PITTSBURGH
PENGUINS
With the trade deadline now just days away, I continue my look at the
situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what
do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As
I continue previewing the Metropolitan Division, here is a look at the
Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins came into the season
as a perceived contender in the Metropolitan. However, the team has
scuffled their way through the first three quarters of the year and are only
three points up on a playoff spot. GM Jim Rutherford has already pulled
the trigger on a significant trade already but many expect them to do something
else in the coming days but without many trade chips of note, their options could
be limited.
Record: 32-21-7, third in
the Metropolitan Division
Deadline Status: Buyer
Deadline Cap Space: $2.295MM
in a full-season cap hit, 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 45/50
contracts per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks: 2019: PIT 1st, BUF 4th*,
PIT 5th,
2020: PIT 1st, PIT 3rd, PIT 4th, PIT 5th, PIT
6th, PIT 7th
* – If Conor Sheary scores 20 goals or
40 points this season or Buffalo trades Matt Hunwick, this pick upgrades to
a 2019 third-round pick. Sheary currently has nine goals and 24 points on
the year.
TRADE CHIPS
It’s unlikely that the Penguins
will look to subtract too much from their current roster but one player they’d
likely be willing to move is winger Tanner Pearson. While he has
performed better with Pittsburgh than he did with Los Angeles earlier this
season, the 26-year-old still hasn’t had much of an impact and has just 15
points in 59 games between the two teams. That’s not great value for
someone who is signed through 2020-21 with a $3.75MM AAV. Finding a way
to clear out that contract could open up a lot more flexibility for GM Jim
Rutherford to work with but that will be a difficult move to make without
either taking a similar contract back or retaining some salary.
One player that isn’t on their
roster that is sure to generate some interest is goalie Tristan Jarry. The three-year
extension that Casey DeSmith signed last month all
but cemented Jarry’s fate that there isn’t a spot for him long-term in the
organization. He held his own in 26 games with Pittsburgh last season and
while his numbers with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton aren’t among the top goalies
in the league, that performance last year will ensure that there is interest in
him. Quite a few teams are on the lookout for young goalies and even more
are seeking a cheap backup to allow them to spend more elsewhere. At 23
with an AAV of $675K through next season, Jarry checks both boxes.
With only three draft picks in
the fold for this season, it’s unlikely that they will want to deal any more of
those which limits their trade options that much more.
FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR:
F Joseph Blandisi,
F Teddy Blueger,
F Jean-Sebastien Dea,
G Tristan Jarry,
F Tanner Pearson
TEAM NEEDS
(1) DEFENSIVE DEPTH: With Olli Maatta out long-term, the
Penguins could stand to add some more depth on their back end to hedge against
further injury. Speaking with reporters today (including Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review),
Rutherford indicated that while he’s pleased with the current state of their
back end, they could look to add someone. Worth noting, any addition to
their blueline would likely be someone on an expiring contract.
(2) TOP-LINE WINGER
CONSISTENCY: While it’s a positive that Sidney Crosby can play with so many
different wingers, it’s an issue that he’s had to deal with a rotation of them
on a regular basis. The team wants to spread out its offense but in doing
so, they’ve had their franchise player skating with some players who are better
served in middle-six roles along the way. In a perfect world, adding a
right winger that could be a more permanent solution alongside Crosby and Jake Guentzel would be ideal.
They’d need to free up some cap room before trying to do this, however.
No comments:
Post a Comment