There's no sign of closing the chasm between Mario Lemieux and the new owners of the Penguins, the franchise he saved multiple times and led to glory five times.
Two sources with direct knowledge of the situation told me in the past week that, despite public statements from Fenway Sports Group attempting to downplay it all, there's been no real move on either side toward a reconciliation. One of those sources called it "bad." The other strongly suggested the same.
The second of those sources told the tale of how, when Lemieux was at PPG Paints Arena for a game this past March -- the only game he was known to attend -- people associated with the then-AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh broadcast were instructed from within not to show Lemieux on camera. It's not clear whether that instruction came from the team or from a possible Lemieux request, but the context/intonation of what was shared strongly suggested it was from team ownership.
The only known reason Lemieux was in the building was to accompany the rest of the entourage in his annual fantasy camp, which would also spend a day on the ice there:
MARIO LEMIEUX FOUNDATION
I covered the NHL game in question and can attest that the same approach was taken on the arena scoreboard, which showed members of the fantasy camp during one break but never Lemieux.
Why has this happened?
Plain and simple, at the time of the sale in late 2021, Lemieux and longtime partner Ron Burkle solved some lingering issues with smaller minority partners, an act for which they expected to be compensated. Their stance is that they weren't.
Soapbox time: If FSG thinks this will just fade and that this city will just forget about Lemieux, they're out of their minds. Whatever it takes, this needs to be fixed. The Penguins and our city's preeminent civic treasure could never be sold separately.
MORE PENGUINS
• I'm told it's not an accident that other friends of Mario -- or FOM, for those who'll recall that old acronym -- also have been removed from the operation.
• One of the individual disputes within all of this, I'm further told, involves a grand total of $40,000, a relative pittance in the broader scope.
• The NHL's expecting it won't take long to institute policies regarding equipment that could help prevent tragedies like the death of Adam Johnson, I'm told by a league official. That'd cover not only the neck but also wrists and ankles, with Erik Karlsson's 2013 injury the primary influence for the latter.
• Only reason there's been no approach to Jake Guentzel regarding an extension, from what I hear, is that Kyle Dubas prefers to see how the season's playing out and have a firmer feel on the team's longer-term trajectory before doing anything at all. There's every intention to try to keep Guentzel, though, and I'd hope that'd be obvious. The final two seasons of Sidney Crosby's contract are ahead. They're not about to toss out the best fit he's ever had on the left wing.
• Alex Nedeljkovic was well off his game last night in Boston, but he's got the room. Meaning the backing in the room. Make no mistake about that. No one speaks ill of Tristan Jarry, but there's just a different sentiment regarding Nedeljkovic. It'll be fascinating to follow.
• If John Ludvig can find a way to stay on the ice -- and he could start by not senselessly picking a fight with Matt Martin -- he's got a home here. He'll be part of the left defense for years to come. The coaches and players really, really like him.
STEELERS
• Mason Rudolph's now twice remarked that, if he hadn't gotten another NFL chance this season, he'd have pursued "commercial real estate." First time he did that, after he stepped away from the podium, I made eye contact with him and cracked, "Oh, please." Clearly knowing what I was referencing, he laughed and came back, "I know." I'll just leave this here: He's not exactly a wizard on the real-estate front. Neither are most professional athletes, for that matter.
• The notion that Rudolph wouldn't return to the Steelers because of some perceived possible animosity over having been buried here for half a decade ... uh, no. Not who he is. Not how he thinks. He's genuinely grateful to both Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin for bringing him back when 31 other NFL teams let him sit there all summer. My feel is that'll weigh more with him than anything, although there's also this: He's developed real friendships with T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and other veterans, which is part of the reason those guys have been happier for him than anyone.
• Management and coaches, chiefly Mike Tomlin, aren't giving up on Kenny Pickett to even the tiniest extent. But the same can't be spoken at all for Mitch Trubisky. Doesn't mean he's going anywhere, since he's signed for two more years, and $8 million of that's guaranteed. But it does mean he's got a heck of a hill to climb after his performance this season. Particularly when it comes to protecting the football.
• It's difficult to describe the degree of anger in the Pickett camp over all that fuss earlier in the week. Meaning not just Pickett but also those around him.
• No one ascended more in Seattle, with due respect to Rudolph, the way Broderick Jones did. Never seen him as animated, as vocal as he was in that locker room, still amped about all the physical wreckage he'd just wreaked. He's progressed beyond being comfortable. He's ready to lead ... in his own way. He's not naturally loud. He only seems to get that way as related to game action. But that's what counts.
• Placing this one last for a reason: There are some -- and I don't know who or how many -- within the Steelers' ownership structure who'd welcome seeing significant change heading into 2024. But because I've got no specifics on this, I'm not about to blow it up into some clickbait-y headline or whatever. This is Insider, and I'm sharing with our readers the very, very little I have.
PIRATES
• Nick Gonzales, the first pick of Ben Cherington's first MLB Draft in Pittsburgh and No. 7 overall in 2020, isn't any danger of being cut despite deeply disappointing strikeout totals at every level. He's got two years in which he can still be optioned out to Class AAA Indianapolis. But he'll turn 25 in May and, as a result, I'm told, he'll get every chance in 2024 to show what he can do. Doesn't mean he'll be handed second base. Not with Liover Peguero competing. But it does mean he'll be in line for middle infield backup duty, even if that'll feel forced at times. Always hate to see a first-rounder fail.
• Get ready to have a dialogue about Domingo German. Threw a perfect game this past season for the Yankees. Suspended for 81 games. Alcohol issues. Cut loose by New York in November. There's an interest on the pitcher's part in coming to Pittsburgh, but I'm not clear if that's mutual.
• I've been reporting for months that Carlos Santana will be back in 2024. Standing by that. All kinds of benefits to having him back.
• Regarding the two players most clearly in line for extensions: Neither Mitch Keller's camp nor David Bednar's is sensing much of anything. I strongly suspect that'll change over the winter, maybe into spring training, where these things tend to get done face-to-face. But what I suspect doesn't match up with what they sense. We'll see.
• The notion that Bob Nutting's opposed to a salary cap system for Major League Baseball -- meaning ceiling, floor, expanded revenue sharing, as with all such systems -- couldn't be more off. The notion that he's not communicating with other owners toward this end also couldn't be more off. Don't worry about a yes vote on the most recent labor agreement in which he'd have been the only no. There's no point in being ostracized by the rest of the owners to no effect. The real battle's in 2027.
• It's PiratesFest weekend! Enjoy!
• Thanks for reading Insider!
