Fansided

Pittsburgh Penguins: Who Could the Three Third-Line Centres Be?

By Matthew Rodrigopulle |
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 28: General Manager Jim Rutherford of the Pittsburgh Penguins answers questions in a press conference during Media Day for the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final at PPG PAINTS Arena on May 28, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 28: General Manager Jim Rutherford of the Pittsburgh Penguins answers questions in a press conference during Media Day for the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final at PPG PAINTS Arena on May 28, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
4 of 4
Next

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford announced this week that he has narrowed down his search for a third-line centre to just three players.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been searching for a third-line centre ever since Nick Bonino left as a free agent.

Well we have been speculating all offseason who the Penguins could target as a replacement. Rutherford claims that he has narrowed it down to three contenders, but who could they be?

Here are my predictions.

TORONTO,ON – APRIL 23: Tyler Bozak
TORONTO,ON – APRIL 23: Tyler Bozak /

Tyler Bozak

I’ve been saying Tyler Bozak could be our best option for a while now. Why? Well Toronto is undergoing their rebuild and Bozak seems to be on the short end of that stick. He’s expendable to them and they’re looking for a contending team to trade them some prospects or draft picks.

Well here’s where the Penguins fit in perfectly. We have what they want and they have what we want. The only issue is that Bozak’s cap hit of $4.2 million is above our $3 million budget.

A deal could still happen with money going the other way, which is why I think Bozak is one of the three candidates.

CALGARY, AB - APRIL 19: Mikael Backlund #11 of the Calgary Flames skates against the Anaheim Ducks during Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 19, 2017 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)"n
CALGARY, AB - APRIL 19: Mikael Backlund #11 of the Calgary Flames skates against the Anaheim Ducks during Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 19, 2017 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)"n /

Mikael Backlund

John Druga wrote about the idea of adding Mikael Backlund earlier this week.

He seems to fit the role almost perfectly and the Penguins probably have already been getting a good look at him. His cap hit is also only $3.575 million which is a lot easier to work with.

Calgary may be willing to let go of him for the right price and I really have a feeling Rutherford has been eyeing him.

DETROIT, MI – APRIL 09: Riley Sheahan
DETROIT, MI – APRIL 09: Riley Sheahan /

Riley Sheahan

I’ve mentioned him before as well and honestly, I think he makes a lot of sense.

Being only 25 and having a cap hit of only $2 million, Sheahan seems too good to be true. He can perfectly fill the third-line centre role behind Crosby and Malkin. Although he may not be the most dominant third-line centre, he definitely has time to develop into one. He can consistenly put up between 20-35 points, which is great for a third-line centre.

Next: Three Expectations for this Season

The Detroit Red Wings are rebuilding and definitely need to shed some salary. A trade here could make a lot of sense for both teams and I feel like Rutherford is taking a good look at the Red Wings right now.

Next
Home / Penguins News