Pittsburgh Penguins lead NHL in trades as Kyle Dubas eyes more before Friday deadline

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Daniel Lucente
March 2, 2026 (12:51)

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Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PensBurgh's Jim Rixner says the Pittsburgh Penguins have led the NHL in trades, and that tone screams more Kyle Dubas chaos before Friday.

This isn't rumor math anymore, it's a pattern.

Pittsburgh is 31-15-13 and sitting second in the Metro, so these moves aren't coming from panic.

They've already brought in Egor Chinakhov, Stuart Skinner, and Sam Girard in-season.

They even turned Brett Kulak into Girard plus a 2028 second-rounder, which is the kind of value play contenders love.

Here's the X post that kicked this thought off.

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The deadline is Friday, March 6, and the league clock hits zero at 3 p.m.

Dubas doesn't shop like a tourist, he targets players who can stick past spring.

That's why the "most active team" label matters, it's proof he's comfortable making real roster calls midstream.

If you're a Penguins fan, it feels equal parts exciting and exhausting, because every quiet day now looks like the calm before another surprise.

The primer points straight to right-shot help on the blue line as the cleanest need.

And if Dubas adds a defenseman, it could create a second move, like flipping pending UFA Connor Clifton to refill the pick pile.

Goalie is the other spark, because if Arturs Silovs keeps pushing, Skinner becomes an asset, not just insurance.

The fun part is Pittsburgh's draft stash, two seconds in each of 2026 through 2029 gives Dubas ammo without gutting the room.

So yes, this tweet reads like a warning, the Penguins have already been dealing, and Friday might just be the next chapter.

Previously on HockeyUnplugged

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MARS 2\|198 ANSWERS Pittsburgh Penguins lead NHL in trades as Kyle Dubas eyes more before Friday deadline Should Kyle Dubas make another Pittsburgh Penguins trade before the NHL trade deadline?
Yes	170	85.9 %
No	28	14.1 %
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