The Athletic has live coverage of the NHL trade deadline.
In: Elmer Söderblom, Samuel Girard, 2028 second-round pick
Out: Brett Kulak, 2026 third-round pick
Grade: B-
There were no blockbusters, but the Pittsburgh Penguins did get a talented player in Girard. They also gave up a third-round pick and added a second.
GM/president Kyle Dubas did a reasonable job of avoiding anything foolish and losing important assets. The Penguins’ future looks brighter than it has in many, many years. Their asset cupboard is full, they have cap space and they are way ahead of schedule.
This summer will be something. If the Penguins make the playoffs along the way this spring, even better. — Josh Yohe
What they’re saying
“People always want mass action (at the trade deadline). Throughout the year, we’ve added (Egor) Chinakhov, Söderblom, Sam Girard, (Ilya) Solovyov and Stuart Skinner to the mix. Obviously, the mix is working quite well.” — Kyle Dubas, Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager
What it means for the Penguins lineup
It probably doesn’t mean anything at all. When the Penguins are fully healthy, I don’t see how Söderblom fits into the lineup. He’s a depth player and probably will see some time in AHL Wilkes-Barre.
The Penguins could be looking at a situation, when healthy, where they have Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes, Ville Koivunen and Söderblom as extra forwards should they deal with injuries. It also could give them quite a lineup in Wilkes-Barre, which isn’t a priority, but it still counts for something.
Söderblom is a guy Dubas has had his eye on for a while, and given Dubas’ obvious eye for talent, it would seem possible that the Penguins may be able to get something out of Söderblom in time. I don’t think he’s a player who helps the Penguins tremendously in the short term, but given their glut of draft picks during the next three years, it’s not like they gave up anything of extreme value. — Yohe