Whether Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas was deliberately batting at the hornet’s nest of unhappy veterans, free agents, and restricted free agents or simply being bluntly honest is immaterial. Dubas lit the Pittsburgh beacon when he asked unhappy or blocked players from around the league to choose the Penguins.
Nearly 12 months into coach Dan Muse’s new regime and Dubas’s submersion into a hybrid rebuild approach, the Penguins have helped more than a handful of players achieve career years, and presumably much larger paydays than they otherwise would have received.
And Dubas wants more of those players.
“And I think if you’re one of those players that’s a free agent or your situation in your spot is not going well, and you have some control, you could look at us and think, and see very clearly you’re going to be supported by a great coaching staff that gets the most out of players.”
Dubas also loudly announced to the entire league that he’s looking for impact players in their mid or late 20s, thereby opening the door to a summer of trade rumors involving some of hockey’s star players. See also: Jason Robertson.
However, the subset of players unhappy in their current situation who have control also extends to RFAs, who are generally just reaching their mid-20 and far more financially affordable though sometimes far more unattainable as their rights-holding team controls most of the power.
There are a few RFAs who could push their teams for new scenery. There are also a few young players on newer contracts who may no longer fit with their current team, and still another who’s been on the Penguins’ trade target lists for over a year, who should get a thorough rethink and step back.
Of course, one name that will not be on the list because it overshoots plausibility is Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev, who will be an RFA after the season. After his second-straight season with 35 goals or more, the odds that he becomes available start at slim and quickly move to none.
Young Penguins Trade Targets
Brad Lambert
The Winnipeg Jets have a veteran lineup and are not embarking on a rebuild. At mid-season, Lambert and his representation were given permission to speak to other teams to facilitate a trade.
Lambert, 22, has been mired at the bottom of the Winnipeg lineup, usually playing around 11 minutes per night. The 6-foot, 183 pound center had eight points (3-5-8) in 31 games this season, and two of those came against the Penguins in a shootout loss on March 21.
Lambert was an impact player that night. He’s got a great burst in his skating, but lacks consistency and can sometimes stick to the perimeter. He’s not happy with Winnipeg and the team isn’t necessarily enamored with him.
He has shown little goal scoring in the professional ranks, but as he fought through a bad situation in Winnipeg, his AHL production dropped from 21 goals to just seven. The speedy forward could find work on the Penguins’ third line, and from there, see what happens.
There is upside to a trade as he’s a potential solid third-liner, and if the Penguins were to acquire him, he would be the third member of the 2022 draft class (Owen Pickering, Rutger McGroarty) fighting for a roster spot.
The cost is likely minimal and would easily fit the Penguins’ bounty of expendable draft picks, perhaps a third-rounder.
Mason Lohrei
The Boston Bruins put their young defenseman on the shelf at points during the season and only dressed him in three of their playoff games, but Lohrei is signed for one more year at $3.2 million.
He’s got a few attributes which Dubas values: size, skating, and puck moving skills. Lohrei hits the sheet at 6-foot-5, 214 pounds, but he’s not a physical defender. However, Lohrei is a left-hander, and the Penguins have an opening on the left side.
From his first full season to his second (this season), he vastly improved from a jaw-dropping minus-43 to a plus-17. Perhaps part of the improvement came from more sheltered minutes as Boston coach Marco Sturm dropped his role and ice time from well over 19 minutes to 16:54 this season.
Lohrei doesn’t play a physical game, but perhaps the Penguins can invest time to help him find his better game, as they did with several defensemen this season. Defensemen are a little more expensive on the trade market, but if Boston wants the roster spot and to save the coin, a deal here makes sense.
A second-round pick would be the starting point here.
Shane Wright
PHN circled Wright at the end of Saturday’s Q&A. The Seattle Kraken organization is frustrated by its middling results and lack of progression, and the same could be said for Wright, whom they reportedly dangled during the season for more immediate help.
Wright is a prime candidate to be the next Egor Chinakhov. He plays a straightforward game with speed; which seems a perfect fit for the Penguins’ low-game built around Sidney Crosby. At the lower levels, Wright also showed a big shot and good vision. The risk of a Wright deal is getting a player who was knocked for a presumptuous attitude, and who had only 12 goals and 27 points in 74 games this season.
Seattle isn’t looking for draft picks. The NHL’s most recent expansion team wants real help on its NHL roster, so it would be a hockey trade costing a roster player.
Pavel Mintyukov
Another member of the 2022 draft class who is looking for a more reliable situation. Mintyukov, 22, is a left-handed defenseman selected 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks, but has not yet reached his potential after three seasons, not yet scoring 30 points in any of the campaigns.
Mintyukov has good wheels and could be a dynamic defenseman with his offensive skills. Anaheim has more options on their blue line, which is about to get more crowded with other youngsters joining the mix. Anaheim had a season that exceeded expectations, but they need to get better to compete with the best teams in the West.
Rethink It: Mason McTavish
McTavish, 23, has been on every Penguins trade target list for a couple of years. The young center hit the NHL trade rumors after an RFA contract fight with Anaheim. Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek was skittish about dishing a long deal to the creative center with offensive instincts and slow feet.
Verbeek relented and gave McTavish a six-year deal with an average salary cap hit of $7 million, but McTavish had ups and downs this season, dropping to the lowest offensive output of his four full-time NHL seasons. In fairness, McTavish posted 41 points with 17 goals, which is perfectly in line with his first two seasons of 43 and 42 points, respectively.
Last season was McTavish’s outlier when he reached 52 points. Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville scratched McTavish at a couple of points in the season, including a couple of games in the playoffs.
He would be a perfect target, but a trade would be a $35 million gamble, and that’s a lot of money to take on for a team that is being sold to owners who have not closed the deal despite seven months of work. McTavish wouldn’t be free either.
Perhaps it’s time to rethink McTavish on every target list.
Tags: kyle dubas Mason McTavish Penguins Trade
Categorized:Penguins Trade Talk