Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - The STRUGGLING Penguins take on the STRUGGLING Blackhawks this weekend!

Starting point is 00:00:00 The holiday break comes to an end for the Pittsburgh Penguins this weekend when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks and both teams are hoping they can find a win underneath the Christmas tree. I'm going to get you set for that game and more right after this. You're Locked-on Penguins, your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team, every day. Welcome in to the Friday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I am one of your hosts, Patrick Damp, flying solo today as my co-host Hunter Hodes is traveling and enjoying the rest of his holiday break. He will be back on the show on Monday.

Starting point is 00:00:50 But for now, you can follow me across all social media platforms at Synonym 4 Wet. You can give our show's Twitter account a follow at L.O. underscore penguins. You can find us on Instagram at Locked On underscore Penguins and on TikTok at Locked on Penguins. Of course, as always, we appreciate you making us part of your daily routine. Don't forget that we are free and available wherever you get your podcasts as well as YouTube. And if you follow us on YouTube, which you should be doing, make sure you've hit the notification button. That way you can be among the first to know when we drop our daily Monday through Friday episodes. Before we get started, today's episode is brought

Starting point is 00:01:36 to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use the promo code locked on NHL for $20 off your first purchase. As you can see, if you're watching us here on YouTube today, like I said in the intro, I am flying solo today. Hunter is finishing up his holiday time with his family, giving him that day off because he very much deserves it. We all know how hard that man works. And I hope all of you had an absolutely fantastic Christmas, if you celebrate, I hope you're enjoying your time off for my Marvel fans out there. We are officially in the Citadel at the end of time where nothing matters.

Starting point is 00:02:20 You don't know what day it is. And calories, well, they just don't count right now. But that is all coming to an end for the Pittsburgh Penguins this Sunday night at 7 p.m. when they head to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks. And, oh, boy, these are two teams in desperate, desperate need of a win. You look at the penguins, they have lost nine of their last 10. The Blackhawks are in the midst of a win. six-game losing streak, having lost eight of their last 10. And while this may sound a little

Starting point is 00:03:03 bit silly, they kind of find themselves in the same position as a franchise, as teams, and the reasons for their current losing skids. It all comes down, at least in my estimation, two injuries. Right now, the Chicago Blackhawks, they got off to a really hot start. They were really surprising teams in the Western Conference. And despite being in an absolutely stacked central division, they were holding their own early on. A huge part of it was Connor Bedard, who finally has started to look like the Connor Bedard. Everybody expected him to be when he was picked and he was having an absolutely monster season, but now he is out with a shoulder injury expected to be reevaluated after the new year. And that is a huge blow, not just for

Starting point is 00:04:00 the Blackhawks, but potentially for Team Canada at the Olympics because I know that a lot of people maybe didn't have him on their team Canada roster, but much like his young counterpart Maclin Celebrini. He has been making a serious push to join Team Canada for the Olympics in getting hurt right now. Really tough moment for him. Really tough moment for the Blackhawks. And we'll see what happens with him. Also injured for the Chicago Blackhawks is 21-year-old center Frank Nazar. Having the two of those out has been a massive, massive blow for the Blackhawks. The two of them have combined for 25 goals and 65 points across just a little over 30 games. That has been the main driver of success for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Starting point is 00:04:55 And that is just really the story for them. And then you look at our penguins, very similar situation. They have been in the midst of this really tough December where they can't seem to buy a win. And a huge part of it are the injuries to have getting mom. and Blake Lazot. You know everything you need to know about Evgeny Malkin. He has been really good this season, having a really nice little renaissance, and then he goes down that is a blow to the top six.

Starting point is 00:05:30 It's a blow to the power play, both of which were really hot coming into December, and then without Evgeny Malkin in that top six and on that top power play, we have seen some serious struggles. As for Blake Lazot, huge blow to the bottom six and the penalty kill, both of which we're operating really well, especially the PK. But now his absence has been absolutely notable with the way this month has gone so far. So you look at the Blackhawks, you look at the Penguins, and it's two teams in very similar spots right now. Can't seem to buy a win. Many of their key contributors are hurt. But I will say this for the Chicago Blackhawks. And it is a moment to give myself a nice little pat on the back here. I said they've got their guy in Spencer Knight

Starting point is 00:06:25 when they traded for him. And we know that when a team is rebuilding, one of the toughest positions to get filled out is goaltender. And Spencer Knight has just been an absolute revelation for the Blackhawks this year, a 10-10-and-5 record, 2.5 goals against average and a 914 save percentage. He very much at age 24 looks like he is going to be the Blackhawks solution in net as they try to get themselves back into the class of the Western Conference and the Central Division, which as we know is just a murderer's row with the likes of the Dallas Star. the Colorado Avalanche and now the Minnesota Wild. So that division is going to be a nightmare for years to come.

