Hannah Feldbloom
As the Trade Deadline looms closer, I am focusing my eyes on the black and gold.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in a situation with too many good goalies. Casey deSmith is the only goaltender out of the tandem the Penguins played last season who is locked up. This may make it more difficult to trade for him, but if successful he would be a great backup with playoff experience. When the team plays well in front of Hutch, he’s good. During the game against the Islanders, he made some timely saves. However, when their defence sucks….yikes!
With this in mind, I am also leaning towards D-man Juuso Riikola. The Finnish blueliner (with a left-handed shot) doesn’t have many eye-catching stats in the NHL, but he’s been forced to play forward for most of this season due to injuries. And, now that former Oiler Justin Schultz is reported to be returning, it’s likely Riikola will be taking up space in the press box most nights.
Now is the hard part: What will the Toronto Maple Leafs give up?
In the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the Penguins lost their 4th-7ths pick so far. Many may scoff at 7th round picks but let’s try and remember where 2 times Stanley Cup Champ Patric Hornqvist was chosen (hint: Last!). Meanwhile, the Leafs so far only lose their first-round pick on a condition with the Hurricanes.
Maybe a Finn for a Swede? I know, I know, Liljegren, supposedly, has potential.