With the NHL trade deadline less than a month away, rumors continue to swirl league wide on who might be dealt in the coming weeks. One of the teams perennially at the forefront of trade rumors heading into the deadline is the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the rumors are heating up.
For the Penguins the seemingly never ending quest to add scoring punch to their top two lines is once again the hot topic, and though Pens GM Jim Rutherford was able to add a capable scorer in David Perron from the Oilers last month, it seems that the Pens could still be in the market for a top-six forward.
Though Winnipeg’s Evander Kane is getting much of the attention as a trade target, the reality is the asking price for the disgruntled Jet is going to be through the roof. Others seem to want to go the nostalgic route, and hope that bringing back the soon to be 43-year-old Jaromir Jagr for a significantly less asking price could give the Pens a needed offensive boost.
It would be crazy not to want a player of Kane’s caliber in a Pens uniform, and Jagr back with the Pens would make for one heck of a story, but another possible trade target that could help the Penguins down the stretch is Buffalo Sabres power forward Chris Stewart.
Stewart has been rumored to be a trade target of the Pens in the past, and his combination of size, toughness and scoring touch make him an intriguing option. What’s more, unlike Kane, the asking price for a player like Stewart is not going to be nearly as high. With the Sabres in full rebuilding mode and looking to better their chances in the Connor McDavid sweepstakes, Stewart is almost certain to be moved before the March 2nd trade deadline.
Additionally, Stewart is in the final year of his deal, meaning the Penguins can essentially bring the streaky forward in as a rental for their playoff push.
The biggest question when it comes to Stewart is will he be more of the player we saw in Colorado and early on in St. Louis, where he was able to put together back-to-back 28-goal seasons in the 09-10 and 10-11 campaigns? Or, will the Pens be acquiring a player who has not broken the 20-goal plateau in the past three seasons and has a reputation for disappearing for long stretches at a time?
Stewart has languished in Buffalo, putting up a dreadful line of nine goals, nine assists and a miserable -28 rating in 49 games this season. To be fair, it would be hard for any player to succeed in Buffalo at the moment, and pairing Stewart on a line with let’s say, Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist might break him out of his nightmare of a season.
Of late, Stewart seems motivated to prove he is worthy of being dealt for, chipping in four goals in his last five games. Add his impending UFA status this off-season, and a potential lucrative contract might be even more reason to think Stewart will be ready to contribute.
Clearly other teams will have interest in a hard-nosed power forward who can not only score, but also drop the gloves and add a physical edge to a lineup. One of those teams rumored to have serious interest in Stewart is the Boston Bruins, and there is speculation that they might be willing to deal one of their top prospects to get a deal done.
Will the Penguins do the same? Could a package that included Beau Bennett and a prospect or draft pick be enough to get a deal in place? Another potential hurdle is the Penguins precarious cap situation. With just under $1 million left to work with under the cap, the Pens might have to be creative in order to acquire Stewart and absorb the remainder of his $4.15 million contract.
With a little creativity, it’s certainly doable, and if the Penguins are looking for size, toughness and scoring touch for their top-six forward group, Stewart could be a short-term solution for a Stanley Cup run this season.
