The Penguins have had some mediocre playoff performances in recent years. After winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, they’ve only made it as far as the second round. It’s hard to pin the blame on any one aspect of their play in particular, but it’s clear that something may need to be shaken up to work out. The most likely area in which the Penguins need to shake things up is the defense. This begs the question, should the Pittsburgh Penguins trade for Mattias Ekholm?
Ekholm is yet another outstanding defenseman the Nashville Predators have developed. The Swedish native was drafted 102nd overall in the 2009 NHL draft. Playing alongside elite defensemen like Roman Josi and former Predators’ Shea Weber and P.K. Subban has clearly rubbed off on Ekholm as he is a fantastic player.
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The Predators could be willing to part ways with Ekholm as they could start to change things up as well. They recently traded long-time Predator forward Viktor Arvidsson to the Los Angeles Kings. Because of this, Nashville may be looking to go into a small rebuild. They just squeaked into this year’s playoffs after struggling for most of the season, so it would make some sense.
They also don’t have too many notable prospects, at least those who play offense. Trading some of their older players for draft picks and prospects would be fairly logical. They could also be asking for some NHL regulars in return for their older players. However, this still is a question of whether or not the Penguins should even consider trading for Ekholm.
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It would make sense for the Penguins to trade for Ekholm. He has shown that he can put up some points but also do whatever it takes to prevent the opposition from gaining a scoring opportunity. His two-way playstyle could pair well with some of the defenders the Penguins have now like Mike Matheson or even Kris Letang. Because of these reasons, he could be what the Penguins need to shake things up.
But, there’s always the matter of what Pittsburgh would be giving up for Ekholm. The Predators would 100 percent want a first-round pick or a prospect which would hurt the Penguins. Because of their lack of prospects, Pittsburgh may be a little wary in giving up either of these assets. However, what about some of Pittsburgh’s NHL regulars?
Jason Zucker could very easily be involved in that trade. He has continually struggled with the Penguins, so a fresh start with Nashville could be what he needs. Pair Zucker with, say, this year’s second round pick and their 2022 second round pick, that could be a trade the Penguins would make. However, with Ekholm’s contract ending after next season it’s hard to say if Pittsburgh would want to take the risk of him not wanting to re-sign. Only time will tell.
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