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Kyle Dubas trade deadline plan surfaces as Penguins hold key prospects and limited cap
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Athletic's trade deadline primer says the Pittsburgh Penguins are hunting upgrades, and Kyle Dubas has picks, prospects, and just enough cap wiggle to get loud.
If you're talking real "asset" chips, Rutger McGroarty is the clean example, he's 21, a 2022 first-rounder drafted 14th by the Winnipeg Jets.
Owen Pickering fits that same bucket, 22 years old, 2022 first-round, 21st overall, drafted by Pittsburgh, and a left-shot defender teams actually ask about.
Now for the data punch that matters in March, the Penguins are 31-16-13 and sitting second in the Metro.
They also just lost 2-1 in Boston on Tuesday, so the "do we buy" question isn't theoretical anymore.
Cap-wise, Pittsburgh is tight but not handcuffed, Spotrac pegs them around $2.2M in space, meaning retention or money-out probably rides shotgun on any real add.
And Erik Karlsson's $11.5M cap hit through 2026-27 is the backdrop to every single forward swing you dream up.
Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins need one clean fit
Fans can feel it, one wrong "name buy" and this season's vibe flips from fun surprise to familiar disappointment.
On-ice, the need is simple: a top-six winger who can win pucks and finish, or a center who can keep the second line from bleeding chances when matchups get nasty.
The blue line add has to be boring in the best way, fast retrievals, one pass, out, so the Penguins don't get stuck defending for 40 seconds at a time.
Friday's deadline forces Dubas to pick a lane, add without gutting the pipeline, or protect the future and trust the current room.
Either way, Thursday in Buffalo is the last real audition for the depth guys before the phones decide their fate.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Florida Panthers waive Tobias Bjornfot, Louis Domingue in cap-clearing move before trade deadline
Florida Panthers waive Tobias Bjornfot, Louis Domingue in cap-clearing move before trade deadline
Previously on HockeyUnplugged
| POLL | ||
MARS 4|174 ANSWERS Kyle Dubas trade deadline plan surfaces as Penguins hold key prospects and limited cap Should Kyle Dubas buy at the NHL trade deadline for the Pittsburgh Penguins? | ||
| Yes | 137 | 78.7 % |
| No | 37 | 21.3 % |
| List of polls | ||