Penguins Pick Heading to San Jose

The Penguins entered last night’s NHL draft lottery with an infinitesimal 1.5 percent chance of winning the lottery and snaring a top-10 selection, which would’ve given them the option of keeping the pick.

The hockey gods, who’ve shined so brightly on our Pens in the past, didn’t favor us this time around. We stayed put in the 14^th slot while the Sharks won the lottery and the right to select standout Boston University forward and Hobey Baker winner Macklin Celebrini in the upcoming draft. The Sharks will get our pick as well.

No sense in crying over spilled milk. What’s done is done.

We as Pens fans will now need to root for Carolina to reach the Stanley Cup Final. If they do, we’ll receive their first-round pick (at best 31^st overall), gleaned as part of the Jake Guentzel swap.

If the ‘Canes don’t make it to the Final? The pick reverts to a second-rounder. They presently trail the Rangers, 2-0, in their second-round series.

Speaking of Jake, he was at his rootin’ tootin’, sharpshootin’ best last night, tallying a pair of goals in the ‘Canes gut-wrenching, double-overtime loss to the Blueshirts. The game-winner was scored by Pittsburgh-native Vincent Trocheck, lending a decidedly Steel City feel to the affair.

For the record, former GM Ron Hextall had plans to pursue the quintessential second-line center during the summer of 2022 while allowing franchise icon Evgeni Malkin to walk. Plans that got kyboshed, reportedly by higher-ups.

In other Eastern Conference action, the revenge-minded Bruins are up 1-zip on the Panthers in a rematch of last spring’s sizzling first-round matchup.

Out West, the Avs stormed back from a 3-0 deficit to stun the Stars in last night’s series-opener. Ex-Devil Miles Wood bolted up the ice and scored the OT winner in dramatic fashion. The star-laden Oilers and Rick Tocchet’s Canucks (aka Pittsburgh West) get under way tonight in Vancouver.

Let’s Make a Deal?

Rumors of Mike Sullivan going to the Devils, perhaps in a trade for a draft pick, continue to swirl, despite the fact that Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has already interviewed several established candidates, including Craig Berube, Todd McLellan and Jay Woodcroft.

A buzz fueled in part by a disagreement between the Pens’ skipper and GM/POHO Kyle Dubas over the fate of recently deposed associate coach Todd Reirden.

Then there’s the not-so-small matter of Sheldon Keefe’s fate in Toronto. Dubas and the Leafs’ coach have a long history together.

You kind of get the feeling the first domino is waiting to fall.

In case you’re wondering, Dubas has prior experience dealing with a heavyweight, Cup-winning coach. When he took over the Leafs’ reins in 2018 he inherited Mike Babcock from the previous regime.

Sound familiar?

Following a first-round exit that season and a sluggish start to the next, Dubas dispatched Babcock (with a huge chunk of time left on his contract) and replaced him with Keefe.

Things that make you go hmmmm.