Starting point is 00:07:20 And the Blackhawks are slowly but surely getting themselves back into that conversation as they rebuild from the Jonathan Taves, Patrick Kane, and Duncan Keith era of success of the 2010s. But let's focus for a minute or two here on Sunday's game in Chicago at the United Center. The biggest thing for me, and it's funny to say this, given what has happened with the penguins over the past few weeks, I like this matchup a lot for them. I do think that ever so slightly, they have the better depth than Chicago does. Chicago right now without Connor Bedard and Frank Nizarre, no player has scored more than 30 points, and they

Starting point is 00:08:05 only have two defensemen in double-digit points this season. So for the penguins, depth is going to be a key piece and a key factor for them to get back into the wind column this weekend. And as Hunter and I have been raving about them all season long, at least all of December, I should say, considering that is really when they were brought together. I got my eyes on the kid line of Ben Kindle, Rutger Magrorty, and maybe Vela Kovinen, if they choose to keep him on that line. They, in my estimation, if Gino is not back, which it does not seem to be the case, I again would want to give them second line minutes and second line numbers,

Starting point is 00:08:56 simply because they have been doing everything right. I thought they were tremendous despite the loss in Toronto. Rutger McGority got on the board, and every time they were on the ice, they made something happen. So for the penguins, you have to lean on having, at the very least, a little bit better depth than the Chicago Blackhawks do. And you've got to, as I like to say, dear listeners, even though you're probably getting tired of me saying it, if it is Spencer Knight between the pipes on Sunday for the Blackhawks. You've got to shoot the puck from everywhere.

Starting point is 00:09:36 You've got to get in front of them. This will be a big game for the likes of Justin Brzoe and Anthony Mantha for them to use their size, living in front of the paint, living in front of Spencer Knight, taking his eyes away, trying to get deflections, trying to get rebounds, and really keeping him under siege because as good as he is, he is definitely becoming one of those goaltenders that if you give him time and you give him clean looks, he's going to make the save. So you're going to have to really try to make his life miserable on Sunday in Chicago when the Penguins and Blackhawks take each other on. So that is going to do it for this

Starting point is 00:10:22 preview segment in the opening segment of the Friday edition of Locked-on Penguins. It's the Penguins and the Blackhawks on Sunday night at 7 p.m. at the United Center in Chicago. You can catch that game on SportsNet, Pittsburgh, and Hunter and I will be recapping that game on our Monday edition when he returns. But for now, that's going to do it for this segment. When we come back, a couple of Penguins prospects are heading to the World Junior Championships. I'm going to give you what is on the line for them when they head to Minnesota for the World Juniors.

Starting point is 00:10:59 So stick with me. We'll be right back. right after this. But first, I've got to tell you about today's first sponsor, and that is our friends at Fandul. NFL Sundays, they move fast, especially this time of year when you've got Christmas Day games, Saturday games, Sunday games, Monday night football,

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Starting point is 00:12:38 I am Patrick Damp flying solo today as my co-host Hunter Hodes is enjoying the rest of his holiday season. He will be back on the program on Monday, but we got to talk about two big penguins prospects who are heading to Minnesota for the World Junior Championships. Defenseman Harrison Brunich will be with Team Canada and Will Horkoff will be on Team USA. Harrison Brunick has been named an alternate captain for Team Canada and projections early on look like he will be on the second pairing,

Starting point is 00:13:18 but that doesn't mean he's not going to eat big minutes. You look at all of the coverage of this, You look at the roster projections for Team Canada, and Harrison Brunick is expected to be a key contributor on the blue line for Team Canada. And for him going into this tournament, it is a big chance for him to prove quite a lot after his little bit of a rocky road this season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. We know how that went, had another phenomenal training camp, a really good, preseason and started the first few games of the year pretty well. But as we saw, his game started to tail off ever so slightly. And I said this on the show a couple of times as he was in the press box and then

Starting point is 00:14:10 eventually sent to Wilkes Bear on a conditioning stint. There were a couple factors that led to all of that. First and foremost was his net front defense wasn't quite NHL ready. and for a defenseman of his age, not totally unexpected and honestly not even really a black mark on his game or his development. But it was about the one place where he needed to improve and that you couldn't really wait it out. You couldn't really let him work through it, especially mixed with the hot start that the penguins had to the season. They were very much trying to win games. They were very much trying to keep pace atop the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference.

