Kris Russell

Trade deadline outlook: Pittsburgh Penguins

Published Feb. 24, 2016 10:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Buyers or Sellers?

The Pittsburgh Penguins haven't been shy about trading prior to the deadline, as the team acquired speedy forward Carl Hagelin (Anaheim Ducks) and veteran defenseman Trevor Daley (Chicago Blackhawks) in separate deals.

With a bid for their 10th straight postseason appearance hanging in the balance, the Penguins (30-20-8) likely will be buyers prior to the trade deadline - well, with a limited budget.

Pittsburgh reportedly has approximately $2 million in salary-cap space, thereby likely preventing general manager Jim Rutherford from making a significant move in the coming week. For his part, Rutherford has told reporters that the team plans to be a bit more cautious about reeling in "rentals" than in previous years.

Prospects are at the premium for the Penguins, who parted ways with their first-round pick in last summer's blockbuster deal to acquire five-time 30-goal scorer Phil Kessel.

Team Needs

Pittsburgh, it seems, is always searching for a defenseman to help the offensive-minded Kris Letang (team-leading 36 assists) - although the club received an upgrade in sending Rob Scuderi to Chicago for Daley in December. The Penguins could toss their chips at one of few key blue-liners presumed to be available for trade.

Should Pittsburgh fail to land a defenseman, a speedy forward is a spot long coveted by Rutherford. With Evgeni Malkin dealing with a nagging lower-body injury as well as bottom-six forwards Eric Fehr (lower body) and Nick Bonino (upper body) also dinged, the Penguins would be wise to consider adding to their depth up front.

Key Players

Kris Russell

While Rutherford has connected on both trades this season, he swung and missed with his trust that Ian Cole and Ben Lovejoy would provide some sort of answer on defense.

Blue-liner Roman Polak was traded to San Jose on Monday, thus leaving the Penguins likely to shift their attention to the Calgary Flames blue-liner. The 28-year-old Russell is sought after by plenty of suitors and could be acquired if Pittsburgh is willing to deal one of its promising prospects from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Dan Hamhuis

Should the Penguins fail to snag Russell, perhaps the Vancouver Canucks veteran defenseman could be part of the solution in the Steel City. While the 33-year-old Hamhuis has a lot of mileage on the odometer, he likely can be acquired at a reasonable price to provide depth on the blue line. That scenario is just fine in the eyes of the Penguins.

Mikkel Boedker

Boedker's speed is appreciated by Pittsburgh, but his name has been a popular one in NHL circles with the deadline approaching. All in all, acquiring the 26-year-old unrestricted free agent may be too costly for the Penguins.