The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the teams battling for a wild card spot, well behind the division leaders. That doesn’t scream Stanley Cup contender, but as they’ve said many times before, as long as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malking, and Kris Letang are in town, it’s a win-now year. Things are no different this season for general manager Ron Hextall, who spoke with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic over the weekend, and admitted the Penguins would “like to add for sure” if they can find the right fit.
Improving the team is the goal, and LeBrun writes that it is bottom-six forwards and depth scoring that Pittsburgh is looking for at the moment. That makes sense, given how disappointing players like Kasperi Kapanen, Danton Heinen, and even Jeff Carter have been this season. That trio has combined for just 20 goals, a mark that Crosby, Malkin, Jake Guentzel, and Rickard Rakell have all eclipsed individually.
The Penguins are already without their third and fourth-round picks for this year but own New Jersey’s third and have their first and second to play with. Other than draft selections, though, the cupboard is pretty bare.