Trade Drama has Penguins Implications; 5 Defensemen to Watch | PHN+

In the process of scribbling the morning column, the big trade went down, and the question, “Where will Pierre-Luc Dubois play next week” was answered. The Columbus Blue Jackets snagged All-Star sniper Patrik Laine and RFA center Jack Roslovic for Pierre-Luc Dubois, but the trade also has implications for the Pittsburgh Penguins trade targets too.

Columbus coach John Tortorella’s dissatisfaction with Dubois and his play came to a head Friday. Reports flowed out of national Canadian media that a trade was imminent. Saturday morning, it was complete, with a third-rounder also going to Winnipeg, which picked up 26% of Laine’s salary, too.

No, the Penguins and GM Jim Rutherford were not in on Dubois. However, Roslovic was believed to be a Penguins trade target per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and secondary corroboration from PHN.

Roslovic in Columbus will likely be the end of Penguins GM Jim Rutherford’s pursuit.

The Penguins can turn their attention to a defenseman as their blueline is decimated and could be improved even when healthy. On Thursday, the TSN Insiders reported he was shopping for more than a spare part, but the NHL trade market availables forced him to review mostly third-pairing defensemen.

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