Pens Points: All Eyes on Vegas

Months and months of speculation have all led us to tonight and all of the questions will finally be answered. Tonight, at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas, the NHL will host its annual awards show where honors such as the Hart Trophy for MVP and Norris Trophy for Top Defenseman will be handed out. Make sure to tune in to see which players take home some of the game’s highest honors.

All kidding aside, the only reason you’re tuning into the NHL Awards at all will be for the unveiling of the Vegas Golden Knights roster that will bring a close to almost a years worth of expansion draft rumors and speculation.

Here’s how it will all go down tomorrow night according to Michael Russo from the Star Tribune:

You better believe you’re going to have to watch every second of this show to see who Vegas selected.

Based on that information above the Penguins player selection will be announced next to last since they finished the regular season with the second most points, behind only the Capitals.

Now some good reading to help hold you over until show time...

All signs point to the Golden Knights selecting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury as their expansion draft selection from the Penguins. Although the pick is not yet official and Fleury hasn’t set foot in Sin City, the first face of the new franchise is already a popular man. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

This will be the third time an expansion draft is held following the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup. The previous two times came in 1991 and 1992 following the franchise’s first set of back-to-back titles. [Trib Live]

If you by chance are tuning in later tonight for the actual awards show part of the evening you’ll be treated to a heavy dose of Pittsburgh flavor invading Las Vegas. Captain Sidney Crosby is nominated for the Hart Trophy given to the league MVP and the show will be hosted by Pittsburgh native, and Pens super fan, Joe Manganiello. [Penguins]

Losing Fleury will be hard on the fanbase who has adored him for well over a decade but he won’t be the only loss for the Pens this summer. Unlike last offseason where most of the team remained intact, general manager Jim Rutherford is expecting more turnover this time around. [Puck Daddy]

In likely his last public appearance as a member of the Penguins, Marc-Andre Fleury hosted an autograph sessions at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Cranberry. In a testament to his impact on the fan base during his time in Pittsburgh, fans began lining up 12 hours early to reserve their spot for meeting Fleury. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

The growth of collegiate hockey in the United States has been a boon for many teams in the NHL and none more so than the Penguins who utilized 16 former NCAA players to win a second consecutive Stanley Cup. [Pensburgh]

News and notes from around the NHL...

In a special ceremony last night in Las Vegas, the NHL unveiled new uniforms for all 31 teams set to be worn starting next season as Adidas takes over the the official jersey of the NHL. [Puck Daddy]

With another NHL season in the books it’s time to look at most tortured fan bases across the sport. [Sports on Earth]