Pens Points: Red Wings gameday

Sep 27, 2022 - 10:00 AM

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The Penguins gear up for pre-season game No. 3 of the year already tonight, hosting the Detroit Red Wings at 7:00pm eastern. If you missed it, the Pens will have almost all of their best players playing tonight [PensBurgh]

After winning two Stanley Cups in Tampa, Jan Rutta is excited about the opportunity to try and win another in Pittsburgh. [Penguins.com]

The key to the Pens’ success is Tristan Jarry’s health and production, or so says Jason Mackey. [Post-Gazette]

Josh Yohe with a very interesting note about Rickard Rakell and his left wing/right wing preference. With a right-handed center, Rakell likes to play the left wing to match the fore-hand side of his center. With a left-handed center, Rakell prefers the right wing. So, in Pittsburgh, right wing it is. [The Athletic $]

Sam Poulin has been playing center lately, and growing into his own. [Tribune Review]

Our Ohio friends recap Sunday’s two Pens/CBJ games. [Jackets Cannon]

Meanwhile, tonight’s opponent the Red Wings wanted to improve their defense. So Olli Maatta is one of four free agents that they brought in to help turn things around. [Redwings.com]

Down in Carolina, next steps are needed this season from Jesper Kotkaniemi and Martin Necas. [Canes Country]

The title of highest paid NHL player will shift from Connor McDavid to Nathan MacKinnon for 2023-24. MacKinnon will only have it for one year, before Auston Matthews’ yet-to-be-decided next mega-contract hits in 2024-25. But then McDavid should pass them both by 2026, lots of activity there where there seemingly hasn’t been much movement on the NHL’s highest paid individual in a while. [Sportsnet]

Looking at the changes off the ice for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs’ website lists 106 names in management, scouting, training and other staff categories, proving there’s no salary cap off the ice and for big teams to exert their financial advantages in other ways.. [Pension Plan Puppets]

The season hasn’t started, but the injuries have. Vancouver’s Brock Boeser hurt his hand in a training camp practice, has had surgery, and is now out 3-4 weeks that will cost him some games at the beginning of the regular season. [NHL.com]

With a large hurricane barreling down on Western Florida later in the week, the Tampa Bay Lightning have postponed some home pre-season games. [NHL.com]