5 Forwards Penguins Should Pursue In Trade Market

Pittsburgh Penguins’ GM and POHO Kyle Dubas has been pretty active over the last few months in terms of trade activity.

And folks haven’t likely seen the end of it.

His most recent trade involved forward Philip Tomasino, a former first-round pick, who he acquired from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick. And other recent acquisitions – such as Cody Glass over the summer and Jesse Puljujarvi via free agency last winter – suggest that he is looking to buy low on younger players in hopes of squeezing some upside out of them.

With the Penguins near the bottom of the standings yet riding a three-game win streak that has put them just three points out of a playoff spot – and the organization’s desire to rebuild on-the-fly – there may be some other players who are worth taking a gamble on.

As it stands now, the Penguins have just over $2.5 million in cap space available. To add any forward, something to keep in mind is that they would have to subtract one as well, since their roster is already at 23-man capacity with Glass’s return from injured reserve imminent as well.

Here are five young forwards – three “buy-low” options, and two “go-bigger” options – that Dubas should consider adding to bolster the Penguins’ roster now and, potentially, looking ahead.

Buy-low: Nils Hoglander, LW – Vancouver Canucks

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has reported that there has been interest from the Penguins in Hoglander, and – interestingly enough – Vancouver is one of the teams that is reportedly interested in Penguins’ defenseman Marcus Pettersson.

Hoglander is in the second year of a two-year deal that pays him $1.1 million annually, and he already signed an extension for three years, $9 million that kicks in next season. For the upside that the left winger can provide – he is off to a slow start this season (two goals, five points in 23 games) but registered 24 goals and 36 points last season – his cap hit is low enough that he may be worth the risk.

Hoglander would be a low-risk, high-reward add for the Penguins and could be a fit on the second line alongside Evgeni Malkin and Tomasino. He could be part of a potential Pettersson trade, as the Canucks will likely look for some value in return.

Buy-low: Nicholas Robertson, LW – Toronto Maple Leafs

Here at THN – Pittsburgh, we’ve written about Robertson a few times. And we’re going to keep writing about him.

In fact, this situation is almost identical to the situation with Tomasino.

Tomasino is 23, had just one point in 11 games with the Predators, and is on a one-year deal that pays him $825,000 before he becomes a RFA this summer. He also, allegedly, had a relationship with the Predators that soured before his trade, and he registered 11 goals and 32 points in his first full NHL season before getting buried and falling off.

Robertson is 23, has just two goals for two points in 20 games with the Leafs, and is on a one-year deal that pays him $875,000 before he becomes a RFA this summer. He also has a rocky relationship with the Leafs – dating back to his trade request at the beginning of the summer – and he registered 14 goals and 27 points in 56 games in his first full-ish NHL season before getting buried and falling off.

This is literally almost a copy-and-paste situation that speaks for itself, and Dubas has history with Robertson, as he’s the one who drafted him. Like Tomasino, the Penguins’ GM should be all over this.

Buy-low(ish): Kaapo Kakko, RW – New York Rangers

This one would cost a bit more than the other two, but Kakko would be a solid add for the Penguins’ middle-six. He registered a career-high 18 goals and 40 points in a full 2022-23 season for the New York Rangers and followed that up with 13 goals and 19 points in 61 games in 2023-24.

This season? He has four goals and 13 points in 23 games – pacing 14 goals and 47 points – which is right around his career-high pace. He has some skills as a high-IQ playmaker and puck possession monster, and is a defensively responsible player with some size, which would be valuable to the Penguins in a second- or third-line role.

Kakko is signed at $2.4 million this season before becoming a RFA in 2025. And a trade may be feasible, considering the fact that the struggling Rangers are reportedly looking to the trade market for some of their players, including Kakko.

The Penguins would have to move out a contract through trade or waivers to make this work, but he would be a nice addition to their lineup. The Rangers may ask for a bit more than they’re comfortable with, however, so this is probably the least likely of the three options so far.

Go-big: Joel Farabee, LW – Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers are in the thick of the playoff race at the moment, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t willing to part ways with some players who they don’t consider part of their future.

And Farabee has struggled to find his footing this season.

The left wing has only three goals and eight points in 25 games. With the emergence of some other younger players in the Flyers’ lineup – as well as their desire to continue retooling – Farabee may still be on the trade block, as previously reported.

The 24-year-old Farabee had a career-high 22 goals and 50 points for the Flyers last season. He is in the third year of a six-year contract that pays him $5 million annually, so the Penguins would likely have to send something back to the Flyers since they are unlikely to retain.

But he is a smart, gritty, 200-foot player and could very well thrive in Mike Sullivan’s system. If the Penguins want to shoot higher, Farabee is a somewhat risky but high-upside option.

Go-big: Trevor Zegras, C – Anaheim Ducks

Like Farabee, Zegras has a bigger contract – he is signed through 2025-26 at $5.75 million AAV – and he may not figure to be part of the Anaheim Ducks’ longer-term rebuild plan, even though he’s, reportedly, making some progress with the Ducks from an organizational standpoint. He was injured for much of last season and has struggled so far in this one, collecting just four goals and 10 points in 23 games.

But Zegras is only 23, and he has shown some high-end promise in the past: He put up 46 goals and 126 points over 156 games in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons and has enough skill and playmaking ability to either center the Penguins’ second line or play on the left side of Malkin or Sidney Crosby.

It seems like Zegras has been involved in trade rumors forever because he has. A change of scenery may be the best thing for the young forward right now, and his high upside is a gamble worth taking – even with his salary – for the next two seasons.