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While the NHL world was reacting to the trade that sent JT Miller to the New York Rangers, the Pittsburgh Penguins made a sly move. They swiped the first-round pick New York sent to the Vancouver Canucks for Marcus Pettersson and Drew O'Connor. Pettersson, a lefty defenseman, was Pittsburgh's top asset this season. But a report from David Pagnotta of The 4th Period says the Penguins are not done for this trade deadline.
“They’re not done. We’ve talked about it. They got a lot of pieces and balls up in the air,” Pagnotta said. He continued, “Pittsburgh will continue to listen. They’re going to look to see what other deals are available to them.”
Pagnotta goes on to mention the players the Penguins could trade defenseman Erik Karlsson. After a late-career Norris Trophy with the San Jose Sharks in 2023, they traded him to Pittsburgh. His numbers have not translated to the team and his monstrous contract has two years left on it. Other than that, Pagnotta expects the usual suspects to be on the move.
With 52 points out of 54 games, the Penguins should trade every pending unrestricted free agent before March 7. They need to rebuild their roster around Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and trading is the only way to do that.
The Penguins must trade as many players as possible
Anthony Beauvillier, Matt Nieto, Jesse Puljujarvi, Matt Grzelcyk, and Ryan Shea are the unrestricted free agents on the Penguins. Each of those players should be on the move but won't bring back a huge return but you can combine the assets to get a better pick. Grzelcyk should have the most value, as a veteran defenseman with a low cap hit and offensive upside.
The Bruins had the Boston native Grzelcyk for eight years but let him walk in free agency before this season. He could not get a long-term deal and signed with Pittsburgh for one year and $2.5 million. With extended playing time, he has 26 assists in 54 games and could be valuable for a team in the playoff race.
Beavuillier, Nieto, and Puljujarvi could all be depth forward options for contenders who are buying at the trade deadline. They can all slot in on the fourth line and kill penalties for the price of a mid-round pick. That should be the Penguins' path at the deadline, as replacing the bottom six forwards in free agency is easy. Kyle Dubas should put up a “For Sale” sign before the March 7 deadline.
