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Kyle Dubas boxed into one clear deadline move, per Josh Yohe
Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Kris Letang’s fractured foot blows open the Pittsburgh Penguins trade deadline plan, and the right handed defenseman need just got loud.
Letang is expected to miss at least four weeks, and that is a massive chunk of runway before March 6.
The timing stings because Pittsburgh’s blue line is already stretched thin on the right side.
Jack St. Ivany just had left-hand surgery and is expected to miss roughly eight weeks.
That is basically the deadline window, not a simple "day to day" shuffle.
Here’s the post that nailed the worry early.
Erik Karlsson is still around, but he’s also heading to Milano Cortina with Team Sweden when the Olympic tournament opens February 11.
Erik Karlsson puts Pittsburgh Penguins depth on trial
If you are a Penguins fan, you can feel the nerves already, because one more nick and the whole right side turns into patchwork.
Karlsson has 4-29-33 through 47 games, and the puck is still running through him on breakouts.
But you cannot play him 28 minutes every night and hope the wheels stay on.
St. Ivany matters here, because he is 26, drafted in 2018, Round 4 by the Philadelphia Flyers, and he’s one of the few natural right shots in the system.
Without Letang and St. Ivany, the Penguins are asking left shots to live on their backhand at the offensive blue line.
That is where clears turn into keep-ins for the other team, and where odd-man rushes start.
Pittsburgh is 27-14-11, so this is not a season to punt on.
If Kyle Dubas goes shopping, the target should be simple: a steady right-handed defender who can kill plays early and survive second-pair minutes.
Because if the Penguins wait for "healthy enough," the standings will not.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Kris Letang’s "strange" injury takes a darker turn for the Penguins
Kris Letang’s "strange" injury takes a darker turn for the Penguins
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 31|115 ANSWERS Kyle Dubas boxed into one clear deadline move, per Josh Yohe Should the Pittsburgh Penguins trade for a right handed defenseman before March 6? | ||
| Yes | 79 | 68.7 % |
| No | 36 | 31.3 % |
| List of polls | ||