The Pittsburgh Penguins need a move as the deadline nears, and the possibilities continue to grow.
As the NHL trade deadline continues to draw closer, fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to wait for general manager Ron Hextall to make a move.
At the moment, the list of needs for the Penguins is long; there are a few problem areas that not a single player can fix, but at least some sort of change is needed.
While names off all different positions and skill sets have been tossed around, a few more have been added as potential targets.
The Penguins have what it takes to trade for a Timo Meier, Brock Boeser, or even Ryan O’Reilly, but there has to be a sense of realism involved when discussing trade targets.
According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the Penguins might also want to take a look at Tyer Bertuzzi and Luke Schenn.
Seravalli says that Bertuzzi is a quintessential player who fits the Hextall mold; an affordable player who can bring both grit and a scoring touch.
Bertuzzi has missed months at a time this season, but when he’s in the lineup at a consistent rate and rolling, he brings production.
In 68 games last season, Bertuzzi put up 62 points (30G-32A); the numbers aren’t stacking up right now with only eight points in 21 games.
As for Schenn, he’s someone the Penguins should normally avoid, but there’s one problem.
Schenn played under Hextall during his days with the Philadelphia Flyers and could be considered one of ‘Hextall’s guys.’
We all know how ‘Hextall’s guys’ have played out in Pittsburgh… Gesturing towards Jeff Carter.
What makes the deal possible for the Penguins is Schenn’s current team’s front office and their possible fondness of the Penugins lineup.
Schenn is currently a veteran defender on the Vancouver Canucks and Jim Rutherford is the president of hockey operations over there.
Does Rutherford want some of his guys back? Does Hextall, as well?
Schenn is less than ideal for the Penguins, but clearly there’s connections.
Seravalli also continued to mention players he talked about before like Meier, Boeser, and Jake McCabe.
According to Seravalli the Penguins need to focus on acquiring a second line winger and and a defender.
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