Penguins/NHL
The NHL’s trade landscape right now with 11 days to go before deadline is a situation of sellers waiting for one buyer to set the market.
Last February the Nashville Predators set the market early with the Cody Franson trade. This season it’s been more of a cat and mouse game between the buyers and sellers.
It’s also been a trade landscape that features potential rentals like Andrew Ladd who are expected to be available but have yet to be officially put on the market. Therefore it’s been slow moving.
Buyers don’t yet know what the prices are going to be.
For the Penguins they have not closed the door on making a high level or low level move before the Feb 29 deadline and their trade list has as many as 10 payers on it, a source says, ranging from top-6 winger types, a veteran defenseman, to a versatile bottom-6 center as insurance with concerns about Nick Bonino’s injured wrist holding up and the same with Eric Fehr who has a history of injury issues.
Trade Talk
— Add Montreal Canadiens defenseman Tom Gilbert to the group of rental defensemen the Penguins have some level of interest in.
— One scenario internally the Penguins coaching staff and management have discussed is adding another winger with speed to play with Evgeni Malkin and having Phil Kessel play on the third line, something that was a preference of Mike Sullivan initially when he wanted to play Kessel with Bonino. One reason versatile wingers like Jiri Hudler and Mikkel Boedker interests the Penguins to give them this option.
— Pittsburgh engaged in serious talks with the Arizona Coyotes a little over 10 days ago about Mikkel Boedker, we’re told. Talks were serious enough that Arizona gave Pittsburgh a list of prospects they would want as part of the package and DTo read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
