Latest Trade Deadline Buzz

The best way to continue to maximize the window around Sidney Crosby for another 3-4 years?

Implement an infusion of young players is something the Penguins have become believers in and it can be seen with how they’re being viewed in trade talks around the league.

The messaging to other clubs is that [hide]high draft picks, not top-prospects are in play for the win-now Penguins. Defenseman Calen Addison and winger Samuel Poulin are the two off limits. Pittsburgh believes Addison is less than two years away from being a main-stay on the blueline and the initial view of Poulin being at least 3-4 years away from the NHL when drafted has been debunked by team officials.

This has the Penguins actively shopping their first round pick for immediate help this season and beyond. They’ve put their first rounder in play for talks on a ‘longer term’ winger and sources say there’s two players on their rental board the organization hasn’t ruled out valuing their worth as a 2020 1st-rounder, depending on where the chips fall in talks for some of their long-term targets.

There’s even some belief around the league that Nathan Lagare is also part of the untouchable list, though, others are not as certain. There certainly is a consensus around the league don’t even bother asking about Addison and Poulin.

NHL Insider Bob McKenzie touched on the Penguins shopping their first round pick on the NBCSN telecast Wednesday night.

“He [Jimmy Rutherford] wants to add and he’s pretty determined to do it,” McKenzie said. “Last year at the deadline, Jimmy Rutherford was a guy who wasn’t prepared to offer his first round pick. This year you do get the feeling, first round pick is in play for the right player.”

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