The IIHF reports that former NHL forward Kaspars Daugavins has retired. The 36-year-old’s announcement caught many by surprise as he has been very productive in recent seasons including this year in Slovakia’s top league Tipos Extraliga, where he has posted six goals and 14 assists in 19 games.
Daugavins was a third-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2006 (91st overall) and played seven seasons in the organization, including parts of three seasons in the NHL. Daugavins played 85 games with the Senators before he was plucked off waivers by the Boston Bruins in March of 2013. He played just six games with the Bruins before making his way to Europe the next season. During his brief NHL career, Daugavins registered six goals and nine assists while averaging just over 11 minutes of ice-time per game.
In other morning notes:
- Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff mentioned on Daily Faceoff Live that Ottawa Senators forward Josh Norris has had his name come up in conversations that the Senators have been having, presumably with other teams. Ottawa has struggled out of the gate this season and has failed to live up to expectations once again. Their core is signed to significant long-term deals, and Norris is one player who hasn’t lived up to his paycheck. That being said, moving Norris would be very difficult given his cap hit and injury history. The 25-year-old has been decent offensively this year, posting eight goals and six assists in 21 games while starting 56% of his even-strength shifts in the defensive zone.
- Sidney Crosby’s off-season extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins appears to have done nothing to cool the trade rumors that continue to be pushed out about him. On yesterday’s edition of TSN Overdrive, Bryan Hayes floated out what a potential Crosby trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs would look like. A deal involving the two sides is highly unlikely, given Kyle Dubas’ history with the Maple Leafs and Crosby’s desire to finish his career in Pittsburgh. However, thanks to the Penguins’ massive struggles as of late, a Crosby trade out of Pittsburgh doesn’t look as impossible as it did a month ago. Pittsburgh figures to be busy in the coming months if they don’t turn things around. However, the chances that Crosby is moved remain relatively close to zero.
lol it’s cracks me up how so many in the hockey media thinks everyone wants to play for Toronto or that Toronto is “always” the top contender for a big name smh.
The irony of it all, Toronto, a lot of times has to pay more (in money & years) just to get guys to come play there (ex Tanev, Tavares) much less stay there (ex Matthews, Nylander).
Quite arguably the most overrated franchise in hockey let alone with quite possibly the most toxic culture as well IMO.
Just like the Dallas Cowboys: neither team can win anything on the field/ice, so they need to win headlines. Both teams are in big towns so apparently the rest of us are supposed to care. Journalists know fans of those teams are easy marks and will click on (and believe) anything.
That’s a valid comparison, actually.
I have always thought the one place Crosby may want to go is Montreal. Right now they are not any better then pittsburgh.
Montreal has supposedly been ready to steal our various superstars for 40 years now. Yawn.
The ONLY time I thought there was any chance of Sid leaving was this summer for the Avs. He’s friends with McKinnon, he’d slide in as an unreal 2C, they are a legit contender (at least they were then before their netminding imploded), etc.
If he wanted to do that, he could have. He didn’t. If not then, probably never.
One thing many don’t appreciate is that as much as Sid is doing us a favor by staying when it gets bad, it will get to the point where the Pens can return the favor and offer him ice time no other team could give him once he gets to the “compiler” stage.
You know Sid grew up a Canadiens fan, right? That’s where the “Sid to Montreal” rumors come from.
I do. I also know Mario was born there and also grew up a Canadiens fan.
The idea that guys are going to uproot where they had actual success as adults because of a poster they had on their wall as kids is a bit overblown, though.
Ok good. Just checking. It would be really funny if the person who leaves REEAAALLLLYY long comments on EVERY Pens-related post didn’t know Crosby was a Habs fan and a guy named Lemieux is from Quebec.
Crosby Trade Rumors = bored sportswriters who need to toss in something, anything for deadline.
Never mind this: the surest way for the yinzers to descend on PPG with torches and pitchforks would be for management to openly try to deal him.
@Nha Trang — If that were to happen, I don’t think Red Adair would’ve been able to put that fire out.