Penguins Cleanup: Sources on Schenn Trade, Grzelcyk Future

The chaos and triage of the NHL trade deadline is past. Teams are settled, some for the last 16 games, while the rest are anxiously awaiting the results of their moves, hoping to have caught magic for a Stanley Cup run.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are clearly in the former category, trying desperately to win games and avoid the dubious distinction of last place in the Eastern Conference.

That effort isn’t going so well, despite the 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild Sunday.

After beating the bushes with sources for the better part of last week, Pittsburgh Hockey Now can confirm a few details of the Penguins’ trade deadline activities and what will happen next.

Luke Schenn

Most assumed Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas acquired Schenn to flip the physical right-shot defenseman for a greater bounty. However, Dubas’s comments following the trade and coach Mike Sullivan’s words left little doubt the Penguins saw Schenn as an important piece for the organization’s revamp.

Why a team heading toward the bottom would acquire a 35-year-old defenseman, right-handed or not, was questionable. After all, coaches and management often tout the existing leadership group.

The general hockey public was skeptical, at best. Daily Face-Off’s national analyst, Frank Seravalli, called it the “worst trade in 25 years.”

Hyperbole aside, Pittsburgh Hockey Now can confirm the Penguins acquired Schenn in good faith, not as a trade chip to flip.

However, Schenn wanted to play for a contender, and Dubas was able to oblige.

Sources told PHN that the Penguins had no shortage of interest. Winnipeg was in contact with Nashville before the deal and obviously remained a very interested party when Schenn was again available after the Penguins acquisition. Just how much Nashville GM Barry Trotz left on the table by sending Schenn to Pittsburgh is unknown, but on paper, Dubas turned his fourth-round pick used in the deal with Nashville into a second-rounder from Winnipeg.

With magic like that, if Dubas had not been in Pittsburgh, he could have done a show in Vegas.

Matt Grzelcyk

In the days leading to the deadline, defensemen not too dissimilar from Grzelcyk in impact and career station, such as Brian Dumoulin, were dealt away for handsome returns.

It was generally assumed the Penguins would trade Grzelcyk, too. However, Dubas sounded a neutral tone on that effort during his postdeadline presser.

“There was interest. Teams (were) kicking tires, but in the end, we got through the deadline, and he remains a member of our team,” said Dubas.

That’s not exactly the warm and fuzzies.

However, PHN can confirm some interest in re-signing Grzelcyk. It doesn’t sound like there have yet been serious talks, but Grzelcyk has submitted a solid season, and the two sides have spoken about the future.

It will be a situation to monitor. Grzelcyk seems to fit the Penguins’ scheme, but the sides will need to determine whether he fits the program and if he wants to be part of the next phase.

Owen Pickering should be ready for full-time NHL duty next season, and the Penguins otherwise do not have a bumper crop of left-handed defensemen under contract next season,

Only Ryan Graves, Ryan Shea, and Vladislav Kolyachonok are under contract for next season. P.O Joseph and Conor Timmins will be restricted free agents.

The quality, or lack thereof, of the defensemen on the roster could lead to a Grzelcyk extension.