3 major trade acquisitions the Pittsburgh Penguins could pull off for a deep playoff run

The Penguins could opt for some major help from Ottawa for Jakob Chychrun

Yep, there is a realistic way for the Penguins to bring in Jakob Chychrun. Sure, they need to win games, and a lot of them between now and the deadline or when the Ottawa Senators see a deal they can’t pass up for the blueliner. 

You may feel that the price listed for Chychrun is too low here, but it’s also worth remembering that he was supposed to put the Senators over the top and at least contend for the playoffs. It didn’t happen last season, and the same holds true for 2023-24. 

However, Chychrun has still been effective this season, generally staying healthy while putting up 28 points in 47 contests. He’s also gotten in the way of shooting lanes with 81 blocks, and at 25, you can argue his best days are still to come. 

While the Senators will realistically look for a first-rounder for Chychrun, which would make total sense, his injury history coupled with his inability to push a team forward in the past could devalue him slightly. And if that’s the case, which is the scenario in this piece, then Ottawa will settle for second and middle-round picks.

The Senators also have enough cap space to take a player like Lars Eller off of Pittsburgh’s hands, which, combined with retaining 25 percent of Chychrun’s contract, makes this trade work. 

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)