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Penguins emerge as playoff fit for Brock Boeser with $7.25M cap hit, trade buzz grows


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Daniel Lucente
March 3, 2026  (2:28 PM)
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Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser (6) handles the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period at Rogers Arena.
Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Brock Boeser at $7.25M fits Pittsburgh Penguins cap space now, and a playoff push makes this feel real.

Pittsburgh sits 31-15-13, and that is not "maybe" territory anymore.
Boeser's 2025-26 line is 12-14-26, with the kind of shot that plays on the man advantage.
The Penguins also have roughly $10.5M in projected cap space to actually do something bold.
That's the part that matters, Dubas can add without gutting the blue line.
Darren Dreger threw the spark on this, saying Boeser is not demanding out, but would consider a move "if there's a fit" with a playoff team.
Re Brock Boeser: "He's not gonna rattle the cages and demand a trade; I just think if there was a fit out there that made some sense with a playoff team, I think he'd be certainly open to consider that."

- Darren Dreger
If that's true, Pittsburgh is the exact kind of "fit" that can sell a role and a runway.

Brock Boeser could juice the Pittsburgh Penguins

Pens fans are finally letting themselves believe again, and you can feel the hunger for one more scorer.
With Sidney Crosby sidelined, the Penguins have leaned on structure and depth, but they still need another top-six trigger.
Boeser brings a simple thing Pittsburgh lacks on some nights, a right-shot finisher who doesn't need five touches.
He can ride with Evgeni Malkin or stabilize a second line when matchups get nasty.
The cap hit is heavy, so the Canucks would have to retain, or Pittsburgh sends money out.
But the Penguins can afford to think bigger because they're not clawing for a wild card, they're sitting second in the Metro.
The real question is cost in futures, because this group has earned help, but not a reckless mortgage.
If Dubas sees Boeser as a playoff-only swing, the next three games this week will probably decide how aggressive he gets.
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Penguins emerge as playoff fit for Brock Boeser with $7.25M cap hit, trade buzz grows

Should the Pittsburgh Penguins trade for Brock Boeser?

Yes21968.9 %
No9931.1 %
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