Starting point is 00:15:02 And when it comes to net front defense, he was allowing way too many cross-crease passes. He was losing bodies in front. And it was leading to grade A chances and even goals against. And that's going to come with time. That is going to come with experience. That is going to come with just general development. It takes a little while for NHL defensemen, especially teenagers, to really adapt to the size and the speed of the NHL game. The good news on the other side of that, however, is that the rest of his game does seem to be NHL ready, if not close to NHL ready, as he has the speed, he has the vision, he has the puck movement skills, but a very big part of his game was definitely.

Starting point is 00:15:52 missing and lacking at the NHL level. Now, going to a team Canada that has really struggled the past couple of years at the world juniors, playing a significant role for Team Canada's defense is going to be a huge opportunity for Harrison Brunick. If he is able to get them back on track this tournament, get them back into the metal round, even get them to help them get to a gold medal, that is going to really significantly raise his stock. And I think if he is one of the better defensemen for Team Canada, which is going to be a problem simply because it's Team Canada, they've got a ton of talent up and down

Starting point is 00:16:42 the lineup. And there are a lot of contributors who went higher in the NHL draft, have a better pedigree and are just plain better players, no knock on Harrison Brunick, that's just how it is at this tournament. But if he can be a key contributor and really show that he has grown over the past month or so with his time with the baby penguins, his time practicing with the organization, training with the organization, it wouldn't shock me if he gets another look with the big club. And given the state of the defense, I do. think there is an opening for him. We have seen a lot of movement, both waivers, press box,

Starting point is 00:17:24 lineup, you name it, with the Penguins defense, that the door is open for him to try to have a bit of a redemption arc this season following the World Junior, should he turn in a good performance. That said, I'm a little skeptical that it will happen. The opportunity's there. I just don't know if it will happen, just because I will stress this quite a bit as I have throughout the season. Excited as we are about some of these young players, excited as we are or were after the hot start, this is still a team in transition. This is still a team that is building towards a different future. And you don't want to rush these guys. We're all very happy with Benjamin Kindle, obviously.

Starting point is 00:18:13 But that is the exception, not the rule. Most of these guys are going to have a bit of a non-linear development. They're going to have games. They're going to have moments where they look like they are ready to step in and be full-time NHLers. They are going to have moments where they look like they're not quite ready. But you want your Harrison Brunix of the organization to be there in five, six, seven, eight years down the line. So rushing them into this when maybe they're not ready,

Starting point is 00:18:46 it's going to make us as fans frustrated because we want to see that next generation. We want to see that next crop of talent come up and play in the NHL. But we want to make sure that we're seeing that for years to come, not just one or two seasons, and then these guys burn out. So big opportunity for Harrison Brunich at the World Juniors with Team Canada as an alternate captain. Meanwhile, on the other side with Team USA, maybe the biggest surprise of this season so far is Will Horkoff, who was named over this past week to Team USA. You know if you've been listening to this show, how good Will Horkoff has been through this season with Michigan in the NCAA. Currently leads the NCAA with 19 goals.

Starting point is 00:19:40 in 28 points through 20 games. And on top of that, six of his 19 goals this season have been game-winning goals. We all, when he was taken 24th overall by the Penguins, if you watched our draft live stream, if you've read the coverage, it felt like a reach. It felt like a, you know, there's talent there, there's pedigree there. He's the son of a former NHLer. but 24th felt like a real reach, and he has made us eat our words. He is a Hobie Baker candidate.

Starting point is 00:20:18 He is shown to be one of the best players in the nation in the NCAA and looks like an absolute steal for the penguins at 24. Now, going into the world juniors, he's expected to be on the third line with Detroit Prospect, Max Plant, and for Team USA, it's the exact opposite of Team Canada. They're looking to win their third straight world junior championship. They're really beginning to establish themselves as a powerhouse on the international level, especially at the world juniors. We know what happened at Four Nations.

