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Kyle Dubas faces a tough Penguins deadline call, patch the blue line or swing big
Photo credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Kris Letang’s injury plus trade deadline heat has the Pittsburgh Penguins staring at the blue line with real urgency.
Adam Gretz laid out the logic clearly, Pittsburgh has forward depth, but the defense feels one tweak away from trouble.
The timing matters. The Penguins come out of the Olympic break with only five games before the deadline.
Letang is out at least four weeks with a fractured foot, so the margin for error is thin.
Erik Karlsson is also in the Olympics, so the “rest and reset” part of the break does not apply to everyone.
Gretz’s first name is Simon Benoit, a 27-year-old, undrafted lefty with a $1.35 million cap hit through next season.
That’s the boring kind of move that can win you two playoff rounds, because he soaks up tough minutes and keeps it simple.
Zach Whitecloud is the bigger swing, 29, undrafted, now in Calgary after the Rasmus Andersson trade, and signed at $2.75 million for multiple seasons.
Adam Gretz pins the Pittsburgh Penguins choice
You can feel the fanbase fighting itself right now, this team is good enough to believe, but nobody wants another short-term patch that blocks a kid.
Mario Ferraro is the classic “fits the age curve” target, 27, drafted 2017, second round, by the San Jose Sharks, and headed for UFA.
Logan Stanley screams “toolsy playoff defender,” 27, drafted 2016, first round, 18th overall, by the Winnipeg Jets, but the price tag could get silly fast.
Braden Schneider is the tempting bet, 24, drafted 2020, first round, 19th overall, by the New York Rangers, and an RFA decision waiting to happen.
If Kyle Dubas is serious about buying without losing the future, the “right” add is the one who can play now and still belong next season.
Either way, the first game back from the break is going to feel like a deadline audition for the entire blue line.
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