Not everyone will find what transpired to be as funny as I did. Granted, if the season weren’t going as well as it is I too would have lost my mind over the result of the game. Plus we did get some Quinn Hughes Penguins trade talk as well. The Penguins, at home, leading 3-2 with 17 seconds left were granted a power-play. They decided to send Sid/Rust and three of their least reliable defensive players; Tommy Novak, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson over the boards. Crosby even won the faceoff, but Anaheim quickly got the puck and made their way up ice. Letang could have forced his man wide(r), or simply laid a hit, and instead he attempted to go stick-on-puck and was promptly dangled which led to a game tying goal with 0.1 seconds remaining in regulation. After a few glorious 3-on-3 chances, including Dewar hitting a post on a wide-open net, the game went to a shootout where the Pens predictably lost.

To be honest, there was a ton of good in this game. The Penguins dominated for almost every minute of this game. It always smelled of a classic loss as they had a bevy of grade-A chances that were thwarted away by Ville Husso keeping the score close. However, whenever you’re up with 10 seconds and the puck is on the opposite goal-line I just don’t think there is any excuse. I said at the top of the blog that I found this all funny and I really did last night but as I am typing out what transpired I can feel my blood boiling. Dan Muse made one of his first true mistakes, and regardless of the excuse he provided, Letang and Karlsson cannot be on the ice together in that situation. I can understand his trust in Karlsson who has been excellent all season, but Letang has been the lifeblood for other team’s offenses so far this season. Call it a learning situation for Muse, call it a fluke, but it just cannot ever happen again.

I am having such a hard time finding a way to talk about that game because of the amount of shock that game produced in my brain. I had the whole blog written in my head last night; kid’s line may be elite, Silovs looks like he found his game, Novak may work on Sid’s line, and more but then the buzzer beater happened.

So instead, I am going to just put the Penguins’ goals here and speak about something else:

Now Quinn Hughes… to Pittsburgh? Friedman brought up that Pittsburgh has the pieces … Our left side is weak… we do have everything they are looking for… Rutherford and Dubas have a strong relationship…

Now first, I’d like to say that it more likely that I get a job in this room than it is that Hughes comes to Pittsburgh:

But let’s discuss what a trade package could look like for Hughes. We have a strong trade comparable already on our team in Erik Karlsson.

Luckily, one those draft picks paid off for Ottawa as they were able to select Stutzle but it was an otherwise underwhelming return. Hughes trade will likely return less too, as every expects him to leave any team other than New Jersey after next season. Vancouver would likely immediately ask for Kindel, and Dubas would immediately hang up the phone. Kindel isn’t going anywhere for anyone (unless Mackinnon wants to come to PIT), especially not a year and a half long rental. The offer I would submit to Vancouver:

1. 2026 1st, 2026 St. Louis 2nd, 2026 San Jose 3rd, and 2027 NYR 2nd. Keep most of your 1st and use the acquired picks (that seemingly will be early in their respective rounds) to leave offer sheet capabilities open.
2. Tommy Novak. They will want an NHL player in return and someone who can play center, Novak fits the bill.
3. Shea/Wotherspoon. They’re trading a lefty away, give them back a lefty. Wotherspoon has more value.
4. Owen Pickering. Another lefty and someone the coaching/management doesn’t seem high on. He still has first round pick pedigree and plays well in the AHL.
5. Bill Zonnon. I was tempted to add Koivunen here but opted with Zonnon. At the time the most recent draft concluded, Zonnon was believed to be the most NHL ready. Injuries have derailed his season so far, thus lowering his value, but I would believe this package is already good enough.

So, that’s what I would do if a trade were to be made. Granted, I don’t think it’s the advisable thing to do. I also don’t see a scenario where Hughes is brough in and Karlsson is left on this team. From a construction standpoint, you cannot have those two on your roster as you will assuredly neuter one of their offensive abilities. What makes this so interesting is the sheet fact that the Penguins have cap room, have a weaker left side, and could create several competitive trade offers but I just don’t see any world in which it happens.

Penguins play again tomorrow. Let’s hope we don’t let in another goal with 0.1 seconds left. Honestly, let’s hope they don’t blow a lead at all since that’s been the most consistent part of their game this year.