Starting point is 00:20:58 We know what's happened at the Olympics. We'll see what happens this year. Should they go, we'll see what happens with the arena and all that. that, but fingers crossed, we get NHLers back at the Olympics. But for Horkoff, unlike Brunich, who had his struggles, had his opportunity with the penguins in the NHL, for Horkoff, this is just another opportunity for him to show that he is one of the top prospects going into the next couple of years, not just with the penguins, but in general. We know how good of a program the University of Michigan is in the

Starting point is 00:21:35 NCAA. We know how good of a program that is, the type of players it produces. And with how good Horcoff has been, if he can take that success to the international level at the World Junior Championship. And while I don't expect him to be the best player on Team USA, he has a chance to get some favorable matchups on the third line with Team USA. And that would be massive for his stock, his development, and his timeline to potentially get to the penguins sooner rather than later. But I don't want to put the cart too far ahead of the horse here. Obviously, this is all hypothetical. This is all preview. But it is a massive opportunity for Will Horcoff to continue what has been a tremendous 2025 up to this point. So if he is able to be a big time

Starting point is 00:22:34 contributor for Team USA at the World Juniors, it's only going to do him even more favors. So let me pull over my notes here and let's get you the rundown for that. Team USA, they begin tonight at 6 p.m. All of their games over the next few days are a 6 p.m. face off. They've got Germany tonight, Switzerland on Saturday, Slovakia on Monday, and then Sweden on New Year's Eve. Team Canada, meanwhile, they will be 830 tonight against Chequia, Saturday at 430 versus Latvia, Monday at 830 versus Denmark, and then New Year's Eve at 830 against Finland. And all of that, if you are listening here in the United States, all of it will be on

Starting point is 00:23:22 NHL network. Obviously, Hunter and I are going to be keeping a very close eye on the world juniors, specifically Team Canada and Team USA, as our boys head to Minnesota for that tournament. But that is going to do it here for our middle segment of the Friday edition of Locked-on Penguins. And just because Hunter is not here today, doesn't mean I forgot about you, dear listener. It's Fan Take Friday, gave you a prompt on our YouTube page. We're going to talk about that, answer some questions, and react to some takes when we get back right after this. Welcome back to the Friday edition of Locked-on Penguins. I am your host, Patrick Damp, flying solo today as Hunter Hodes is enjoying the end of his holiday season.

Starting point is 00:24:15 He will return to the program on Monday, but it is Friday. That means it's fan take Friday, and that means we hear on Locked-on Penguins want to hear from you. The prompt this morning, as I put it out, was, it's the day after Christmas. So what is on your Penguins Christmas wish list? Well, I will start with mine, and we got a couple of responses in the same vein. And that is health. I just want to see if Gennie Malkin get healthy. I just want to see Blake Lazzat get healthy because while I have no misgivings about what this team is,

Starting point is 00:24:56 who this team is, I do see them at full health, being competitive, being a team that can stay in the race, maybe sneak into a wild card, but really be in the race for the majority of the season when they're at full health. But as we're coming to learn over the past few weeks, if Gennie Malkin and Blake Lazzat really, really are two load-bearing players on this roster who bring quite a bit to the table and not having them. We have seen the difference since they have been out. So let's get to some questions and takes that you guys gave us on YouTube. We're going to start with at the Penguins fan who asks with the Penguins,

Starting point is 00:25:46 having their top players locked up through next season, do you see Dubus going big in free agency with how much extra cap space the penguins are projected to have? No. I don't think that they're going to be very active in free agency despite the insane amount of cap space that they have. And it's mainly just because you look at next year's or this summers, I should say, free agency class and there's not a whole lot there. And we don't want the penguins with the way they've been drafting, the way they've been developing. You don't want to back yourself into a corner and sign some B or C level free agents to long-term deals or short-term deals, short-term deals, I should say, one or two years, you can live with that. But I don't want to continue to pick on the guy, but it doesn't need to be another Ryan Graves situation.

Starting point is 00:26:47 where you look at, okay, this guy's the best guy on the market, despite the market not being that great. So we're going to hand them five, six years, a few million dollars. And then by year three, you're worried that you're not going to be able to get out from under it. With a lot of the young talent that the penguins have coming and the bevy of draft picks, I would expect to see Kyle Dubus be a little bit more active on the trade market rather than then the free agency market because there's a lot of capital at his disposal. You know that there are going to be teams who have disappointing finishes to this year, teams that have cup aspirations that fall short.

