The Pittsburgh Penguins have had their swings this season and it's possible a move on the blue line is in the cards.
With the midway point of the season right around the corner for the Pittsburgh Penguins, they are yet to make any significant moves to change or bolster their lineup.
Much of the league is yet to open up the trade market, but could the Penguins be sniffing around for a new defenseman?
Elliotte Friedman spoke on the 32 Thoughts: The Podcast about the Chicago Blackhawks looking into trading away 29-year-old blue liner Jake McCabe.
While Friedman never specifically said the Blackhawks were looking for move on from McCabe and never said the Penguins had any interest, there was a connection there.
On the episode, Friedman says that he received a call from someone asking if the Penguins and McCabe make sense together.
McCabe has played over 400 games in the NHL but has never been on a winning team and is still waiting for his first postseason appearance.
Starting with the Buffalo Sabres in 2013-14, McCabe has morphed into a stout defensive defenseman looking for a winning situation.
There is no doubt that the Penguins are still ‘going for it’ in terms of taking a run at another Stanley Cup; you don’t re-sign Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang then fall into a rebuilding year.
If there is a situation that fits for McCabe and the Penguins, where does he fit?
In 461 career games, McCabe has recorded only 108 points (23G-85A), but that’s not the main part of his game.
At this point in time, McCabe could be a slightly younger and cheaper option over the struggling Brian Dumoulin.
In the final year of his contract, Dumoulin hasn’t had a great season and some have suggested he’s deserving of a few healthy scratches.
The Penguins are still dealing with a log jam of NHL-level defenseman, and swapping one for another wouldn’t improve the makeup of the surplus, but could be an improvement based on personnel.
A simple one-for-one deal doesn’t seem crazy; Dumoulin makes $4.1 million and is up after this season, while McCabe is worth $4 million flat against the cap and runs until 2025.
McCabe is also a couple of years younger than Dumoulin as he turned 29 in October.
The Blackhawks signed McCabe to a four-year deal in 2021 with a modified no-trade clause, but the team doesn't look like they're going to be a winner any time soon.
If McCabe wants to find a winning team, the Penguins are a solid option for the right deal.
Friedman also stated that he believes if the Penguins decide to make a move, it’ll come closer to the trade deadline date of March 3.
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