The trade deadline could either be the most exciting times for fans, or perhaps the most dreadful. If their favorite team is looking to go far in the playoffs, then they will add only fantastic talent. If the team is going into a rebuild, then some fan favorites may be traded. Thankfully, fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins are looking forward to this trade deadline as the organization should be acquiring talent for the long haul to procure the Stanley Cup.
Unlike other teams, the Penguins may not have to add too much to improve their lineup. Their center situation is still phenomenal with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jeff Carter and Teddy Blueger. Even more beneficial to the organization is the goalie situation. The tandem of Casey DeSmith and Tristan Jarry has been proving all doubters wrong this season, so there is little reason to doubt them now.
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The main assets that Pittsburgh may have to go for this trade deadline could be middle-six wingers. The first line of Crosby, Jake Guentzel and, until recently, Bryan Rust has been on fire. The second line has done alright, but Malkin has been the standout. The third line has been incredibly underwhelming. The fourth line hasn’t been potting many goals either, but then again, they aren’t built to score goals too much.
Jason Zucker is still out with an injury, so the Penguins need all the help they can get from new wingers. There has been mutual interest in assets from the Vancouver Canucks. The No. 1 target would be Brock Boeser, but another asset has appeared at the forefront. Conor Garland has incredible upside, and perhaps a relatively low price tag. If the Penguins aren’t looking to give up too many assets but want a middle-six winger, then Garland could be the favorite.
Someone or something always has to leave the organization in a transaction. In terms of draft picks, fans could be skeptical about any trades the Penguins do. Former general manager Jim Rutherford handed out draft picks like they were going out of style. Now, current GM Ron Hextall has expressed his clear interest in retaining Pittsburgh’s picks. It looks like the organization is going to keep them unless there’s an opportunity that’s just too good to pass up.
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It looks like a trade with Vancouver could be the main route to go, and they mainly need defensemen. In this instance, the odd man out is Marcus Pettersson. He still has some value, so much so that he could be the main piece in acquiring Garland. The ideal trade for Garland would be Pettersson and perhaps a fourth-round pick as a sweetener. Of course, this is a hypothetical trade, but it’s fairly safe to say that Pettersson is on the way out after he was a healthy scratch for the past two games.
This could be an exciting trade deadline for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They have a great opportunity to add to their already fantastic lineup in Garland. At the same time, there’s also the solid possibility that Hextall has all the faith in the world in his current lineup. In that case, it could be a relatively boring trade deadline. Again, this is all pure speculation, but Hextall’s main priority should be bolstering his winger situation.
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