Starting point is 00:27:29 They're going to hopefully look to make some changes. They're either going to have to pay some guys that they didn't expect to have to pay. And this is going to be part of that rebuild process is finding some of those castoffs and giving them a second chance in seeing how they fit. And you want to make it so you got guys who can fill out the roster when you need it and some players who maybe just didn't fit wherever they were before, but they find a fit here. So given how many of the big names already got themselves locked up and paid,

Starting point is 00:28:05 I don't see a very active free agency for Kyle Dubus and the Penguins, but maybe in a couple of years when the landscape starts to shift, If they continue to have that cap space and some of these prospects really start to pan out, then we can look for a big swing. This one, another good one on our YouTube, now that we're a decent way into Ben Kendall's unexpected rookie year, what do you think his ceiling is at this point? His game has impressed many at 18 years old, and I've learned not to doubt him. Well, we've all learned not to doubt Ben Kendall because he has been a really hidden

Starting point is 00:28:44 gem for the Pittsburgh Penguins. And Hidden Gem isn't the right word to use anymore because I think everybody knows at this point that he is very much an NHL contributor. As for his ceiling, I would say best case scenario, he is your long-term second line center. He is a really solid two-way forward. He's very good with the puck, responsible defensively, and has shown he can chip in, especially on the power play. If you're listening, Dan Mews, put him back on the top unit. Damn it. He was doing really well there. I don't know why you took him away, but I digress. But yeah, I think end of the day, his ceiling long term is your second line center. They'll eventually have to go out and find that first one, first line franchise

Starting point is 00:29:30 center. We'll see how they go about that, whether it's a draft, a trade, free agency signing. But I think best case scenario, Ben Kindle is your long term second line center. So let's keep it moving here on fan take friday good one here hot take we don't suck wild card one is where we end up i want to believe i really do but as i talked about earlier in the episode and through most of this episode without gino and blake lazott it's really tough because those two have been huge key contributors i will say if they get healthy i can absolutely see that the Eastern Conference this year is a game of hot potato where people are just like, no, I don't want to be in the playoffs, you take it.

Starting point is 00:30:20 No, I don't want to be in the playoffs. You take it. No, I don't want to win my division. You take it. So even with how bad this December has been for the Penguins, they're still very much in the mix. And if they can get healthy, they can stabilize themselves a little bit. I do think they're in the mix. They continue to be in the mix.

Starting point is 00:30:38 and if they can get some of these players back and really find their footing again, I still think there's a very real world where they are right back in the mix. Let's keep this moving here. One more I want to get to before we wrap this Friday episode up. This is from our pal Penn's 68. We obviously know this team isn't a cup contender.

Starting point is 00:31:01 What, in your opinion, should the goal be for Kyle Dubas heading into 26 as we get closer to the NHL trade? deadline. This is going to be a little bit of a boring answer, but I think it's just stay the course, just continue doing what you have been doing. And if this team picks itself up over the next few weeks and heading into the Olympic break, I don't think he needs to take any big swings. I don't think he needs to make the big trade or send anybody away. But if you can reward the team with a depth piece, whether it's a defenseman for the third pairing, a forward for the bottom

Starting point is 00:31:44 six, and you don't have to give a whole lot up, that's the move that I would make because you see that a lot of these prospects, whether it's in the HL, in junior or college, they're really starting to come along and they're really starting to look like they have a shot over the next couple of years to make the penguins. So I don't think, you want to veer too far off course here because it's starting to pan out. You're starting to get some of these young players into the NHL or the AHL. They're really starting to develop. So if you're able to stay the course and as Hunter has said on the show, quote unquote reward them for staying in the race, you don't need to take any massive swings because you don't want to

Starting point is 00:32:33 give up the future for a short-term sugar rush, so to speak. But his goal really should be to keep this team in development mode, keep this team transitioning to the next era with some of these younger players. And if you can go out and get a winger for the third or fourth line or a defenseman for the bottom pairing and it doesn't come at a high cost, I don't think that's the worst idea for Kyle Dubus and the penguins heading into 2026. But thank you all for your hot takes, your questions, your Christmas lists for the Penguins.

Starting point is 00:33:11 That is going to do it for this fan take Friday. And that is going to do it for this Friday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. For my co-host Hunter Hodes, who will return on Monday, thank you as always for tuning in. We will be back with a brand new episode for you on Monday to recap this game. Look at the World Juniors and get you set for the week ahead. Thank you as always. we will be back on Monday.

Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - The STRUGGLING Penguins take on the STRUGGLING Blackhawks this weekend!

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