On the Pittsburgh Penguins …
Mark Madden: “I don’t know w/what team or for what return, but I’m told Pens are very close to a trade but trigger wasn’t pulled due to Christmas moratorium on trades.”
Sportsnet: Hockey Night in Canada “Headlines”
Nick Kypreos said the Penguins continue to look for ways to possibly shake up their roster.
“One name that I do hear out there that is being bantered about is Kris Letang,” Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reported during the Headlines segment Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada.
Kypreos adds that they’d love to move out some salary and Letang could be one option to do so. He has four years left on his deal at $7.25 million per. The Penguins have shown they can win a Cup without him.
Elliotte Friedman adds that if the Penguins were going to trade Letang, they would likely want to get two forwards in a deal.
Pending UFA Ian Cole is also another potential trade option.
On the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres …
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Elliotte Friedman was on 630 CHED and was talking about the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres.
“Jason Botterill has made it very clear that they’re open for business,” said Friedman when asked about the Sabres.”I think there’s a few teams in on Evander Kane, there’s no question about that. He’s going to have a lot of interest. I think they’ve set a pretty high price too. I think we’ve talked about it before.”
adds that he thinks every Sabre could be available except Jack Eichel. If teams are interested in Sam Reinhart or Rasmus Ristolainen, the price will be big.
notes that Penguins GM Jim Rutherford likes to make moves before the trade deadline, and he thinks they are looking to do something big.
“He made a couple of small moves this week. But I do think we’re getting to the point sooner rather than later when Jim Rutherford goes out and says, ‘Alright, this is what we’re doing to win our third consecutive Stanley Cup.’ And I wouldn’t be surprised if Kane was a guy on their radar.”