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Off The Record: Like NBA Players, NHLers Can Force A Trade | NYHN+

Are NHL players about to follow the lead of NBA players and be able to force their way out of town with a trade whenever things don’t go their way? Are the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers on a collision course via the NHL trade market, and could Philadelphia and Florida be soul mates?
Two official and one implied trade demands by young NHL players, all under team control, were granted on Saturday. Make no mistake, it left a bad taste with some, as NHL insiders wondered if the NHL is about to become the NBA.
In the OTR today, the Keystone State Rivalry is alive and well on the NHL Trade market as the Penguins trade winds are blowing. Still, trade rumors are circulating that Philadelphia and Florida are perfect trade partners.
Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin is on a mission.
Could Gary Thorne be calling NHL games again soon? (Yes, please).
More on that in the latest ‘Off The Record’:
NYHN+
Off the Record: Speculation On Pens, Gibson; Vancouver Mess | NYHN+

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ new management team will be in place soon. With new GM Ron Hextall, Brian Burke will assume the role of President of Hockey Operations as he arrives in town on Sunday. Hockey insiders are already pontificating about the first big Hextall and Burke move on the NHL trade market. Some, including a source close to the Penguins, are already speculating about John Gibson, a native Pittsburgh son, who is in a sinking situation in Burke’s old stomping grounds, Anaheim.
Also, in the Off the Record, did the Vancouver Canucks owner try to put out a fire that he started? And, are the Blackhawks still all-in on the rebuild they warned fans about, or are they suddenly seeing visions of playoffs dance through their heads?
More on that in the latest ‘Off The Record’:
New York Islanders
Off The Record: Virtanen Chatter, Delays, and Pains in the A** | NYHN+

The NHL trade market is getting muddy as teams need immediate help, but quarantine rules stand in the way. The New York Islanders East Division rivals are poking around trade help. Would a Jake Virtanen for Jake DeBrusk trade make sense for the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks, or is there a Virtanen sweepstakes in the East Division being held up by the Pittsburgh Penguins GM search?
Teams watched the fallout from the Patrik Laine-Pierre-Luc Dubois trade. The quarantine period for both players surely affected the NHL trade market and how teams proceed. Teams can’t get immediate help.
What should we make of the rapid COVID outbreaks around the NHL? Is there a snowballs’ chance the league could return to Hub cities?
More on that in the latest ‘Off The Record’:
New York Islanders
Three Takeaways: New Second Line Shines in Islanders Win | NYHN+

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — It may have been the understatement of the night when New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov said that “we needed that one” when asked about the importance of the win over Pittsburgh on Saturday.
After dropping their last five games the Islanders need a win, and they got it in their first game back after an unexpected week off thanks to COVID-19 cancellations. Jordan Eberle scored twice, Semyon Varlamov came away with the win in his 500th NHL game and Anders Lee was the hero.
It wasn’t a pretty win, but at this point, as the old saying goes, a win is a win.
Here are three takeaways from the win:
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