Target
Dan Kingerski breaks down where the Pittsburgh Penguins rebuild actually stands — and why the realistic timeline for this youth movement to take hold runs to 2029 or 2030, not next season.Jason Robertson signing a one-year, $12 million deal in Dallas takes him off the board, and Dan explains why that likely helped the Penguins more than it hurt them. Plus what Dallas set up for themselves next summer, and the window in January where the trade rumors start again if there's no extension.On the roster: the prospects on the cusp — Koivunen, McGroarty, Pickering, Murashov, Brunicke — and why they're contributors rather than cornerstones. The two-year gap after this season's influx. Why the Van Riemsdyk and Kuzmenko signings didn't fit the plan. And the case for moving Rust, Rakell and Carlson.Then the mailbag: Alexander Nikishin as the primary target and why taking Kotkaniemi back makes the deal work, why the Shane Wright talk isn't going anywhere, whether the Penguins will be tough to play against this year, an assessment of Kyle Dubas three years in, and a long detour into how goalie coaching has changed the position.Report card on the Penguins' offseason is up now at Pittsburgh Hockey Now.Chapters:0:00 Intro — the show keeps going another week1:07 Jason Robertson signs one year, $12M in Dallas2:56 What Dallas set up for next summer4:31 Why not landing Robertson helped the Penguins5:29 The Penguins aren't a better team than they were in May7:31 The prospects on the cusp — and what they actually project as10:11 The two-year gap and a realistic 2029-2030 timeline12:36 The Van Riemsdyk and Kuzmenko signings13:54 Time to move Rust, Rakell and Carlson14:29 What's really in the 2025 draft class15:52 What Dubas has to do — and the top-10 pick problem17:18 Penguins chat begins18:12 Kuzmenko vs. what Brazeau and Mantha gave them19:55 Will Robertson hit free agency? The Marcus Pettersson parallel23:20 Will the Penguins be tough to play against this year?26:56 Erik Karlsson and the Ottawa story that's waiting29:01 "Chicken a la king" — overstocking the roster and what players notice32:22 Rust and Rakell, the 2028 cap space question, Ryan Graves34:20 Koivunen still unsigned — and the case for Alexander Nikishin37:52 Why the Shane Wright talk goes nowhere42:34 Will Horcoff played through a significant injury43:20 Jack Quinn, and what the Beauvillier trade actually proved46:09 Where does Hendrix Lapierre fit?47:55 Is Dubas building toward a step back?49:21 Does the Penguins' history attract free agents?50:45 Dubas at year four of seven — and the Hextall elevator story53:10 Assessing the Dubas plan three years in55:55 The Guentzel return, and the "lost year"58:22 Do the Penguins have the assets for a Nikishin trade?1:00:00 Dan Muse as the wild card1:02:39 Can you build a Cup team from the back end?1:04:59 How goalie coaching ruined the position1:07:35 Wrap
- Jul 9, 20261h 2m
Penguins Trades That Make Sense: What's Next?
On this episode of No Pucks Given, Dan Kingerski breaks down whether Kyle Dubas's Penguins rebuild plan has gone sideways — and argues it hasn't, walking through why the front office hasn't landed a Jason Robertson-caliber star yet and why that's actually on schedule. Dan digs into the prospect pipeline (Bill Zonnen, Will Horcoff, Ryan Miller, and more), makes the case for a Nikishin-and-Kotkaniemi package over Elias Pettersson, and runs the numbers on why chasing a big name right now could backfire once Crosby, Malkin, and the rest of the core age out. Then it's into the live Q&A: Logan Stanley's fit, the Kuzmenko-vs-Mantha comparison, Nick Robertson's stalled contract and a looming buyout window, Wilkes-Barre prospect frustration, Owen Pickering's development, Kris Letang's pairing outlook, and a full trade-cost breakdown for both Nikishin/Kotkaniemi and a hypothetical Pettersson-for-Graves swap.Chapters00:00 — Cold open 00:19 — Welcome to episode 69 & PHN Q&A recap 02:44 — Has Kyle Dubas's rebuild plan gone sideways? 08:21 — The prospect pipeline on the way (Zonnen, Horcoff, Miller) 11:02 — The fork in the road: patience vs. the aging core 16:44 — Dan's trade preference: Nikishin + Kotkaniemi over Pettersson 21:21 — Why chasing Jason Robertson now doesn't add up 24:45 — Live Q&A kicks off 25:31 — Would the Penguins look at Logan Stanley? 26:44 — Kuzmenko vs. Mantha: a fair comparison? 29:37 — Nick Robertson's contract limbo & the buyout window 32:21 — The "let the plan crash" conspiracy theory 33:35 — Are the Wilkes-Barre prospects getting blocked? 39:58 — Do the Penguins' trade targets have a skating problem? 41:49 — When does Dubas make his next big move? 43:45 — Which prospects make the team out of camp? (Owen Pickering deep dive) 48:01 — Where does Kris Letang fit in the pairings? 50:04 — Will Jason Robertson stay in Dallas? 50:44 — Why Dubas has earned the benefit of the doubt 52:43 — Shane Wright, Kent Johnson, and other reclamation targets 53:15 — Mailbag: Wilkes-Barre jokes and the case against Robertson 54:38 — The new AHL rule on 19-year-olds, explained 58:16 — A wager: will the Capitals make the playoffs? 1:00:34 — What would it cost to get Nikishin and Kotkaniemi? 1:01:54 — Hypothetical: Pettersson for Graves + retained salary 1:02:19 — Wrap-up
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