The NHL is 37 days away from the official trade deadline. However, there are only seven days until the Olympic roster freeze, which may also act as a secondary trade deadline. The Penguins have shifted perspective on their team. Before the season, the Penguins were thought to be the only true seller in the league. As of this writing, they are currently 8th in the NHL. They are no longer in the selling category. Sure, they may not be true buyers, but I don’t expect Dubas to completely stand pat. Below I will go over a few forward options that might be available. Throughout the next week, I will cover goaltending and defensemen as well.

Forward:

Jason Robertson

It was written about a few weeks ago in The Athletic that the Penguins have Robertson high on their wish list. I’m sure they wouldn’t be alone in the bidding for his services though. Robertson is sitting with 62 points in 53 games; every team would salivate at the opportunity to get such a talent. The trading of Robertson would hinge completely upon Dallas’ unwillingness to sign him to an extension and fear arbitration in the offseason. Another Dallas player went through a similar situation last season whenever Rantanen was sent to Colorado, the only difference was the moose was set to be an unrestricted free agent. Dallas will likely move Robertson if they get a player back who can somewhat compete with his offensive output and bolster their depth. I find the Penguins to be a perfect suitor for this type of move. The Penguins would like to do any deal without losing a first-round pick. To accomplish this trade without a first, they would need to part with several players namely Rakell, Koivunen, and possibly Shea. They would need to attach a prospect too, and maybe one/two second round picks. Seems like an excessive haul, but the Penguins could replace Shea with a corresponding move. Koivunen may quickly fall to their fifth most dynamic prospect as Kindel, McGroarty, Zonnon, Horcoff, and Dach may already have surpassed him. Robertson would be a clear upgrade over Rakell, so his loss is already managed. The Penguins would have an ample amount of money to resign Robertson following the trade. Dallas would get several players, who are either cost controlled or can be resigned for low amounts. It allows Dallas to continue their path towards the cup, and it may also expedite the Penguins retool. I don’t put the likelihood of this happening to be very high, but the forward group isn’t really something that needs tinkered with so they would only go after big fish.

Shane Wright/Alexis Lafrenière

These are types of dudes that Dubas loves. High pedigree draft talents who may desperately need a change of scenery. After the Chinakhov trade, I don’t find it likely to acquire either player. Lafrenière in particular doesn’t make sense unless you truly believe in him given that fact he is signed for six more season at almost 7.5 million. If you think he can come in this season and play to at least Mantha’s level, then you may have to think about the move. The trade would be tricky because the Rangers would not be interested in many of the Penguins rostered forwards. Kindel isn’t going anywhere. Could they talk themselves into some package that includes McGroarty? I could see it happening. Obviously, the Penguins would need to attach more. The biggest hurdle would be the fact the Ranger’s will still value him as a 1st overall pick even though his career has not panned out in that manner.

Shane Wright is a little more interesting. He is a former 4th overall pick who also plays center. If you like the long-term prospect of him centering your 2nd/3rd line instead of Novak maybe a deal makes sense here. It’s been floated that he’s available, but the ask seems a little wild. The Kraken are seeking a surefire talent. I don’t think the Penguins would offer that. Could the Kraken settle for a Zonnon/Horcoff plus Novak. With the way Novak is playing, and his contract, that seems like a Penguins overpayment to me. This scenario all depends on how the NHL scouts in Pittsburgh, plus Dubas, really view Shane Wright.

Ultimately, the Penguins forward corps is playing so well. The lines seem to be well established at this point. I don’t really see them picking up a forward unless a guy of Robertson’s stature falls in their laps. It currently doesn’t seem to make sense to mess with the forwards chemistry. If there is an injury, that changes things for sure. Lafrenière and Wright just seem like the type of dudes that Dubas is interested in acquiring, but the forward group is playing at a level that makes either guy feel like a downgrade, definitely not something anyone would have thought back in September. Ultimately, I believe the Penguins will go after a defenseman which is what I will discuss later this week.