No Pucks Given | Pittsburgh Penguins Podcast

Pittsburgh Hockey Now
  • 3.7 (3)
  • Hockey
  • Updated Semiweekly

Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now delivers the inside scoops and analysis a few times per week on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Locker room interviews, expert analysis and whatever else we can scrape together.

  1. Jul 23

    Penguins Rebuild Timeline: Why 2029 Is the Realistic Target

    Dan Kingerski breaks down where the Pittsburgh Penguins rebuild actually stands — and why the realistic timeline for this youth movement to take hold runs to 2029 or 2030, not next season.Jason Robertson signing a one-year, $12 million deal in Dallas takes him off the board, and Dan explains why that likely helped the Penguins more than it hurt them. Plus what Dallas set up for themselves next summer, and the window in January where the trade rumors start again if there's no extension.On the roster: the prospects on the cusp — Koivunen, McGroarty, Pickering, Murashov, Brunicke — and why they're contributors rather than cornerstones. The two-year gap after this season's influx. Why the Van Riemsdyk and Kuzmenko signings didn't fit the plan. And the case for moving Rust, Rakell and Carlson.Then the mailbag: Alexander Nikishin as the primary target and why taking Kotkaniemi back makes the deal work, why the Shane Wright talk isn't going anywhere, whether the Penguins will be tough to play against this year, an assessment of Kyle Dubas three years in, and a long detour into how goalie coaching has changed the position.Report card on the Penguins' offseason is up now at Pittsburgh Hockey Now.Chapters: 0:00 Intro — the show keeps going another week1:07 Jason Robertson signs one year, $12M in Dallas2:56 What Dallas set up for next summer4:31 Why not landing Robertson helped the Penguins5:29 The Penguins aren't a better team than they were in May7:31 The prospects on the cusp — and what they actually project as10:11 The two-year gap and a realistic 2029-2030 timeline12:36 The Van Riemsdyk and Kuzmenko signings13:54 Time to move Rust, Rakell and Carlson14:29 What's really in the 2025 draft class15:52 What Dubas has to do — and the top-10 pick problem17:18 Penguins chat begins18:12 Kuzmenko vs. what Brazeau and Mantha gave them19:55 Will Robertson hit free agency? The Marcus Pettersson parallel23:20 Will the Penguins be tough to play against this year?26:56 Erik Karlsson and the Ottawa story that's waiting29:01 "Chicken a la king" — overstocking the roster and what players notice32:22 Rust and Rakell, the 2028 cap space question, Ryan Graves34:20 Koivunen still unsigned — and the case for Alexander Nikishin37:52 Why the Shane Wright talk goes nowhere42:34 Will Horcoff played through a significant injury43:20 Jack Quinn, and what the Beauvillier trade actually proved46:09 Where does Hendrix Lapierre fit?47:55 Is Dubas building toward a step back?49:21 Does the Penguins' history attract free agents?50:45 Dubas at year four of seven — and the Hextall elevator story53:10 Assessing the Dubas plan three years in55:55 The Guentzel return, and the "lost year"58:22 Do the Penguins have the assets for a Nikishin trade?1:00:00 Dan Muse as the wild card1:02:39 Can you build a Cup team from the back end?1:04:59 How goalie coaching ruined the position1:07:35 Wrap

  2. Jul 9

    Penguins Trades That Make Sense: What's Next?

    On this episode of No Pucks Given, Dan Kingerski breaks down whether Kyle Dubas's Penguins rebuild plan has gone sideways — and argues it hasn't, walking through why the front office hasn't landed a Jason Robertson-caliber star yet and why that's actually on schedule. Dan digs into the prospect pipeline (Bill Zonnen, Will Horcoff, Ryan Miller, and more), makes the case for a Nikishin-and-Kotkaniemi package over Elias Pettersson, and runs the numbers on why chasing a big name right now could backfire once Crosby, Malkin, and the rest of the core age out. Then it's into the live Q&A: Logan Stanley's fit, the Kuzmenko-vs-Mantha comparison, Nick Robertson's stalled contract and a looming buyout window, Wilkes-Barre prospect frustration, Owen Pickering's development, Kris Letang's pairing outlook, and a full trade-cost breakdown for both Nikishin/Kotkaniemi and a hypothetical Pettersson-for-Graves swap. Chapters 00:00 — Cold open 00:19 — Welcome to episode 69 & PHN Q&A recap 02:44 — Has Kyle Dubas's rebuild plan gone sideways? 08:21 — The prospect pipeline on the way (Zonnen, Horcoff, Miller) 11:02 — The fork in the road: patience vs. the aging core 16:44 — Dan's trade preference: Nikishin + Kotkaniemi over Pettersson 21:21 — Why chasing Jason Robertson now doesn't add up 24:45 — Live Q&A kicks off 25:31 — Would the Penguins look at Logan Stanley? 26:44 — Kuzmenko vs. Mantha: a fair comparison? 29:37 — Nick Robertson's contract limbo & the buyout window 32:21 — The "let the plan crash" conspiracy theory 33:35 — Are the Wilkes-Barre prospects getting blocked? 39:58 — Do the Penguins' trade targets have a skating problem? 41:49 — When does Dubas make his next big move? 43:45 — Which prospects make the team out of camp? (Owen Pickering deep dive) 48:01 — Where does Kris Letang fit in the pairings? 50:04 — Will Jason Robertson stay in Dallas? 50:44 — Why Dubas has earned the benefit of the doubt 52:43 — Shane Wright, Kent Johnson, and other reclamation targets 53:15 — Mailbag: Wilkes-Barre jokes and the case against Robertson 54:38 — The new AHL rule on 19-year-olds, explained 58:16 — A wager: will the Capitals make the playoffs? 1:00:34 — What would it cost to get Nikishin and Kotkaniemi? 1:01:54 — Hypothetical: Pettersson for Graves + retained salary 1:02:19 — Wrap-up

