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Insider Chris Johnston hints at a quiet but risky Penguins deadline move
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Chris Johnston says the Pittsburgh Penguins trade deadline could get aggressive, and the stakes feel real in the Metro.
The clip making the rounds frames it perfectly, add a little more, but do not blow up the plan.
Pittsburgh is 26-14-11, and that is not "sell everything" territory.
They have ripped off an 11-2-2 run since the holiday break, and the room knows it.
That is why Johnston’s "don’t veer off the program" line lands, this team is building forward, not sideways.
Re Penguins: "It's a very compelling deadline for them in terms of, do they get a little more aggressive in adding...I don't see them veering off the program they've been on."
- Chris Johnston
- Chris Johnston
Deadline buying in Pittsburgh usually means one thing, help the middle-six and steady the blue line.
Not the fanciest name, but the right fit for Dan Muse's matchups and the man advantage.
They also just recalled Rutger McGroarty, so the youth pipeline is part of the story right now.
McGroarty is 21, drafted in 2022, 1st round, by the Winnipeg Jets, and he is already forcing lineup decisions.
Chris Johnston and Pittsburgh Penguins are playing it straight
Honestly, Penguins fans have been burned by "one last run" talk before, so the optimism comes with side-eye.
But this version of the team feels more honest, win now when it is there, develop the kids either way.
Ben Kindel, 18, drafted in 2025, 1st round, by Pittsburgh, is already living in the NHL grind.
And with Bryan Rust suspended, the lineup is getting stress-tested before Kyle Dubas even shops.
If Johnston is right, the add is coming, but it will be a "support Crosby" move, not a franchise-altering swing.
The next week matters, keep stacking points, then decide how hard to push when the deadline clock gets loud.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Forget the trade deadline: The Pittsburgh Penguins may already have the steal of the year
Forget the trade deadline: The Pittsburgh Penguins may already have the steal of the year