Pittsburgh Penguins center Teddy Blueger is having a down season, but has that landed him on the Penguins trade block? The NHL All-Star Game is about a week away and it’s about time to start scoreboard watching, and for the Pittsburgh Penguins, they’ve got some new company. While the Penguins have struggled to win at a consistent rate, they’ve floundered around with the Eastern Conference wild card spots and have a surprising team right on their tail. While Pittsburgh is holding down the second wild card spot, [https://www.nhl.com/standings/2022/wildcard] they are only two points ahead of the Buffalo Sabres of the Atlantic Division. Aside from an eight-game losing streak, the Sabres have had a solid season and hold a 26-19-3 record for 55 points, a single win behind the Penguins and their 57. Led by the emerging superstar Tage Thompson, the Sabres aren’t a perfect team, but are stringing together wins to make a case for themselves. Thompson is currently riding a six-game point streak and has posted 34 goals and 34 assists through 48 games. Not only is Thompson emerging as a superstar, but former first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin has seen a huge increase in performance. In just 47 games played this year, Dahlin has already set his career high in points with 55 (14G-41A). The Sabres are getting scoring in bunches and the offence is showing no signs of slowing down; their defense and goaltending is still questionable, but they’ve gotten the job done. If the Penguins aren’t careful, the Sabres could become a much bigger issue than expected at the beginning of the season. When the Penguins return from their bye week and following the All-Star break, they are going to need to go full throttle to find their way into the postseason. It’s more than just a battle against Metropolitan Division foes as up and coming teams are improving ahead of their curve. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Drew O'Connor Securing Regular Spot in Penguins' Lineup [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/drew-oconnor-securing-regular-spot-pittsburgh-penguins] Penguins Won't Have Playoff Success With Current Goalie Duo [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-wont-playoff-success-goalie-duo] Alex Ovechkin Greets Kris Letang Prior to Penguins vs Capitals [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/alex-ovechkin-greets-kris-letang-pittsburgh-penguins-washington-capitals] Danton Heinen Slowly Earning Spot in Penguins Lineup [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/danton-heinen-earning-spot-pittsburgh-penguins-lineup] Penguins Drop Extra Point in Tight Metro Division Matchup [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-drop-extra-point-tight-metro-division] * undefined * undefined