NHL: Penguins to buy-low on Bouchard?

Ray Shero’s scouting trip to Minnesota wasn’t just centered around Devin Setoguchi.

The Minnesota Wild put Pierre-Marc Bouchard who is useless in a non top-6 role, back in the lineup last night for a reason, because the Penguins GM was making a select scouting trip to Minnesota with the purpose of also getting a look at Bouchard.

The Wild have informed all 30 teams that Bouchard is available and word is buzzing from sources that the Penguins are at least discussing Bouchard internally, which prompted the scouting trip from Shero. Bouchard could be available for as low as a seventh round pick, a source says. Despite the $4.08 million cap (now pro-rated), it’s possible the Penguins take a buy-low move and send the seventh round pick they received for Tangradi to Minnesota and take a chance on Bouchard who is an excellent playmaker but has been plagued by concussion issues in the past.

The issue with acquiring Bouchard would be taking on the cap hit for this season, tying up money in him, but the Penguins can take up to almost $10 million of cap space and that number will only grow as the season inches closer. Bouchard has 2 goals and 1 assist in 13 games this season. In his career, Bouchard has 100 goals and 230 assists in 535 games.  He is a free agent at seasons end.

If the Penguins were to acquire a Bouchard or a Devin Setoguchi, the dominoes fall on Tyler Kennedy who could be on his way out of Pittsburgh. Even for a late round pick, Bouchard would be a risky move.