Unfortunate reality might be setting in for Harrison Brunicke
The Pittsburgh Penguins dropped their Saturday matinee to the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 in which they started slow and could never recover in time. But there was more than just a slow start and a defeat to one of the Western Conference's best teams, that was a tough pill to swallow.
The Penguins will have to make a tough decision soon on if they should send 19-year-old defenseman Harrison Brunicke back to his junior team or keep him in the NHL. But after Saturday's game, it feels like that decision might have been made already.
In the contest, Brunicke just generally looked lost in his own zone and was the direct cause of the Jets second goal of the game which came early in the first period. Brunicke was doing his best to block a cross-crease pass and did not get his stick down in time. So, Jets forward Brad Lambert had a backdoor tap-in to make it 2-0 Jets early in the first.
Defenseman like Brunicke are going to want to do everything they can to get their sticks down and in position to block the cross-crease pass. Brunicke did not and the result showed. He also did not have inside positioning on Lambert so Lambert was able to box him out and score the goal.
It definitely seems like with the way head coach Dan Muse has been scratching Brunicke and playing him every now and then, that sending him back to his junior team is becoming inevitable. That kind of load management does not bode well for his chances of staying with the Penguins.
It might be ideal for him to get one more year in juniors and then be fully ready next season. That is for Muse and general manager Kyle Dubas to decide, but the answer seems like it might be in the cards for Brunicke.
NFL insider reveals update on potential 49ers' Jauan Jennings trade
The San Francisco 49ers are heading into a Week 9 matchup against the New York Giants with a 5-3 record. While the 49ers are just a half-game back of the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, a loss to the Giants would be a huge blow to their chances of winning the NFC West.
With the trade deadline right around the corner, the 49ers could use a win over the Giants to bolster their playoff odds, while also allowing for more additions at the deadline.
But, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the 49ers might not just be buyers. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings has popped up in trade rumors, and Rapoport reports a trade can't be ruled out just yet.
A 49ers' Jauan Jennings trade can't be ruled out just yet
"San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings has become a curiosity on the trade market," Rapoport writes, "with some of the teams that tried to trade for him prior to training camp expressing interest again."
Teams expressing interest in Jennings isn't strange, especially considering the 49ers receiver deleted his Instagram page. That decision spread trade speculation, and combined with the offseason rumors, a Jennings trade can't be ruled out.
"A trade of Jennings isn't off the table," Rapoport reports, "but with Brandon Aiyuk still coming back from last year's season-ending knee injury, it's not considered likely."
Moving on from Jennings would leave the 49ers without one of their top receivers, and with Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall both still out, Kendrick Bourne would be the top option by a wide margin.
Jennings is 28 years old, and so far this season, has 18 receptions for 212 yards and one touchdown. In the offseason, he signed a two-year, $15.39 million extension with the 49ers through the 2026 season.
Trading Jennings would save the 49ers some cap space, but it would leave them with a weak wide receiver room. The 49ers' offense is dealing with a bunch of injuries, and those injuries could impact whether Jennings is traded or not.
While a Jennings trade doesn't look likely, with this latest report, the potential of a trade can't be ruled out.