  3. Jul 7

    [FULL EPISODE] Resetting the Penguins Trade Board: Top Targets and Second-Chance Options

    Host Dan Kingerski analyzes the evolving trade landscape for the Pittsburgh Penguins. This episode breaks down top-tier targets like Jason Robertson and explores "second-chance" reclamation projects such as Shane Wright and Kirby Dach. Kingerski also discusses potential salary cap-clearing moves involving Anaheim and Carolina, and addresses rumors surrounding stars like Connor Bedard and Elias Pettersson. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction and resetting the Penguins trade board01:00 – Jason Robertson and the top-tier trade candidates01:54 – Discussing reclamation projects and second-chance players03:19 – The rising trade cost of Jason Robertson and the Leo Carlsson influence06:47 – Evaluating Kirill Marchenko as a potential target08:58 – The Alex Nikishin and Jesperi Kotkaniemi trade package opportunity13:51 – Exploring salary dump opportunities with the Anaheim Ducks15:12 – Analyzing Shane Wright as a primary second-chance option19:16 – Podcast break and return20:00 – Other second-chance targets: Kirby Dach and Cole Perfetti22:50 – Final thoughts on the value of Nikishin vs. Robertson24:08 – Live Q&A: Addressing Kevin Korchinski and Connor Bedard rumors29:56 – Live Q&A: Discussing the rising NHL salary cap and player deals35:10 – Debunking Elias Pettersson and Rickard Rakell rumors37:31 – What the Penguins offer as a destination for free agents40:34 – Assessing goaltending depth: Blomqvist, Murashov, and others42:15 – Discussing offer sheets for Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson47:51 – Exploring the death of the "second contract" in the NHL51:48 – Impact of left-handed defenseman departures and roster imbalance56:43 – Responding to viewer-proposed trades and final wrap-up#pittsburghpenguins #penguins #nhl #nhlpodcast

  4. Jul 7

    Resetting the Penguins Trade Board

    Host Dan Kingerski analyzes the shifting NHL landscape, evaluating high-profile targets like Jason Robertson and potential trade packages involving Alex Nikishin

  5. Jul 7

    Second-Chance Targets and Q&A

    Dan explores reclamation projects such as Shane Wright and Kirby Dach, followed by a live Q&A addressing roster imbalances and debunking rumors.

  6. Jul 2

    Penguins Free Agency Recap: Nick Robertson Trade, TVR Bust & Kuzmenko Gamble | No Pucks Given

    Dan Kingerski breaks down a chaotic day one of NHL free agency for the Pittsburgh Penguins, live from the UPMC Lemieux Complex. Kyle Dubas grabbed Nick Robertson from Toronto for a fourth-round pick, then turned around and stacked the right side of the blue line with Trevor van Riemsdyk and Caden Kozak — on top of Declan Carlile and a one-year, $5 million flier on Andrei Kuzmenko. Dan hands out grades, digs into the Jason Spezza press conference, and takes your questions live on whether Erik Karlsson gets moved before the trade deadline. 00:00 – Intro from the UPMC Lemieux Complex 00:51 – Penguins land Nick Robertson from Toronto 01:55 – Head-scratcher: signing Trevor van Riemsdyk 02:49 – Declan Carlile signs, replaces Ryan Shea 04:43 – Andrei Kuzmenko inked for $5 million 06:14 – Big picture: Dubas's "Jackson Pollock" offseason 07:23 – Caden Kozak trade and the right-side D logjam 08:57 – Jason Spezza press conference soundbites 12:39 – Grading the moves: Kuzmenko under the microscope 16:35 – Live free agency chat with fans 22:46 – Recap and grades: Robertson, Carlile, TVR gets an F 29:17 – Is Jason Robertson the next shoe to drop? 30:48 – When do the RFAs get signed? 35:20 – Darnell Nurse trade to San Jose, broken down 37:22 – Would Erik Karlsson land in Ottawa? 39:05 – The "Dave Molinari question" tradition 43:45 – Second and third line center battle 50:05 – Final thoughts: what could Ottawa offer for Karlsson? Subscribe for daily Penguins coverage from Pittsburgh Hockey Now, and set your podcast app to auto-download No Pucks Given. #Penguins #NHLFreeAgency #PittsburghHockeyNow #NicholasRobertson #ErikKarlsson

  7. Jul 2

    Latest on Penguins Free Agency Strategy & News on Pittsburgh Prospects

    Dan's back and boy does he have some thoughts on the Penguins' free agency strategy, the status of various prospects and what Kyle Dubas might be thinking.

  8. Jul 2

    Penguins Free Agency Q&A with Dan Kingerski

    Dan fields ALL of your Pittsburgh Penguins questions including free agency, trades and prospect updates.

See All (180)

Ratings & Reviews

3.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now delivers the inside scoops and analysis a few times per week on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Locker room interviews, expert analysis and whatever else we can scrape together.

Information

  • Creator
    Pittsburgh Hockey Now
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    180
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Publisher Desk, 2025