What would the Penguins and Capitals look like if Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin swapped Draft spots? Sometimes having a surplus of viable players is a good thing, but there is only so much ice to go around within the Pittsburgh Penguins. During the 2022-23 season, the Penguins often talked about the number of NHL-ready defensemen they had in the organization. Between the NHL and AHL clubs, there were upwards of 11 defenders who could be utilized in a heartbeat. With the first offseason of Kyle Dubas as president of hockey operations well underway, that log jam is still around. Kris Letang, Marcus Pettersson, and P.O. Joseph, are still around and are likely to stay in the Penguins’ lineup. Jeff Petry and Jan Rutta are NHL-level players who might be on their way out, but as of right now still have a spot on the roster. Ty Smith, Chad Ruhwedel, Mark Friedman, and to an extent Xavier Ouellet have NHL talent, but don’t see a lot of consistent play thanks to the amount of bodies in front of them. Ryan Graves is a newcomer that will immediately takeover for the departing Brian Dumoulin. Other newcomers like Will Butcher and Ryan Shea are going to start the season in the AHL, but could be easy options for the NHL. In total that is 12 defensemen who could see NHL ice during 2023-24, and Dubas might not be done adding to the depth chart. For over a month, the Penguins have been in on acquiring Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks. Any deal for Karlsson would have to include at least one defenseman from the NHL roster, and likely include a second depth option. Not only to help alleviate the log jam, but also help make the cap situation work in Pittsburgh’s favor. Karlsson would fit in the Penguins’ lineup perfectly, basically swapping with Petry in every spot; second line at 5-on-5 and quarterbacking the second power play unit. The log jam at the Pittsburgh blue line is still there, but a little relief might go a long way, especially if Kalrsson helps with breaking the dam. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Erik Karlsson Deal at Stan Still for Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/erik-karlsson-deal-stand-still-pittsburgh-penguins] Penguins Re-Sign Ty Smith to One-Year Contract [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-resign-ty-smith-one-year] Penguins Re-Sign Jonathan Gruden to One-Year Contract [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-resign-jonathan-gruden-one-year] Penguins Sign Emil Pieniniemi To Entry-Level Contract [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-sign-emil-pieniniemi-contract] Penguins' Tristan Jarry is Healthy and Ready to Bounce Back [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-tristan-jarry-healthy-bounceback] * undefined * undefined
