Pens Points: Will Crosby Hit 100 Points?

The Pens are for sale but they may remain unsold for a while is the asking price is indeed $750M, as is reported. That would be a record sale for a non-Canadian NHL franchise. [Trib]

Over-under on Sidney Crosby hitting 100 points this season? I'm safely betting the under. [Today's Slapshot]

An interesting interview with Sergei Plotnikov in Russian (translated for your convience!). Did you know Plots had 17 NHL teams interested in him? Nice to see the Pens reel him him. [Hockey Writers]

In case you missed this, here is the link again. It's a brilliantly written first-person account of a hockey player's uphill climb to return to the sport he loves. He returned to hockey and now Bryce Salvador is retiring a captain on his own terms. Stick tap from Pens fans. I don't know that I've seen a game at The Rock (and I've seen some) that we didn't lose. [The Players' Tribune]

Who knows how difficult Johan Franzen's journey back could be? Behind a cheeky Instagram feed is a deeply held desire to come back despite "weekly setbacks". [Winging It In Motown]

Stephen Whyno's excellent article on Daniel Carcillo's quest to ease the "abrupt reality check" NHL players experience transitioning to their next careers. [Canadian Press]

Is this a case of he said, she said, or is there a fire to go with the smoke? Finnish media reported in an interview with Antti Raanta that he admitted wanting the Blackhawks to get swept out of the playoffs so he could go back to Finland. I understand perhaps feeling that way, demoted to the press box as he was, but can't fathom actually saying it. [CBS Sports]

There has been a noticeable decline of Russians in the NHL. Justin Bourne looks at 5 forwards who could reverse that trend. [The Score]

A great account of how Anze Kopitar has increased hockey participation in his native Slovenia, a tiny Alpine country with a grand total of seven ice rinks. [Jewels From The Crown]

The Mike Richards case underscores at the very least how inadequate NHL's drug policy is and the reforms that are needed. "Our players are special" and "our players know how to behave themselves" soundbites from Bettman aren't gonna cut it. [The Hockey Writers]

Calgary is the latest city in which the true and tried playbook of hustling the arena money out of the public funds was executed to a T. How to sell an arena in 6 easy steps - a 5-star recipe. [Grantland]

Apparently he was in the doghouse for a while, but Evander Kane wouldn't be Evander Kane if he didn't throw money at the problem. He simply took out a billboard over Sunset Strip to win his girlfriend back. [Sportsnet]