A former deadline acquisition of the Pittsburgh Penguins is once again a hot topic on trade boards.

PITTSBURGH – Were the Pittsburgh Penguins just a year early to the party? Probably not, but it seems like someone they traded for at last year’s deadline will be a hot commodity this time around. According to Frank Servalli of Daily Faceoff, forward Mikael Granlund is one of the top targets in the NHL.

The Penguins acquired Granlund just before last season’s deadline, and many quickly criticized the move. Then general manager Ron Hextall dealt a 2023 second-round pick for Granlund, who scored just one goal and four assists in 21 games.

“GM Mike Grier has spoken highly of Granlund since arriving from Pittsburgh as a cast-off in the Erik Karlsson trade,” Servalli writes. “He really struggled with the Pens after being traded for a second-round pick last year.”

When Kyle Dubas arrived in Pittsburgh, one of his first orders of business was to deal Granlund to the San Jose Sharks as part of the massive Erik Karlsson deal. As a member of the Sharks, Granlund has been given a much more prominent role but has also returned to his stellar playmaking ways.

He’s been out since mid-January with an injury but has been a solid producer all year. In 38 games played, Granlund has scored five goals but picked up 24 assists for 29 total points. He’s second on the Sharks in scoring and could suddenly be helpful for someone's playoff push.

“Granlund looked much more like himself this year, netting 16 in his first 20 games as a Shark, and had eight even-strength points in one week in December.”

As a member of the Penguins, Granlund was a disaster. But in 2023-24, he’s found a way to turn back the clock and return to his prime playmaking form. At age 31 and in the final year of his contract, plenty of teams should be lined up for his talents.

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