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The Pittsburgh Penguins were rumored to be in the market for another forward, but the NHL trade deadline came and went without the Pens making any moves.
Various reports coming out Sunday afternoon suggest that, despite Brent Johnson's recent injury, the Pens will not be searching for a goalie this trading season.
#Penguins GM Ray Shero said if he makes no deal, he's happy with team. Not looking for backup goalie. Not stockpiling picks for draft in Pgh
Josh Yohe of the Trib confirms this report:
Shero also said he expects Johnson is going to be backup in playoffs, said there is no other goalie currently out there worth trading for
With Johnson out, Brad Thiessen is starting in goal on Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Starter Marc-Andre Fleury remains healthy.
More broadly, it sounds like the Pens won't be too heavily involved in the action in advance of the NHL trade deadline. Anderson again:
Shero on replacing Crosby's cap space w/trade: Right now there's no deal out there for me that makes any sense. #Penguins
For more on the Penguins, be sure to check out Pensburgh.
When the Montreal Canadiens traded defenseman Hal Gill to the Nashville Predators, Penguins fans were not happy at the fact that a defender that helped the Penguins to a Stanley Cup championship in 2009 was not brought back to help a Penguins defense that has been suspect for much of the season.
However, Stephen Catanese of PensBurgh urges fans to not be too broken up over the failure to grab Gill, purely for the reason that the Penguins defense has changed up so much since Gill's departure.
Dan Bylsma wanted skilled skaters and offensively capable players going back to get the puck and bringing it back up ice. Go south, then quickly transition northward.
In all, that's something that Gill is not capable of. He's more of a defender who just wants to clear the puck out of the defensive zone and then let the offensive players score. A more fast-paced defense like this would not have been a fit for Gill.
For all news, information and trade rumors regarding the Pittsburgh Penguins, please visit PensBurgh, or check out SB Nation Pittsburgh. For all your hockey new and notes, be sure to check out SB Nation's NHL hub.
A good GM knows when to make a trade to help augment his roster, but a great GM knows when not to make a move just to make one that could put their team in a bit of trouble. The Penguins and GM Ray Shero will be listening to calls as the trade deadline approaches, but according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Tribune-Review, they would also be comfortable standing pat if the right offer doesn't present itself.
The current trade market, as viewed by this front office, ranges from awful to abysmal. The only 40-goal type is Columbus' Rick Nash, and the cap-challenged Penguins aren't in on those talks. Defensemen are scarcer still. And goaltending couldn't be called a need with Marc-Andre Fleury as the starter.
It's very possible that there just aren't any players available that would prove to be an upgrade over what the Penguins have on their roster now, and if they were ever to get completely healthy they would be a very strong team.
For all news, information and trade rumors regarding the Pittsburgh Penguins, please visitPensBurgh, or check out SB Nation Pittsburgh. For all your hockey new and notes, be sure to check out SB Nation's NHL hub.
The NHL Trade Deadline is 3:00 PM on February 27, just two weeks away, and now is the time when out-of-contention teams begin shopping their players to those teams with dream of playoff aspirations and championships.
SB Nation's Penguins blog PensBurgh noted several forwards Pittsburgh should target in the coming fortnight, including Ryan Malone of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ales Hemsky of the Edmonton Oilers and Travis Moen of the Montreal Canadiens. They do an excellent job breaking down the pros and cons of each player, and the possibility of such a deal even occurring. They do note that Rick Nash, sought after by many teams at this year's deadline, is an unlikely possibility, but even with that said, current Penguins GM Ray Shero has certainly not been shy in his tenure about making a major acquisition at the trade deadline.
Via Mike Colligan of The Hockey Writers:
The Pittsburgh Penguins under the guidance of GM Ray Shero have been a perennial ‘buyer' at deadline time and haven't been afraid to make a splash:
2007: Acquired Gary Roberts, Georges Laraque
2008: Acquired Marian Hossa, Pascal Dupuis, Hal Gill
2009: Acquired Bill Guerin, Craig Adams (waivers)
2010: Acquired Alexei Ponikarovsky, Jordan Leopold
2011: Acquired James Neal, Matt Niskanen, Alex Kovalev
Even if Nash is not the move Pittsburgh makes, Shero is likely to add one or two of the key pieces the Pensburgh writers have noted, fortifying Pittsburgh for a 2012 playoff run.
For all news, information and trade rumors regarding the Pittsburgh Penguins, please visit PensBurgh, or check out SB Nation Pittsburgh. For all your hockey new and notes, be sure to check out SB Nation's NHL hub.
Rick Nash is, by some distance, the biggest name player who could possibly move at the NHL trade deadline. Unsurprisingly, the fans of just about every team in contention for the Stanley Cup are dreaming up scenarios in which their team can acquire him. Unfortunately for fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins who have caught themselves daydreaming about the Columbus Blue Jackets forward, Pittsburgh probably doesn't have the assets and cap space to make this happen.
SB Nation's Pittsburgh Penguins blog, PensBurgh, has a look at some potential trade targets, and though they included Nash in their list simply for the sake of interest, he's not considered a realistic target.
Potential, suggested reasonable trade: On your xbox
Why it could happen: It couldn't.
Why it couldn't happen: Every reason in the world. The Pens are already a very top-heavy team with big money contracts for Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Marc-Andre Fleury. Adding another huge hit, not a great idea. And I can't see Columbus being too thrilled to sell their franchise for Jordan Staal and a couple of picks and prospects.
PensBurgh does, however, identify a couple of more realistic targets. Travis Moen fits the mold, both because his acquisition is realistic and because he fits Dan Bylsma's style. They compare him to Ales Hemsky, another available forward who doesn't necessarily fit the Penguins mold.
Classic UFA-to-be on a team not making the playoffs. Unlike Hemsky, Moen's physical style seems more fit for the Penguins in terms of his attitude on the ice and the way he plays the game.
David Jones could also be an excellent fit, and because he hasn't been very productive this season, he could potentially be undervalued.
Jones has size and scored 27 goals last season, so he's got some measure of hands too. Though close observers of the Avs say he's had a somewhat disappointing season this year, plugging Jones into the Pens lineup adds a little more offensive punch then currently found in top 6 wingers (outside of James Neal and Chris Kunitz, natch). Also Colorado probably would be willing to deal Jones at the deadline if the right deal came along.
Even though Ray Shero isn't likely to make a big splash this year like he did with the James Neal trade last season, the Penguins will be, at the very least, potential buyers at the deadline who will pull the trigger for the right stylistic and financial fit.
For more on the Pens and more Pens trade rumors and analysis, check out Pittsburgh Penguins blog PensBurgh.
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NHL Trade Deadline 2012: Penguins Make No Trades, Still Wait On Return Of Sidney Crosby
The Pittsburgh Penguins were rumored to be active players at the Trade Deadline this year, but when it came and went, they stood pat without making any moves. Our Pittsburgh Penguins blog PensBurgh realizes that while they didn't make any moves, there is still a pretty big addition on the horizon that the Penguins hope can set them up nicely for the playoffs.
The Penguins do need an additional forward, but there is already one in the organization who could help tremendously. They could have added an insurance policy if Crosby continues to have a tough time coming back from his concussion, but they elected to stand pat with what they already had.
For more on the Penguins, be sure to check out Pensburgh.
Feb 28 9:28a by Jordan Ruby