Penguins Linked to Oilers Defenseman
The Pittsburgh Penguins may have their sights set on a youthful blue liner for the Edmonton Oilers.
PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins are in no real position to add at the trade deadline and take a swing at a big fish, but general manager Kyle Dubas has set specific goals. According to Dubas, he wants to make the Penguins a younger team while retaining some of the oldest superstars in the league and contend for a Stanley Cup.
Regardless of what direction the Penguins head in at the deadline, they will likely have an eye on younger talent that can help them soon. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Penguins have been linked to a young defender still looking for a full-time role in the NHL.
Pagnotta linked the Penguins to 22-year-old Philip Broberg of the Edmonton Oilers. Broberg is a left-shot defender with only 79 games in three years of NHL experience under his belt. In that time, he’s scored a pair of goals and nine assists for 11 points.
“Broberg wants an opportunity to play full time NHL minutes and he isn’t getting that right now with the Edmonton Oilers, who are willing to trade him in the right deal,” Pagnotta writes. “Will Broberg be packaged for an upgrade, or used as a piece to take on a heavy contract?”
The Penguins have a surplus of blue-liners, but Broberg is a player who could help down the line. In the final year of his entry-level contract, Broberg is due for an extension this summer and will be a restricted free agent.
Broberg being linked to the Penguins may also have something to do with the Oilers being linked to Jake Guentzel. The Penguins are likely preparing to trade Guentzel, and the Oilers are a top team in those discussions. Broberg may just fall as a piece of the return for Pittsburgh, but it’s a big name on trade boards.
While the Penguins are still deciding the best course of action for the 2023-24 season, they are certainly lining up to be active in some way. They already added Emil Bemstrom as a good safety net, and now being linked to another youthful player should help with that goal of getting younger.
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