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Kyle Dubas keeps Penguins quiet at trade deadline as Pittsburgh protects picks and cap
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
King Jemison and the Post-Gazette nailed the math, Pittsburgh was 31-17-13 and second in the Metro when Kyle Dubas stayed patient.
That is the data punch. A buyer in that spot does not need deadline fireworks, it needs clean fits and roster control.
Dubas still moved. He added Elmer Soderblom, 24, a 2019 sixth-round pick by Detroit, for San Jose's 2026 third-rounder.
Soderblom is signed through 2026-27 at a $1.125 million AAV. That matters as much as the player, because cheap term keeps the cap sheet flexible.
The on-ice case is simple. At 6-foot-8, Soderblom gives Pittsburgh a different forecheck look, more net-front chaos, and a controllable bottom-six body for the next game and beyond.
The bigger point is timing. Dubas already paid for longer-view help with Egor Chinakhov, Stuart Skinner, Samuel Girard, and Ilya Solovyov before Friday got loud.
That runway matters. Players brought in early can learn Dan Muse's structure instead of getting dropped into chaos on deadline afternoon.
Elmer Soderblom fits the Pittsburgh Penguins timeline
A lot of fans wanted one more splash, and I get it. Deadline day is hockey caffeine, but this roster did not scream for a panic buy.
Rickard Rakell has driven the offense at 11-14-25, while Evgeni Malkin had 13-34-47 before his five-game suspension landed Saturday.
Sidney Crosby is still out, though he has returned to non-contact work. That alone made a futures-heavy gamble harder to justify.
The Penguins were also pushing Carolina while holding games in hand on the Islanders at the deadline. That is not a team waving a white flag.
So yes, quiet made sense. Dubas protected picks, kept his cap picture clean, and added a cheap, big winger who can help on pucks right away.
Now the test shifts to Saturday against Philadelphia and the grind right after.
Pittsburgh chose belief over panic, and the next week will tell us how smart that really was.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Pittsburgh Penguins suspensions hit three straight after Evgeni Malkin ban
Pittsburgh Penguins suspensions hit three straight after Evgeni Malkin ban
| POLL | ||
MARS 7|169 ANSWERS Kyle Dubas keeps Penguins quiet at trade deadline as Pittsburgh protects picks and cap Did Kyle Dubas make the right call with Elmer Soderblom and a quiet Pittsburgh Penguins deadline? | ||
| Yes | 124 | 73.4 % |
| No | 45 | 26.6 % |
| List of polls | ||