Dan's Daily: Panarin's Enormous Contract Demand; Penguins' Injuries & Russian Lift
It's a snowy hockey day in Pittsburgh, and it's a significant one too. On Saturday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Penguins will face their former coach and the New York Rangers. Meanwhile, we took readers inside the Penguins locker room, where some jokes and internal analysis were being exchanged. However, before practice, the team announced possible injuries to Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, in a rather cryptic manner.
Elsewhere in the Daily, Artemi Panarin is demanding a truckload of cash to sign with his new team, and you, like me, might find it a ridiculous amount. However, the NHL trade market is set up with no less than a dozen teams kicking tires on Panarin. Also, are the Toronto Maple Leafs about to acquiesce to reality and begin a sell-off?
Before the links, I want to give a shoutout to a friend of mine's place. We've had Anthony Jardine on the No Pucks Given podcast a couple of times. He's a big Penguins fan and owns the Original Pittsburgh Winery. Last night, they put on a show.
I'm a blues guy, not jazz or funk, but hardcore guitar riffs, horns, and big energy, big soul belts kinda blues. Friday night, the Original Pittsburgh Winery on Penn Ave did a tribute to the Kings: BB, Freddy, and Albert. It was one of the best nights out I've had in a long time. Just unbelievable performances. The place was out of breath after the jam finale. Also, yeah, the Original Pittsburgh Winery (https://pittsburghwinery.com/) is a heckuva spot. Damn, that was fun:
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The newser with a small update from coach Dan Muse. Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang were absent from practice. The first tweet was somewhat cryptic, if not entirely mysterious. There might be some Penguins injury news (https://pittsburghhockeynow.com/pittsburgh-penguins-evgeni-malkin-kris-letang-absent-from-practice/) today.
For the PHN+ Insider, we made it free for all this week, given our platform troubles. Hell, I still can't log in as a subscriber and see the paywall articles, so while they fix things, here's a freebie.
From Egor Chinakhov and Malkin lobbing jokes, but Chinakhov taking a hard line on their game, to Ilya Solovyov giving fist bumps in unexpected areas and bantering with this writer, this is the Penguins Insider (https://pittsburghhockeynow.com/pittsburgh-penguins-insider-solovyov-directions-chinakhov-wants-more/).
And we rolled through the room to ask several players if they look at the standings and what exactly they think when they do? We got different answers this season than last, and I was surprised by what they didn’t know. Simple question, insightful answers in the Penguins locker room (https://pittsburghhockeynow.com/pittsburgh-penguins-watching-standings-but-they-have-a-different-take/).
As Erik Karlsson told me a few weeks ago, “I look at them a lot more this season, for obvious reasons.”
NHL Trade Talk, News, & NHN
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman has just about all things Panarin. From his crazy contract demand ($50 million?!), to how the situation is unfolding, and many of the teams interested (https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/nhl-rumour-roundup-maple-leafs-inch-toward-sell-mode-panarin-market-heats-up/).
And Kevin Weekes checked in:
Per sources, as of today, I’m told the following have expressed interest in Panarin; ANA, LA, SJ, VGK, DAL, UT, COL, MIN, SEA, TOR, CAR, WAS, TBL, NYI. More clubs will join, and importantly, the player has to approve any move first. @NYRangers (https://twitter.com/NYRangers?refsrc=twsrc%5Etfw) #HockeyX (https://twitter.com/hashtag/HockeyX?src=hash&refsrc=twsrc%5Etfw) pic.twitter.com/feOsmPIs1o (https://t.co/feOsmPIs1o)
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) January 29, 2026 (https://twitter.com/KevinWeekes/status/2017002084223025643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
TSN: Time to … say goodbye? The drumbeat is getting louder as the Toronto Maple Leafs get further from the playoff chase. The big sell is coming (https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/article/countdown-to-tradecentre-maple-leafs-set-to-be-sellers/)?
What a twisted season. When the Penguins should be picking at the top of the draft, it will be the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. The big boys will rejuvenate quickly.
New Jersey Hockey Now
The latest on the latest Jack Hughes injury (https://sportsnaut.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils/devils-news-jack-hughes-injury-status).
Boston Hockey Now
One of the teams in the Wild Card race, should the Penguins stumble and join that part of the playoff hunt, is the Boston Bruins. They, too, have some injury woes, with Hampus Lindholm and Pavel Zacha (https://bostonhockeynow.com/2026/01/30/bruins-issue-injury-update-on-elias-lindholm-and-pavel-zacha/).
Philly Hockey Now
Philly Hockey Now had a trio of stories you might like. Here’s the first.
What’s all this lying around stuff? Travis Konecny isn’t having it, and as the Philadelphia Flyers slide out of the race, he’s putting up a fight and challenging his teammates. Will James goes inside the Flyers’ locker room (https://phillyhockeynow.com/2026/01/30/flyers-news-travis-konecny-speaks-on-team-struggles-after-loss-vs-bruins/).
Now, Will also made the arduous trek to State College, his old stomping grounds, for Michigan State vs. Penn State. He wasn’t there to see Gavin McKenna, but chat with MSU coach about a player many of you (and Kyle Dubas) watched leading up to the draft, Flyers’ prospect Porter Martone (https://phillyhockeynow.com/2026/01/31/flyers-porter-martone-shane-vansaghi-adam-nightingale-michigan-state/).
Florida Hockey Now
While the Penguins are watching the standings and getting a boost, the exact opposite is happening with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers (https://floridahockeynow.com/florida-panthers-nhl-stanley-cup-playoff-standings-eight-points-out/).
We’ll know more about Letang and Malkin at 1:30 p.m. today. Also, the Penguins are honoring the 2016 Stanley Cup team. Many of them are in town. I know tickets are a bit overpriced for this market (a bit or a lot), but today’s a good day for hockey. Oh, and you can tell Mike Sullivan hello.
