It's just Hunter for the Friday edition of the Locked On Penguins podcast. With Pat on vacation, Hunter starts the show with Brayden Yager signing his ELC and what means for this season and in the future. Hunter discusses what the rules indicate for Yager since he's only 19 years old. He then dives into when his ELC is slated to start and if he can show enough to warrant a nine-game tryout this season. After that, he discusses who Yager should play with if he does do enough to warrant a nine-game tryout. Should it be Sidney Crosby? What about Evgeni Malkin? Finally, he discusses an update on t ..read more

Happy Thursday! Hunter is back with special guest Josh Yohe while Pat is going to get cooked at the beach for the next few days. To start the show, Hunter and Josh discuss the moves that Kyle Dubas has made and what grade Josh would give him so far. He also gives his thoughts on what Dubas's best move has been before they look at Josh's travel guide for Penguins fans. He gives his recommendations for arenas that Penguins fans should go see before the two discuss Nick Pryor's exit. Was Josh surprised by this move? What's next in that department? Finally, Josh gives his thoughts on whether Dubas ..read more

Despite everything the Penguins are currently going through, yet another member of their franchise is heading to the Four Nations Faceoff and the 2026 Winter Olympics. On this edition of Locked On Penguins, Patrick and Hunter talk about Penguins President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas being named to Team Canada's staff for the Four Nations Faceoff as well as the 2026 Winter Olympics. Then, after speaking with reporters on Tuesday, newcomer Kevin Hayes sounds like a motivated man. They talk about how he's looking to prove his doubters wrong this upcoming year. Finally, the Penguins lose Direc ..read more

Locked On Penguins podcast is the daily podcast that drops the puck and keeps you ahead of the game and the first to know the latest news, analysis, and insider info for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the National Hockey League. Hosted by Hunter Hodies, a staff writer for Sports Illustrated’s The Spun, and Patrick Damp, a former player, digital producer at KDKA-TV News, and author of the Penguins Perspectives column on KDKA.com, the Locked On Penguins podcast provides your daily Penguins fix with expert opinions, local analysis, and coverage of all aspects of the Pens franchise and their five Sta ..read more

The Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Club has seen its fair share of Hockey Hall of Fame talent over the years, which begs the question, outside of the stars...who's next? Patrick and Hunter discuss the embarrassment of riches we've seen for the last 40 years and who could be the next non-superstar to get the call to the hall from the Pittsburgh Penguins. After talking about the Penguins' offseason moves on Monday's show, they talk about who this Penguins team really is and if they are more like the team that caught fire down the stretch or are closer to the middle-of-the-road team they were through ..read more

We all know Sidney Crosby is one of the GOATs, but a new ESPN ranking of the top 100 athletes of the 21st century puts his name amongst the greats. Patrick and Hunter talk about where Crosby ranks, if it's correct, and why there aren't more representatives from the sport of hockey as a whole. Also, since we've reached the quiet part of the NHL offseason, they jump in their time machines and fast-forward to the 2025 offseason when the Penguins will have a bunch of cap space and the UFA class will have plenty of talent. Could the Penguins be players next offseason for one last run? Finally, Peng ..read more

While the Pittsburgh Penguins didn't make any big splashes via trade or free agency, they will still have some new faces in October. On this episode, Hunter and Patrick discuss which of those players will help this team find its way (hopefully) back to the postseason in 2024-25. Next, they take a look at Erik Karlsson and what fans should expect out of him this year. Will he be in line for a bigger season?  They look at how he can bounce back and what the expectations should be for the star defenseman. Finally, the bookmakers have the Penguins as a huge long shot to win the Stanley Cup. A ..read more

It's a special crossover edition as Hunter and Patrick are joined by Jon Chik of Locked On New York Rangers to discuss Reilly Smith and a boatload of other topics. Jon gets Hunter and Patrick's thoughts about Reilly Smith and if he'll be a good fit with the Rangers before they discuss Sidney Crosby and how long he'll keep playing at an elite level. That leads the way for more contract talks about him before they discuss Opening Night between these two teams. They discuss how great of a matchup it's going to be before they discuss the Rangers offseason and how the Jacob Trouba situation could e ..read more

Even though Kyle Dubas already went bargain shopping on July 1st, there are still bargains and deals to be had on the UFA market. Patrick and Hunter discuss two names, Filip Zadina and Oliver Kylington, who are still available and if they fit into the team's needs and the current plan the team has. Next, lost in all the craziness of the draft, free agency, and now summer, David Quinn is going to be coaching the power play. How can he get it back to at least league average after a disastrous 2023-24? Finally, we mostly know who the top six will be comprised of so they discuss their expectations ..read more

A new book from Craig Custance is set to be released later this year and one of the people he spoke with is now Penguins President of Hockey Operations, Kyle Dubas. Patrick and Hunter discuss that excerpt, his time in Toronto, and what he has to change to be successful in Pittsburgh. After that, they talk about how recent reporting found that the Penguins have yet to hold any kind of contract extension talks with defenseman Marcus Pettersson. So, should they extend him, trade him, or lose him? Finally, the Baby Penguins continue filling out their roster showing that they will continue building ..read more