With less than 24 hours remaining until the NHL trade deadline, the Pittsburgh Penguins may already be in the process of setting the table for another move.
With less than 24 hours remaining before the NHL trade deadline, things are about to get pretty interesting for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
And, if you're keeping an eye on their minor league affiliates, they may already be a bit interesting.
On Thursday, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins of the AHL recalled left defenseman Emil Pieniniemi from the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. The 21-year-old blueliner - who began the season on suspension after initially failing to report to Wheeling's training camp - has seen time at both the ECHL and AHL levels this season, registering a goal and three points to go along with a plus-6 in eight games with WBS.
But what's interesting here is the fact that the call-up even happened - especially with less than 24 hours to go until the NHL trade deadline.
Pieniniemi's recall gives WBS nine healthy defensemen on their AHL roster, which is one more than they need. In addition to Pieniniemi, the WBS Penguins also have Finn Harding, Chase Pietila, Phil Kemp, and Matt Dumba on the right side, while they have Sebastian Aho, Alexander Alexeyev, Scooter Brickey, and Owen Pickering on the left side.
Therefore, it's fair to wonder whether this may spell an impending move by the Penguins, whether at the NHL or AHL level.
On Wednesday's 'GM Show,' Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas said that the Penguins may be looking to add a forward and a defenseman by the NHL trade deadline, which is Friday, Mar. 6 at 3:00 p.m. ET. He also added that the players they'd most likely be pursuing are cut from the same cloth as Egor Chinakhov, a younger player with high potential who needs a change of scenery.
Chinakhov was acquired back on Dec. 29 for a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick. The Penguins have 13 second- and third-round picks in combined in the next three NHL drafts, and they also have all three of their own first-round picks.
There are some names to look out for - such as New Jersey Devils center Dawson Mercer, Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright, and New York Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider, among others - but, of course, no two deals are exactly the same. Even if Dubas and the Penguins intend to use the "Chinakhov template," a deal for most of the higher-end "change of scenery"-type players will likely have to include either a prospect or a rostered player in addition to the draft capital.
So, is it possible that someone like Dumba or Pickering could be on the way out? Or even someone at the NHL level like Ryan Graves or Connor Clifton?
Well, folks won't have to wait long to find out.
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