For the second straight year at his end of season press conference, Kyle Dubas spoke directly about the need to improve the defensive group of the Penguins, citing below average performance in the chances given up that translated to a high number of goals against.
“both in terms of what we’re expected to give up and in terms of what we actually gave up. Really, it’s the area that we have to improve upon the most if we’re going to continue to make strides and push the team back into being a contender.”
Dubas has made some progress, he signed Parker Wotherspoon as a free agent and it worked out tremendously. Sam Girard was acquired, and while results were somewhat uneven, Girard is a capable and legitimate NHL player. Ryan Shea had a career-best season last year.
“In the end,” Dubas said, “it’s on me to continue to make the moves, both with the development model for our younger players, to continue to take greater steps than they did this year, but also continue to make smart acquisitions and utilize our assets and our cap space in ways that best push the team back to being a contender.”
What Dubas is looking for, without saying it directly is to pull off the 2026 version of the K’Andre Miller trade. Miller was dealt from the Rangers to Carolina last summer. The cost was significant, the Hurricanes gave Miller a $60 million contract over eight years. They also had to give New York a first and second round pick, plus a well-regarded, near-ready NHL prospect in Scott Morrow.
The move, even with the heavy investment, has paid off handsomely for Carolina. Miller has been a driving force in their playoff run, leading them in ice time, plus/minus and recording eight points in 12 games. Miller took what was a good blueline on paper and elevated it into something special.
There are a couple of players heading to the same situation Miller at this time last year as an impending restricted free agent. Not all are the caliber of player that Miller may be, but interestingly as The Athletic notes there are a few defensemen that could be considered somewhat in the same mold.
Simon Nemec is the first one named, though realistically this isn’t a likely option for the Penguins. This level of elite young player almost always gets dealt out of the conference, expecting a blockbuster for a high-end player to move within the division would be unprecedented, especially considering the trade value of a 22-year old seemingly on the precipice of becoming an impact player.
The next is a former teammate of Miller, Braden Schneider, where despite being a division rival, makes more sense as the Rangers look to endeavor upon a longer rebuild and take the best they can get for an older player whose level they’ve tapped out with.
Contract projection: $6 million x six years (long-term), $4.1 million x one year (short-term)
Schneider has a reasonably high floor as a solid No. 4/5 defender, but the Rangers have been patiently waiting for him to take the next step as a stud top-four piece. That breakout simply hasn’t happened.
This would be a big gamble since Schneider isn’t as established as Miller was, but potentially one that could pay off for an acquiring team.
Stylistically, Schneider might not be that much of a fit for what the Penguins like – he’s big, rugged and isn’t not that skilled with the puck and hasn’t done well to help drive play. However the toolset is an intriguing one and at 24-years old and two seasons away from unrestricted free agency, this is the type of mid-20’s player that fits the Pens’ profile to some degree. Adding Schneider could be a piece to the puzzle as Kris Letang and eventually Erik Karlsson either phase down or potentially leave the team in the somewhat near future on the right side of the blueline.
Another potential target is one we’ve talked about recently, Anaheim’s Olen Zellweger.
Contract projection: $6.5 million x seven years (long-term), $3.2 million x two years (short-term)
Zellweger is a talented, smooth-skating puck-moving defenseman, but it’s fair to wonder if he’s truly a long-term fit with the Ducks.
The 22-year-old is terrific at transporting the puck — he ranked in the 78th percentile for defensive zone exits and 86th percentile for zone entries this season, according to Sznajder’s tracking data — but he’s undersized at 5-foot-10, isn’t an elite point producer (22 points in 76 games) and is a work in progress defensively.
On the surface, this makes a lot of sense. The Ducks will have to be mindful about their cap with several budding stars (Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov) needing new deals this summer. Zellweger is becoming a luxury for Anaheim now that Jackson LaCombe has exploded into a star himself and Mintyukov has locked down another top-four spot on the left side.
In the end, it’s tough to expect or create a massive home run type of trade like Carolina got when they added K’Andre Miller. The supply of players who can make that impact is limited, the competition to try and upgrade is extreme. But if the Penguins want to improve their defense while fulfilling their idea of adding mid-20’s players who can help for the foreseeable future, working on impending restricted free agents would be a good way to achieve objectives.