Last week the Penguins traded Filip Hallander for LD Spencer Stastney. They had to trade a forward, and getting more organizational depth on the left side made sense, especially with TVR’s shortcomings on Letang’s pair.
On Monday, the Penguins acquired another LD, this time from Buffalo. Caleb Jones (suspended under the NHL’s PED policy last season) and Daniel Laatsch were moved in exchange for 2019 first-rounder Ryan Johnson. Obviously a depth move, as Johnson has only played 47 NHL games, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
The Penguins have acquired two younger left-handed defensemen in the past week, one at the NHL level. Owen Pickering already seemed buried in the organization before the Stastney move. Now Johnson, while not taking Pickering’s spot, seems like a capable potential replacement.
Could the Penguins be laying the groundwork for moving Pickering? Seems like it to me.
– Erbie Brooks
