3 Pittsburgh Penguins 2023 Trade Assets

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall is expected to make multiple trades ahead of the March 3 trade deadline as the Pens are barely hanging onto a Stanley Cup Playoff position in the Eastern Conference. Hextall has a few different areas of his hockey team he'd like to upgrade and here's who could be heading out to do so:

Teddy Blueger

There's been multiple reports of Blueger being available out of Pittsburgh as the fourth-line center makes $2.2 million and has only registered one goal on the season. He's a defensive minded pivot who can play a shut-down role when he's at his best. There's been rumors about the Edmonton Oilers being interested, the same could likely be said for the Seattle Kraken.

Ty Smith

The young defenseman is back in the AHL after a nine-game stint with the big club which saw Smith put up four points. He's recorded 14 points in 26 AHL games this season and has shown in the past as a member of the New Jersey Devils, he's able to be a top-four offensive defenseman. Smith recorded 23 points in 48 games as a rookie and at 22 years old still holds a tremendous amount of trade value.

Valterri Puustinen

The former seventh-round pick is only 5'9 however he's as craft as they come and has been putting on a show in the AHL this season. Puustinen has recorded 32 points in 39 games this season and at 23 years old only has one game of NHL experience under his belt. Certainly a bit of a project, however with the offensive numbers he's putting up, there's some trade value still left in Pusstinen's tank. Look for Hextall to try and move these three players as the Pens look to upgrade on defense and perhaps in net.