Penguins Receiving Trade Interest in Multiple Goalies
The Pittsburgh Penguins might appear in the red hot goalie trade market ahead of the deadline.
PITTSBURGH – The NHL trade deadline is under two weeks away, and the Pittsburgh Penguins have been one of the most talked about teams. Jake Guentzel and Reilly Smith have emerged as big names to watch, but Elliotte Friedman suggests a particular position may be of interest.
Goaltending is set to be essential for teams at the deadline, and Friedman said on Saturday Headlines the Penguins may hear calls about their netminders.
“One position I do believe people have started to ask about, and the Penguins will consider, is goal,” Friedman said. “They’ve got [Tristan] Jarry and [Ales] Nedeljkovic at the NHL level. They’ve got a really good prospect in Joel Blomqvist, who’s having a good year in the American Hockey League.”
Jarry and Nedeljkovic have, at points, played like the best goalie duo in the NHL but have seen their shine fade a bit in recent contests. They are still a top tandem, but if the Penguins can’t score in front of them, they make sense to send off in a tear-down.
Blomqvist is a new concept that seems unlikely, but it all depends on how long Kyle Dubas thinks a rebuild would take.
“A couple of teams have suggested to me that you might want to add to the list of goalies who could be moved,” Friedman said. “Someone in Pittsburgh.”
Earlier in the year, when the Penguins were still right in the middle of the playoff fight, their goaltending was one of their strong suits. Jarry and Nedeljkovic were a pair of the hottest netminders in the NHL—a genuine discussion sprouted regarding a possible “goalie controversy” in Pittsburgh.
Jarry has pulled away as the starter and, in 37 games, holds a 15-17-4 record with six shutouts, a .916 save percentage, and a 2.49 goals-against average. Nedeljkovic has appeared in 19 games with a 9-4-4 record, a .915 save percentage, and 2.67 goals against average.
Blomqvist still doesn’t seem like a smart move, but if the Penguins are shopping him around, he can fetch a haul. In 31 games played with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he has picked up a 16-8-5 record, a .918 save percentage, and a 2.17 goals-against average. Blomqvist was the Penguins representative at the AHL All-Star Classic.
The Penguins entered the season with many question marks surrounding their goaltending. They’ve gotten great goaltending as the deadline approaches, but other struggles may be forcing some hands.
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