The Pittsburgh Penguins have what it takes to nab the NHL's biggest trade target.
PITTSBURGH - General manager Ron Hextall might not be as aggressive as his predecessor in the Pittsburgh Penguins front office, but it’s almost time for the gloves to come off.
The Penguins have entered the final stretch of the 2022-23 season and quite a bit hangs in the balance for the team.
Currently holding on to the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, their trip to the postseason isn’t guaranteed and multiple teams are right on their tail.
The team could use a fresh face of some sort to get the juices flowing throughout the team, but Hextall has been hesitant.
Hextall says the Penguins have a good team on paper, and he’s right, but something needs a shake up.
Could going after the top trade target be in the cards for the Penguins? According to Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff, they have what it takes to afford Timo Meier.
Larkin listed the Penguins as one of the possible landing spots for the San Jose Sharks forward and followed it by stating the assets are there, Hextall just has to loosen up.
Hextall recently said he isn’t fully willing to send off the Penguins first round pick in the upcoming draft, but that doesn’t mean it should be off the table.
If the Penguins want to improve their roster this year and show they are still in ‘win-now’ mode, Hextall will have to make that pick available.
That will be the base of the ask from the Sharks for Meier before other assets can get involved.
Larkin, like so many others, have suggested that Kasperi Kapanen and his contract should be on the move.
The Penguins are up against the cap ceiling and Meier brings a $6 million hit; if this is the direction the Pens want to go, they’re going to need to shed money somewhere.
Maybe that means moving out Jason Zucker; he’s having a great season for the Penugins, but his future isn’t guaranteed in Pittsburgh.
Both Zucker and Meier are in the final year of their respective contracts, but Meier is five years younger and has more offensive upside.
Zucker has had a great rebound season with 31 points (13G-18A) in 46 games, but Meier is nearly a point-per-game player with 51 points (30G-21A) in 52 games on a very bad Sharks team.
It may be unlikely, but Hextall and the Penguins need to prove they are still in it to win it, especially with the aging core that has played outstanding this year.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang all deserve another real chance at another Stanley Cup, and Meier could be a huge help for that cause.
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