With General Manager Ron Hextall insisting he’s not willing to trade his first round pick in the 2023 draft at this spring’s NHL Trade Deadline, and a minimal amount of salary cap space, Penguins fans are wondering: Can any kind of great return be expected before 3pm on March 3rd?
With Bo Horvat and Vladimir Tarasenko already off the market – and now on Metro Division rosters, no less – it may not be realistic to expect Hextall to outbid the competition for the biggest target on the market right now, in San Jose’s Timo Meier.
What about one of Meier’s teammates, though?
Would former Penguin Nick Bonino make sense?
Sheng Peng, Sharks Insider for SJHockeyNow, told Chris Mack on “Fifth Avenue Faceoff” that the 34-year old two-time Stanley Cup champion could be had for a mid-round draft pick for a team interested in bolstering their bottom six.
“I think Bonino still leads the league in shot blocking for forwards. He still can contribute. He is still a great leader,” said Peng.
“I don’t think the Sharks would be asking for too much. Are you willing to give maybe a 4th Round pick?”
Bonino was a fan favorite during the Penguins’ last two Stanley Cup runs in 2016 & 2017, due in no small part to the ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ Punjabi call of his game winning goal in Game One of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final that went viral.
Debate continues over just what the Pens should be prioritizing at the deadline. A strong second goaltender to provide more consistency than current back-up Casey DeSmith? More defensive depth? A top flight winger to bolster offensive production and slide Jason Zucker or even Bryan Rust into a third line role? Or the gritty, two-way ability of a third line center like Bonino, Chicago's Max Domi?
What isn’t being debated amongst Pens fans though, is whether Hextall should get in to gear sooner rather than later.