Pens Points: Christmas Eve Eve

Here are your Pens Points for this Thursday morning...

Brock McGinn. Danton Heinen. Evan Rodrigues. What do all three of these Penguins forwards have in common? They all represent the cheap, yet super effective free agent depth that GM Ron Hextall was able to lure to Pittsburgh ahead of the 2021-22 season. [PensBurgh]

The message for the Pittsburgh Penguins heading into the holiday break? Expect the unexpected. [Trib Live]

The team is keeping things simple as they wait for the go-ahead to play another game. [Post-Gazette]

It was made officially official yesterday, but the NHL, along with its collection of players affiliated with the NHLPA, will not be participating in the Beijing Olympics due to COVID-19 concerns. [Post-Gazette]

Sidney Crosby, a two-time Olympian and gold medal winner, said it is incredibly unfortunate that some players won’t be able to experience the opportunity of representing their country in the upcoming Olympic Games. [Penguins]

News and notes from around the NHL...

Wayne Gretzky firmly believes that Alex Ovechkin will break his record for most career NHL goals. [CBS Sports]

The Montreal Canadiens have been visiting children’s hospitals for over 50 years. The tradition goes back to the Jean Beliveau days. This year, while COVID continues to wreak havoc across the globe, the Habs made virtual visits to spread some holiday cheer. [NHL]

It’s the season of wish lists and Sportsnet has created wish lists for eight teams that would love the ability to get these special gifts. [Sportsnet]