Penguins/NHL
Even with the Penguins anticipating a lengthy suspension for Evgeni Malkin (5 Games), it was a quiet deadline for Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.
Pittsburgh’s lone move was sending a 2026 3rd round pick to the Detroit Red Wings in-exchange for massive 6-foot-8, 252 lbs forward Elmer Soderblom, a move that might be more about next year.
The 24 year old has 2 goals and 1 assist in 39 games this season and is under contract through the 2026/2027 season with a $1.25 million cap hit. What do the Penguins see in Soderblom who has 11 goals and 11 assists in 86 career NHL games?
One intriguing aspect to the Penguins is they still look at Soderblom as a raw prospect despite his age and they don’t have any prospects in their system with his type of size.
“We’ve identified him throughout the year as someone that fits the age group that we’re trying to bring in,” GM Kyle Dubas said. “He’s got a contract for this year, next year is signed and then he’s a restricted free agent after that. So he’s got another year of team control……His skating has continued to improve. The things that have stood out with him this year have been the ability to forecheck, get in on the forecheck, disrupts pucks and win pucks back. For us, that’s the thing we identified.”
Pittsburgh at the NHL level following the coaching change have prioritized size in remaking the roster and that’s going to continue to be plan moving forward.
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Dubas plan over the last 18 months has been all about accumulating assets, rebuilding the system up to set the Penguins up for success in the future for years to come. There’s also been the hope that this process would open the door for a bigger swing or two in the event a star player comes available or a fringe star in that 25-26 age range. That’s been an area we’ve yet to see play out where Dubas makes a massive move that sends three to four significant assets out the door. Over the last month, though, it wasn’t for a lack of not trying.
Prior to the Olympics the Penguins began the leg work of taking a quiet big run at Blues center Robert Thomas and tried again post-Olympics for Thomas. Pittsburgh was willing to meet To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”! One source said Pittsburgh just didn’t have a second higher-end (NHL Ready) prospect to pair with Harrison Brunicke in talks whom St. Louis really liked to get enough momentum on this front and remains to be seen if anything changes by the summer. A Rutger McGroarty just wasn’t going to get it done here.
“I heard they took a swing at Robert Thomas, didn’t like the price,” top NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts Podcast of the Penguins pursuit of Thomas.
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— Among roster players who almost moved. It wasn’t Stuart Skinner despite the league chatter around Skinner………Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay are said to have gotten pretty close on an To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
— Huge weekend coming up for Ville Koivunen. A great opportunity to get back with the big club and try to turn the narrative on his season at the NHL level. “Have big expectations of Ville and a lot of belief in him,” Dubas said on Friday. “So, this would be his chance. Everyone always wants an opportunity, this is it for him. 5 Points in 27 games with the Penguins this season, the 22 year old Koivunen has been a point per game player in the minors with 11 goals, 22 assists in 28 games. To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Evgeni Malkin hammered with 5 game suspension