In-season Additions the Penguins Could Make to Bolster Their Scoring Depth
Gene J. Puskar/AP
PITTSBURGH - The NHL offseason is just about over. While it has been an exciting offseason for player movement, there are still players without a contract. Most teams who intend to compete for the Stanley Cup this season have nearly maxed out their salary cap. Some of those players left unsigned will join teams during training camp on professional tryout (PTO) contracts with the hope of earning a spot on the roster and a subsequent NHL contract.
The Penguins could be a team to use this method to add another skilled player or two to their squad. However, their projected opening day cap space is still in the red. They’re projected to be at -$79,342 on the first day of the regular season, per Cap Friendly. So, signing a player who joins the team on a PTO, however cheap, is nearly impossible without other moves being made.
The reason player and salary movement of higher paid players is easier closer to the trade deadline is because teams accrue additional cap space every day of the regular season that they are cap compliant. While the Penguins still have some obvious holes in the lineup that need addressing, I think the most likely course of action is that Kyle Dubas will address these issues in-season after his team has already accrued sufficient cap space.
The obvious need is depth scoring, specifically within the bottom six forward group. If the Penguins decide to sign a player to a PTO, a free agent who fits this bill perfectly to me is F Tomas Tatar. The veteran Slovakian forward has six 20-goal seasons under his belt, including last season with the New Jersey Devils. While he could affordably fix the Penguin's problem of depth scoring, I’m going forward under the impression that he is not an option, and they will look to add via trade later into the season.
F Anthony Duclair, SJ
If there’s anything Kyle Dubas has learned in his first summer as Penguins' general manager, it’s probably everything there is to know about Mike Grier. Last summer, Grier was named the general manager of the San Jose Sharks. Grier and Dubas have probably spent more time on the phone together this summer than they did with their significant others.
Constructing that mammoth of a trade that sent D Erik Karlsson to Pittsburgh likely took the majority of the time they had this offseason. Being a general manager is all about the relationships you build. We saw Dubas frequently trade with the same teams when he was leading the Toronto Maple Leafs; the St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, etc.
If Dubas keeps that line of communication open with Grier, Anthony Duclair could become a target. Duclair was dealt to San Jose from Florida earlier this offseason as a salary cap dump. It was a smart move for Grier, as even though his team expects to be at the bottom of the standings this season, you still need players that can score to bring fans to the arena. Also, with only one year left on his contract paying him $3 million, he is the perfect trade asset for Grier.
Duclair has faced injury problems throughout his career but is a proven goal scorer. Duclair has three 20+ goal seasons, including a 31-goal season in the 2021-22 season with the Panthers. He could slot in on the second line as a scoring threat, or even on the third line as a depth scoring option, who could get some power play time on the second unit. He also has shown that he can play either wing, making him a versatile option for Mike Sullivan to use. His $3 million cap hit makes it easy to fit onto the team later in the season, but if needed, San Jose could eat half of his contract and make him an even more desirable asset at a $1.5 million cap hit. However, we saw how reluctant Grier is to retain salary from the Karlsson deal.
F Mike Hoffman, SJ
Funny enough, Hoffman was technically a Penguin earlier this month. When the Erik Karlsson trade was announced, both Montreal and San Jose announced that they completed a single trade with just the Penguins, not a three-team deal as the Penguins had announced. Hoffman was passed through the Penguins from Montreal to San Jose, in order to make the larger deal happen. Don’t be surprised if the Kitchener native dons the black and gold later this season.
As I mentioned for Duclair, Dubas has a relationship with Sharks GM Grier now, and Hoffman surely will be flipped prior to this season’s trade deadline. He’s in the final year of his deal, paying him $4.5 million. San Jose does have one salary retention slot left, so that could potentially become a $2.25 million cap hit. As I mentioned before, those cap hits become much easier to fit as the regular season gets further along.
Hoffman had a six-season stretch from 2014-15 to 2019-20 where he scored 20+ goals every year, including a 36-goal campaign in 2018-19 with Florida. Over the past few seasons, his offensive production has dipped, but he was also on a couple of dreadful Montreal Canadians teams.
Hoffman could slot in on the second-line left wing, his natural position, alongside Evgeni Malkin. Reilly Smith could move to the second-line right wing, as he has been able to play both wings throughout his career. Hoffman would add a pure goalscoring ability to that line. His shot is elite and would complement Malkin and Smith’s playing styles wonderfully. This could allow Bryan Rust to move down to the third line, where his style of play, in my opinion, would fit better.
However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Hoffman and the newly acquired Erik Karlsson have a fairly public, negative history between them that extends to their significant others, from their time as teammates with the Ottawa Senators. It has been quite some time since that incident, but I do think that lowers the chances of the Penguins bringing him on board. It’d be foolish to upset the player you just committed to for the next four seasons.
