Pittsburgh Penguins: Let the Trades Begin

The Pittsburgh Penguins better get ready for the trade deadline.

The Ottawa Senators just unofficially began the trade deadline trading storm after sending Dion Phaneuf to the Los Angeles Kings midway through a game. The Pittsburgh Penguins will most likely soon follow. We’ve been playing well as of late but there’s still some sizeable holes that we need to fill before the deadline if we want to have any chance of contending for the Cup once again.

One of these holes is the that third-line centre that we’ve been looking for since Nick Bonino left as a free agent in the offseason. Well the trade market has officially swung open and the Penguins are getting ready to act quick.

Rutherford’s Plan

Penguins GM Jim Rutherford looks like he has a plan to get our third line centre soon.

Speaking on Wednesday evening during on Sportsnet 590’s The FAN, Rutherford said, “I do feel confident we’re going to add a player, based on the number of players I’m talking about and teams I’m talking to now.”

Pittsburgh Penguins

Rutherford sounds like he’s ready to join the trading train. I’m almost definite he has a few centres and trades in mind. His confidence sounds like he already has been negotiating with other teams as well. We can only predict who he may be going after, but hopefully it’s along the lines of Tyler Bozak from the Toronto Maple Leafs or someone like him.

Could It Be Someone Else?

Of course there’s always the speculation that we may not even get a third-line centre like most of us want. Rutherford did just simply say they will add a “player.” We may all believe that we need a third-line centre most, but that may not be in the plan. Just a few days ago, Rutherford explained that he feels confident in Riley Sheahan going forward.

Whether or not he gets the player we want, we’re in for some big trades, I’m sure of it.