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Acquisitions of Matt Dumba and Connor Clifton Give Penguins Unexpected Record in the NHL
Photo credit: Pittsburgh Hockey Now
Ever since the Penguins traded for Connor Clifton and Matt Dumba, they increased their average age in the NHL and now have the league's oldest team.
Ever since the Penguins initiated their roster rebuild, GM Kyle Dubas indicated that he wanted to "get younger." The initial few transactions, however, have not appeared that way, at least not yet.
The Penguins are almost five years older than the youngest NHL team
Kyle Dubas has traded for veteran defenseman Matt Dumba and two-way defenseman Connor Clifton, making the average age now 30.6, the highest in the league. But there is more to this.
Average ages according to NHL media site rosters :
1. Montreal - 25.75
2. Buffalo - 26.51
3. Chicago - 26.62
4. Ottawa - 26.88
5. Philadelphia - 27.32
6. Calgary - 27.63
7. Anaheim - 27.71
8. Columbus - 27.75
9. Boston - 27.87
10. NY Rangers - 27.91
11. New Jersey - 28.00
12. St. Louis - 28.02
13. Dallas - 28.21
14. Carolina - 28.25
15. Toronto - 28.28
16. Vegas - 28.42
17. Utah - 28.43
18. Minnesota - 28.43
19. San Jose - 28.47
20. Vancouver - 28.52
21. Winnipeg - 28.68
22. Seattle - 28.89
23. Detroit - 28.90
24. Los Angeles - 29.02
25. Nashville - 29.06
26. Tampa Bay - 29.08
27. Washington - 29.13
28. Edmonton - 29.19
29. Florida - 29.49
30. NY Islanders - 29.82
31. Colorado - 29.88
32. Pittsburgh - 30.18
1. Montreal - 25.75
2. Buffalo - 26.51
3. Chicago - 26.62
4. Ottawa - 26.88
5. Philadelphia - 27.32
6. Calgary - 27.63
7. Anaheim - 27.71
8. Columbus - 27.75
9. Boston - 27.87
10. NY Rangers - 27.91
11. New Jersey - 28.00
12. St. Louis - 28.02
13. Dallas - 28.21
14. Carolina - 28.25
15. Toronto - 28.28
16. Vegas - 28.42
17. Utah - 28.43
18. Minnesota - 28.43
19. San Jose - 28.47
20. Vancouver - 28.52
21. Winnipeg - 28.68
22. Seattle - 28.89
23. Detroit - 28.90
24. Los Angeles - 29.02
25. Nashville - 29.06
26. Tampa Bay - 29.08
27. Washington - 29.13
28. Edmonton - 29.19
29. Florida - 29.49
30. NY Islanders - 29.82
31. Colorado - 29.88
32. Pittsburgh - 30.18
Those veterans were not brought in as building blocks; they were acquired as part of an attempt to stock the future of the team.
The Penguins might look even grayer if Erik Karlsson remains. The 35-year-old defenseman is not the standard prototype for a rebuilding club and has already dropped subtle hints that he would rather play for a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
Erik Karlsson's trade is sooner or later, and when it happens, Pittsburgh's mean age would probably drop quite a ways, by a full year or more.
As for Connor Clifton and Matt Dumba, they won't be in Pittsburgh much longer either. Dubas could trade them both at the trade deadline to contenders who need blue line depth, just as he traded Anthony Beauvillier last season for more blueprints.
If it succeeds, it could completely reshape the Penguins' roster and add even more draft currency.
As Dubas works his next few moves, in particular, the pending Karlsson trade, the Penguins' youth wave should begin to come into sharper focus, and their average age will converge closer toward the league mean.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 13 | 144 ANSWERS Acquisitions of Matt Dumba and Connor Clifton Give Penguins Unexpected Record in the NHL Is Kyle Dubas failing at his plan to become a younger team? | ||
| Yes | 69 | 47.9 % |
| No | 75 | 52.1 % |
| List of polls | ||