{"podcast":{"title":"NHL Wraparound Podcast","slug":"nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916","podcast_index_feed_id":6738916,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/nhl-wraparound-podcast/","website_url":"https://nhl-wraparound-podcast.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/b1f011ee-519a-4697-8650-bceee856df78/EY-HiA10QW6j_adqQ0EhGDtC.png","author":"Neil Smith & Vic Morren","episode_count":500,"summary":"Breadth and depth. Contemporary and historical. Straight-forward and experienced. The NHL Wraparound podcast features Neil Smith, President-General Manager of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers and longtime ESPN/NHL veteran Vic Morren sharing no-nonsense opinions on news and issues around the National Hockey League. Bringing decades of experience from their respective fields, Smith and Morren create a unique partnership that examines the NHL from multiple perspectives. Additionally, as hockey historians, the pair can delve into any topic in today’s game and enlighten the audience with connections to events from previous years. To truly appreciate where hockey stands today, one needs to understand its past. With 2024 marking the 30th anniversary of the Rangers last championship season, a special five-part series is planned to commemorate that magical run. Expect fascinating behind-the-scenes stories and special guests with particular focus on the GM who pushed all of his chips into the middle of the table amidst the most pressurized environments – and came out on top. Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned fan, each episode of NHL Wraparound will leave you enterta…","last_synced_at":"2026-10-03T08:23:06.458636+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916"},"episode":{"title":"Summer Coolers – Pittsburgh Penguins","slug":"summer-coolers-pittsburgh-penguins","published_at":"2026-09-15T04:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916/summer-coolers-pittsburgh-penguins","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916","url":"https://nhl-wraparound-podcast.captivate.fm/episode/summer-coolers-pittsburgh-penguins","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/00fa3b30-5d5f-4dfb-9fc4-1e6ca486c587.mp3","summary":"Summer Coolers – Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins surprised almost everyone in 2025-26, returning to the playoffs for the first time in four years before losing to Philadelphia in six games. Their offense exploded from 18th to third overall, the defense improved, and Dan Muse emerged as a Jack Adams finalist in his first season behind the bench. But Neil Smith and Vic Morren see warning signs. Pittsburgh remains built around Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, several players who produced career seasons are gone, and goaltending has become a major question. Can the Penguins recreate last year’s magic? IN THIS EPISODE: [00:00:00] Pittsburgh exceeds expectations, makes its first playoff appearance in four years, but still hasn’t won a postseason series since 2018. [00:00:30] The offense jumps to third in the NHL, the penalty kill finishes tied for sixth, and even the declining power play remains seventh at 24.1%. [00:01:00] Despite Kyle Dubas reshaping the supporting cast, the franchise remains centered around Crosby, Malkin and Letang—a trio totaling 118 years of age. [00:01:25] Malkin returns for another season, while Crosby and agent Pat Brisson are reportedly discussing another contract. [00:01:45] Neil dismisses retirement speculation around Crosby, joking that the superstar seems capable of playing forever while maintaining an incredibly high level. [00:02:00] Pittsburgh’s 41-25-16 record essentially amounts to 41 wins and 41 regulation/OT/shootout losses, but it was still far better than Neil and Vic expected. [00:02:20] Dan Muse deserves considerable credit. The former Rangers assistant replaced Mike Sullivan and became a top-three Jack Adams candidate. [00:03:00] Vic compares Pittsburgh to Washington’s previous surprise season because so man…","meta_description":"Summer Coolers – Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins surprised almost everyone in 2025-26, returning to the playoffs for the first time in four ye…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":543,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916/episodes/summer-coolers-pittsburgh-penguins/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nhl-wraparound-podcast-6738916/summer-coolers-pittsburgh-penguins.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}