Pittsburgh Penguins trade Tristan Jarry. Kyle Dubas explains.
For the second time this season, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas executed a trade for a younger player with multi-year team control. And for the second time this season, no one else saw the Penguins trade coming.
Tuesday, the Penguins acquired 27-year-old left-handed defenseman Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick for steady-eddy defenseman Brett Kulak, who is a pending unrestricted free agent.
Retracing their steps, the Penguins acquired Kulak in the Tristan Jarry trade with Edmonton on Dec. 12. The still-growing trade tree from that deal quickly furthered Dubas’s hot streak this season; the results of his free agent and trade acquisitions and selection of coach Dan Muse have resulted in the team’s surprising second-place standing.
The Jarry trade tree is becoming one of the most impressive in Penguins history. For Jarry and Sam Poulin, the Penguins have acquired two second-round picks (2028, 2029), goalie Stuart Skinner, and Girard.
Tuesday afternoon, Dubas fielded questions from the five primary beat outlets covering the Pittsburgh Penguins, including Pittsburgh Hockey Now. In his responses, Dubas also seemed to indicate that Girard could slot higher in the lineup, which would mean playing on the second pairing, this season or next.
Girard has one more year remaining on his contract with a $5 million salary cap hit.
Dubas Responses
Q: Do the Penguins see Girard as an upgrade over Kulak for anything other than youth?
Dubas: “Brett came in and really played good hockey for us the last 2 plus months. He was able to play in all situations and help our team play very good hockey. We view Sam as someone with similar playoff experience, who was signed for an additional season, and that can help to continue to help our team as we push down the stretch here.”
Q: Do you feel Girard still has untapped potential that can be realized since he is only 27?
Dubas: “I’m not sure that ‘untapped potential’ is the best way to describe it. We just feel that we will have more opportunity here for Sam. In Colorado, he was behind a great group on the back end of a team that sits atop the league table and has for the entire year. We feel Sam can play higher in our lineup because of his ability to play both special teams, ability move the puck effectively up the ice, mobility, and ability to defend using his feet and intelligence.”
Q: Given the chemistry between Letang and Kulak, are you concerned about the unit as a whole finding balance?
Dubas: “We are always seeking ways to improve the present and future of the Penguins. Of course, all trades have a chance to impact certain chemistry within the group, but based on what we have learned about Sam and what we already know about our coaching staff, support staff, and players is that they have shown the ability to welcome in new additions this season and get them into good form very quickly.”
Q: Entering last offseason, you spoke about improving the left side of the defense. Was Girard someone you had identified in that overall pursuit well before today’s trade?
Dubas: “Our personnel department, led by Wes Clark and Andy Saucier on the pro side, has put a lot of time into Sam Girard for the past year, and he has been a player that we have targeted as someone who could make great use of increased opportunity here in Pittsburgh.”
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