Pittsburgh Penguins: Top 5 players to target via trade in 2020

Two things stick out with this possible trade. For starters, Nick Bjugstad cannot seem to stay healthy. Which team in there right mind will want a third-line center that always is catching the injury bug? Additionally, he just hasn’t been that good since coming over from Florida back in February of 2019. If he does get traded, they will need, at a minimum, a solid left-winger.

For everything wrong, there typically is something right. For Bjugstad, it’s his size and his handedness. He’s the tallest guy on the Penguins roster and their only right-handed center. That size and uniqueness about him will open suitors, but where? Home for him is Minnesota, and they just happen to need more depth at the center position.

Don’t worry; you won’t find anywhere in this trade conversation the idea of Alex Galchenyuk coming back to Pittsburgh. What you will find, however, is a size for size comparison. On the second line, the Wild have a 6-foot 6-inch winger with upside in defensive prowess. The 23-year-old Jordan Greenway is currently on the Wild’s most defensive line, and he has a way with passing.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Top 5 players to target via trade in 2020

Greenway won’t blow you away with his offense tactics, but neither has Bjugstad. What you mostly get out of Jordan Greenway besides defense is enforcement. His eight goals and 20 assists aren’t your average 2nd line numbers, but he has time and time again finished the right results. The Penguins have potential on the blue line, but a defending forward could be just the ticket.

The only question mark that comes with Greenway is that he is slated to be an RFA this offseason. He is currently making just over $900,000 a year, but with a new contract in mind, he will undoubtedly be looking for more. Moneywise, this trade would just about even out both sides making it a smart move for the Penguins. They could also take the newly acquired winger and sign him longterm.