Connect with us

NHL Trade Rumors

Source: Penguins Talking Trade with Minnesota

Published

on

NHL trade, PIttsburgh Penguins, Ron Hextall

Six weeks ahead of the NHL trade deadline, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild are talking trade.

Over the weekend, a source with direct knowledge told Pittsburgh Hockey Now that Penguins GM Ron Hextall’s trade discussions have included talks with the Minnesota Wild. The conversations have been confined to higher levels of the organizations.

The Penguins have been on a skid since the NHL holiday break. The team lost two of three games going into the break and has sputtered with only two wins in eight games since the break.

Over their last 11 games, dating back to the Dec. 18 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Penguins are 3-6-2

The focus of the Penguins’ trade talks was not readily known, but the teams appear to be a good match.

Minnesota has something the Penguins crave: cap space. CapFriendly.com and PuckPedia.com project Minnesota to have about $3.7 million in salary cap space, and both sites list the Wild as currently having over $7 million in cap room.

CapFriendly.com projects the Pittsburgh Penguins to have just over $18,000 in cap space. So any trade must be salary-neutral or salary-out for the Penguins.

According to a recent Minnesota report in the Athletic, Minnesota GM Bill Guerin admitted the team has received calls on right-side defenseman Matt Dumba. However, Guerin said he is not actively shopping the d-man, and any deal would be a hockey trade.

The Penguins are well-stocked with right-side defensemen (Kris Letang, Jeff Petry, Jan Rutta), so, Dumba’s $6 million salary and pending UFA status would make him an unlikely Penguins trade target.

The Wild might need offensive help at center. Sam Steel and former Penguins pivot Frederick Gaudreau are centering the Wild’s top two lines (but playing fewer minutes than “third line” center Joel Eriksson Ek). Gaudreau has 20 points (11-9-20) in 42 games. Steel has 22 points (8-14-22) in those same 42 games. Both are respectable centers but are perhaps playing a line or two above their optimal spot.

Minnesota also has a trio of responsible but low-scoring defensemen on their left side (Jacob Middleton, Jonas Brodin, Jon Merrill), too.

It seems the Penguins have an asset or two that could help both situations, and Minnesota has cap space that could facilitate a Penguins trade.

The Penguins have two young left-side defensemen, Ty Smith and P.O Joseph, who could be valuable assets for a team looking for more mobility and offense on the left side.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said last week that the left-handed Smith was “making a strong case for himself.” The 22-year-old d-man has been running the Penguins’ top power play in Kris Letang’s absence. Despite playing his off-side, he has three points (1-2-3) in seven games.

To balance the blue line, coaches put Smith on the right and veteran Brian Dumoulin on the left. The pair have drawn positive reviews, and Sullivan said he thought Dumoulin has been playing his best hockey over the last couple of weeks.

Joseph’s ice time has recently varied. He has 12 points (2-10-12) in 38 games, and Guerin would be familiar with Joseph from Guerin’s time as the Penguins AGM.

Center Jeff Carter might seem to be a fit in discussions, but he does have a no-movement clause on his two-year deal, which expires after next season. The 38-year-old center carries a $3.125 million cap hit and has 19 points (7-12-19) playing a primarily defensive role in the Penguins’ bottom six behind centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.