Penguins Should Look at Jets as Offseason Trade Partners
The Winnipeg Jets seem destined for a rebuild, and the Pittsburgh Penguins should be making a few calls.
As the second round of the 2023 NHL Playoffs gets underway, more teams are joining the Pittsburgh Penguins in the heat of the offseason.
For the Penguins, the spring and summer of 2023 are focused on finding a new front office staff and adjusting the lineup to once again be a real Stanley Cup contender.
Some roster changes will need to be made and one team that should be given quite a few calls is the Winnipeg Jets.
It was clear down the stretch of the season that there was something bad brewing under the surface of the Jets organization.
After their first round defeat at the hands of the Vegas Golden, the seams came undone for the Jets and it became obvious that many changes are needed in Winnipeg.
When a team needs adjustments that seismic, players are likely finding their way out the door; and the Jets have plenty of good players that the Penguins should consider looking in to.
Connor Hellebuyck
Whether they admit to it or not, the Penguins have a goalie problem; Tristan Jarry has struggled to stay healthy for too many season in a row and Casey DeSmith isn’t a starting caliber netminder.
A change is needed between the pipes in Pittsburgh and Connor Hellebuyck might be looking for a new home.
During his exit interview, Hellebuyck said that he has no interest in a rebuild and wants to compete for a Cup.
“My main goal is to win a Stanley Cup,” Hellebuyck said. “I’m starting to run out of time.”
Hellebuyck will soon be 30-years-old and is regularly one of the best goalies in the NHL.
In 445 career games played, he holds a record of 238-154-37 with a .916 save percentage and was the Vezina Trophy winner in 2019-20.
Hellebuyck is heading into the final year of a contract that earns him $6.1 million against the salary cap; he’s the type of goalie that would be worth every penny.
Mark Scheifele
Also 30-years-old, also heading into the last year of a contract worth around $6.1 million, also one of the best in his position.
Mark Scheifele has been with the Jets since the 2011 Draft and his time may have come to an end in Winnipeg.
In the 2022-23 season, Scheifele led the Jets in goals with 42 and has regularly been one of their most productive forwards.
Over his 723 game career, Scheifele has recorded 272 goals and 373 assists for 645 points.
As a center, it might be hard to slot him into an already center-heavy lineup, but Scheifele brings the kind of talent that you find a solution for.
Neal Pionk
While Hellebuyck and Scheifele are longshots for the Penguins, Neal Pionk seems a little more attainable.
Pionk is a 27-year-old, right shot defenseman who could quite easily be utilized as a Jeff Petry replacement.
Petry didn’t produce the way he was expected to in his first year in Pittsburgh and at $6.25 million, he’s the highest paid Penguins defenseman.
Pionk doesn’t bring the same kind of size, but he’s cheaper and can bring the offensive upside Petry missed out on this year.
In all 82 games in the 2022-23 season, Pionk scored a career-high 10 goals alongside 23 assists for 33 points.
Up until this past season, the Jets defense regularly ran through Pionk; a reduced role in Pittsburgh might bring out a more useful blueliner.
Nikolaj Ehlers and Nino Niederreiter are other Jets to keep an eye on as their teardown begins this offseason.
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