Pittsburgh Penguins

NHL predictions 2.0: New Stanley Cup favorite, surprise Hart Trophy front-runner and more

NHL predictions 2.0: New Stanley Cup favorite, surprise Hart Trophy front-runner and more

How much could have changed in a month? Ask the Edmonton Oilers. When The Athletic polled its NHL staff for 2024-25 predictions in the preseason, Connor McDavid was the prohibitive favorite for the Hart Trophy, and his team was the front-runner to win the Stanley Cup. Now? Well, the Oilers are the top pick in […]

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Each NHL team’s biggest concern a month into the 2024-25 regular season

Each NHL team’s biggest concern a month into the 2024-25 regular season

We’re just over a month into the NHL regular season, and for some teams, the high hopes and optimism of the preseason have faded away for one reason or another. The Athletic asked its NHL staff this week for each team’s biggest concern at this point. The responses covered the full spectrum, from goaltending and

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A year after Adam Johnson’s death, why are NHL players resistant to skate-cut protection?

A year after Adam Johnson’s death, why are NHL players resistant to skate-cut protection?

The thought comes in flashes, sudden reminders. When a player gets checked into the bench and his legs dangle over the boards. When someone goes hard to the net, trips over a stick and goes soaring through the air, legs flapping behind him like coat tails. When there’s a battle in the corner and guys

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NHL’s biggest surprises early in 2024-25: Emerging stars, unexpected starts and more

NHL’s biggest surprises early in 2024-25: Emerging stars, unexpected starts and more

Just over three weeks into the 2024-25 NHL season, things are looking interesting. The Edmonton Oilers — our preseason Stanley Cup favorites — are struggling to score goals. The Calgary Flames and Minnesota Wild — two teams that missed the playoffs last year — are unexpectedly off to hot starts. And the Winnipeg Jets are

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NHL 2024-25 bold predictions: Breakout players, trades, offer sheets and 40-goal scorers

NHL 2024-25 bold predictions: Breakout players, trades, offer sheets and 40-goal scorers

Will the NHL’s newest club finish as one of the highest-scoring teams in the league? Will Pierre-Luc Dubois finally find a long-term home with the Washington Capitals? Are players like Juraj Slafkovský going to make a significant jump in their production? Those were among the responses The Athletic got this week when it asked its

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NHL 2024-25 season predictions: Stanley Cup winner, playoff teams, dark horse and more

NHL 2024-25 season predictions: Stanley Cup winner, playoff teams, dark horse and more

Can the Florida Panthers repeat as Stanley Cup champions or is it the Edmonton Oilers’ turn to go from runners-up to No. 1? What will happen in the Eastern Conference wild-card race? After kicking off The Athletic NHL staff’s season predictions Thursday with individual awards, today we look at team expectations. Who makes the playoffs?

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Sidney Crosby’s new contract keeps him with Penguins — and in control

Sidney Crosby’s new contract keeps him with Penguins — and in control

Before Sidney Crosby’s first home opener at Pittsburgh’s now-extinct Mellon Arena in October 2005, Mario Lemieux walked past a media scrum encircling Crosby and into the players’ lounge, pouring a cup of black coffee. Smirking, he opined about soon being “forgotten.” Then, in an unusually earnest moment, Lemieux predicted Crosby would “own all my records

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Sidney Crosby’s new Penguins contract is his sweetest assist yet

Sidney Crosby’s new Penguins contract is his sweetest assist yet

Enjoy the next three years of watching Sidney Crosby play for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Breathe it in. Cherish it. Get a little sentimental, if necessary. Never in your lifetime will you see his kind again. I’m not talking about the hockey, the backhand, the vision, the power, the tenacity — you know, all of the

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