F Jason Zucker, ARI
When you’re a DJ on the radio, you have to play the hits. Jason Zucker was an absolute hit last season with the Penguins, and I’m not convinced we’ve seen the last of him in a Penguins uniform. Following the Penguin's acquisition of Reilly Smith earlier this offseason from Vegas, Zucker’s spot on the Penguins had been filled, both in the lineup and on the salary cap sheet. Smith is a cheaper and more versatile option than Zucker, so Dubas pulled the trigger.
Zucker wouldn’t be without a home for long, as he’d go on to sign a one-year deal in the desert with the Coyotes, for $5.3 million. Zucker finally found his groove in Pittsburgh last season, after a few injury-plagued, disappointing seasons to start his tenure there. Alongside Malkin, Zucker put up 27 goals on the second line and was the Penguin's best scoring threat on their second power-play unit. During the dog days of the season when no one else could buy a goal, Zucker continued to produce for the Penguins.
His breakout last season wasn’t just when he had the puck. Zucker was an energy generator for the team. Zucker would throw bodies around, run his mouth to opponents and referees, and motivate his teammates. Mike Sullivan would consistently say how important Zucker was to the locker room, as the team is full of quiet performers, and Zucker was the outlier.
Zucker is another player who can play either wing but mainly stayed on Malkin’s left side last year. Arizona, like San Jose, has pretty low expectations for themselves this season. General manager Bill Armstrong will likely look to move Zucker before the trade deadline and could get a decent return for him. Arizona is currently using just one of its three available salary retention slots, so Zucker’s cap hit could be taken to as low as $2.65 million. As I mentioned before, Dubas has dealt with Armstrong and the Coyotes many times before.
Beyond all of the previously mentioned reasons, Zucker is the perfect type of player for playoff hockey. The Penguins don’t have a plethora of players who are willingly chippy when they play, and Zucker could play that role for them perfectly. He could easily take back his spot on the second line, or if Smith is already jelling well in that spot, Zucker on the third line, while also getting time on the second power-play unit, could look really nice. That’s the kind of depth the Penguins need to compete with the top teams of the Eastern Conference.
F Tyler Johnson, CHI
Speaking of versatility, Tyler Johnson is another option Dubas could look at. Johnson spent most of his career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, before being dealt to Chicago as a cap dump two summers ago. Johnson, 33, has a lot of playoff experience from his time in Tampa and was a proven playoff performer there for many seasons.
Johnson has one year left on a contract paying him $5 million. He can play all three forward positions. Johnson has scored 20-plus goals in four of his ten seasons in the NHL. His production has taken a dip over the last few seasons. However, I attribute this to better players taking their ice time in Tampa, and then being dealt to one of the worst teams in the league. I’m not sure where in the lineup he’ll slot in for the Blackhawks this season, but the team has more offensive weapons around him this year, including first-overall pick C Connor Bedard and former Hart Trophy winner F Taylor Hall.
Even with an improved roster, Chicago is still expected to be outside of the playoffs this season. Johnson has the perfect age, contract, and versatility to be moved at this year’s trade deadline. He’d be a great third-line scoring option for the Penguins who could challenge for some power play time, like the previous players listed.
Like San Jose and Arizona, Dubas has an established relationship with Chicago’s front office and specifically, general manager Kyle Davidson. I wouldn’t be surprised to see those two deal together again.
F Anthony Beauvillier, VAN
Beauvillier is younger than the other players mentioned, but I still think he could be a target for the Penguins. The Canucks acquired him from the New York Islanders in that midseason trade last January that sent C Bo Horvat to Long Island. Beauvillier scored many big goals for the Islanders against the Penguins, so it would be interesting to see the fan base’s reaction to him being brought in.
The 26-year-old has played nearly 500 games already in the NHL. While only surpassing the 20-goal plateau once, he has scored 18+ goals four times across his seven NHL seasons. He’s not as big of an offensive threat as those previously mentioned, but he does have more offensive skill than those who currently occupy the bottom six, and he has room to grow.
Beauvillier has played both wings in his career and was a part of both Islanders teams that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons. His playoff point production is higher than his regular season rate, which the Penguins know all too well.
You may be thinking, how does Kyle Dubas have a connection to the Vancouver front office? Well, he doesn’t (as far as I know), but that’s ok. Currently running things in British Columbia are two former longtime Penguins executives, Patrik Allvin, and Jim Rutherford.
Beauvillier is in the final year of his contract which pays him $4.15 million. The Canucks have all three salary retention slots available, so his cap hit could potentially be brought down to as low as $2.075 million.
I don’t want to jump the gun or anything, but the potential issues with the Penguins are evident. This team, top to bottom, is all in on winning, as the days of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and now Erik Karlsson are soon coming to an end. In order to win in the playoffs, you need players further down the lineup to score big goals. Right now, I’m not confident that the group, as assembled, can do that beyond the top six forwards. Any of these five players can help fix that area of weakness for the team, and help make them a serious contender come playoff time.
When the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, general manager Jim Rutherford wasn’t afraid to make impulse trades to improve his team’s chances mid-season. Dubas may need to be just as trigger-happy as Rutherford in order to bring another Cup to the Steel City soon.
