Three Things to Watch: Penguins Trade Deadline
Are there any other moves left for the Penguins to make before the deadline?
The Pittsburgh Penguins are hours away from the trade deadline. It seems their big moves are made, with forward Mikael Granlund already being acquired and Nick Bonino reportedly on the way, as well. Are there any other moves waiting to be made? Here's what to watch for on deadline day.
1. Are the Penguins Done Adding?
With the additions of Granlund and Bonino, the Penguins appear to be done making moves, but that isn't a guarantee. The cap space available is minimal, and would require someone from the roster going out in any potential trades. The Penguins could still use help fortifying the bottom six and a better backup option to Tristan Jarry, but another trade seems unlikely.
2. Will Ron Hextall Trade A Defensemen?
General manager Ron Hextall made a surprising move when he shipped center Teddy Blueger to the Vegas Golden Knights for a prospect and draft pick. The move was made to create enough cap space to acquire Granlund, but it begs the question: is anyone else on this roster on the trading block?
The Penguins currently have seven defensemen on the roster and Ty Smith waiting in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. If there were to be any more players moved before the deadline, it will most likely be a defensemen.
3. Are the Penguins Doing Enough?
The Eastern Conference is a juggernaut of a conference, and the Metropolitan Division figures to be a dog-fight all the way until the end. The Rangers swung for the fences, acquiring Patty Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko. Similarly, the Devils and Islanders went all in by trading for Timo Meier and Bo Horvat, respectively.
The Penguins answer to those moves was to acquire the 31-year-old Mikael Granlund. Is it enough or can the Penguins make another move to improve their team before the deadline passes?
Some names that are still likely to be moved before the deadline are J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, John Klingberg, and Dmitry Kulikov. The NHL trade deadline is at 3:00 p.m. EST.
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