Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (71) skates with the puck as Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) defends during the second period of a preseason NHL hockey game Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, in Detroit.
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Why, there have been no NHL trades of note in weeks, and certainly no Pittsburgh Penguins trade chatter of note. What gives?
Why haven’t the Penguins made a trade? Why aren’t the Penguins a premier destination for unhappy players?
And which prospect has the highest ceiling? Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is in the shadows this summer, neither a primary figure for praise nor criticism.
Of course, he has made trades in August before, acquiring Erik Karlsson on Aug. 6, 2023.
He acquired Cody Glass and Rutger McGroarty in August 2024, as well as flipping the St. Louis Blues second-round pick acquired with accepting the Kevin Hayes salary dump back to them for a second and third rounders so St. Louis could offer sheet both Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. A snoozer August is not necessarily a foregone conclusion.
And those are the gist of the questions submitted both via X and via our final scheduled Live Chat of the season on YouTube. The questions are strong, though the answers may not make fans and readers happy.
Also, there will be a Part 2 Tuesday. Penguins Q&A **Knowing that Dubas and management are generally tight-lipped.
Is there any talk out there of movement prior to training camp, or do you think they are in a holding pattern to see what they have? — Awompa1 Answer: No, the Penguins are not in a holding pattern, at least by choice.
However, the rest of the league has set them aside because no one is buying what the Penguins are selling, at least at the prices the Penguins need. Further, the prices that other teams are charging would bust Dubas’s trade wallet.
Here is the line of the offseason regarding the Penguins’ trade efforts, and Dubas made it minutes after the first round of the Draft, in which multiple top-10 picks had been moved in the days leading to the event, an extreme rarity. ” said Dubas.
“There were multiple top 10 picks moved, which isn’t overly common. So, for us, we would aspire to be involved in every one of those conversations.
” Bluntly, you can extrapolate the entire Penguins offseason from that quote. I do not doubt that Dubas has kept working, but it’s like buying a new car–one day we woke up, and the prices from before that stupid pandemic were suddenly up 50%.
In both situations, there are tons of reasons, and there are no reasons, other than someone will pay it. **Dan, the Hoffmanns would like Mario Lemieux involved.
How so and to what capacity? Maybe I’m just being sentimental, but it felt like some mojo also exited when he sold the team — @BrienCooks That was a question to which not even the Hoffmanns had an answer.
But here’s the view from 30,000 feet: Lemieux put in his time. He went through hell as an owner to save the franchise, and it’s time for him to live his life.
I’ve also heard a story from a reliable source that he was treated poorly by Fenway Sports Group on one occasion and essentially cut the remaining ties with them. The Hoffmanns and Lemieux had good meetings, according to owner Geoff Hoffmann, but Mario is Mario.
His legacy is and will always be a gold standard, so what incentive does he have to get involved or work for someone else, largely for their benefit? I’m sure he’ll be around more often with the new guys in charge, but he’s too classy to overshadow them by being around too much or in unneeded ways, and there’s just no real reason for him to be more than a fan of his team at this point.
But you’re right on the larger point. Without Mario, the franchise just doesn’t have the same superior luster.
** It doesn’t seem as though the Pens are a desirable destination for either big trades or free agents. Do you agree with that, and what needs to change?
— ZJW5 No, the Penguins are not a top destination right now, and the answers are simple, though probably not what you want to hear. Pennsylvania is not a high-tax area, but not a low-tax area, either.
According to Vince Comunale’s excellent story last week, the Penguins rank right in the middle in terms of the taxman’s bite. Nor are the Penguins a Stanley Cup contender.
They’re rebuilding, and until they are clearly and undeniably on the upswing, top players will choose other situations. Not being on Dylan Larkin’s shortlist or hearing other players pine to play in Pittsburgh as they did in years past has nothing to do with facilities, coaching, fans, or geography, but everything to do with their current station.
** Which forward prospect has the highest ceiling? I’d imagine it’s between Will Horcoff and Liam Ruck, though I’m excited to see Bill Zonnon starting in the AHL this year — ItsHimIV My money is on Zonnon to be the most impactful.
His skating is ahead of the rest of the team’s top-tier prospects. He also has size, and he showed some silky mitts in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ run.
He is a potential top-six center, though more likely a middle-six type. Ruck is an interesting study.
He scores goals and lots of them, but if he doesn’t translate that to the NHL, he’s not going to have a place in the lineup, at least without modifying his game. Ruck has to improve his skating burst and agility, though his straight-line speed seemed good enough.
And he may have to learn to play without his brother, Markus. I’m very much looking forward to seeing them at the Prospects Challenge in Detroit.
Horcoff could have a monster year now that he’s healthy. Let’s get a look at his skating growth and what he can do against top competition with both shoulders.
**Your analysis has kept me interested in the team as a whole throughout the year, paying attention to more players
Which rookie card are you buying now to remain a Penguin long term? –HungryHobo First, that compliment means a great deal.
Thank you. However, you post a brutal question.
One-jersey status is reserved for the elite or the irreplaceable. Of the Penguins’ core five from their 2009 Stanley Cup, three remain, and just think of how close Kris Letang has been to leaving on multiple occasions (rumors exist of a possible trade earlier in his career) and how close Evgeni Malkin was to leaving in 2022.
After all, Jordan Staal and Marc-Andre Fleury did not achieve that one-jersey status. But, if I walked into a card shop with your money–not mine–I’d buy you a Murashov card, maybe a Harrison Brunicke, and some Liam & Markus Ruck cards.
If the Rucks hit, they’re going to be the toast of the town.