Penguins coach wants Jakob Chychrun?
Rob Rossi of The Athletic: Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan wants GM Ron Hextall to trade for defenseman Jakob Chychrun.
Two sources are saying Arizona Coyotes asked for the Penguins 2025 and 2026 first-round picks in a package but Hextall balked at the idea.
NHL Rumors: Pittsburgh Penguins – Jeff Petry, and the need to get creative
The sources said that Hextall doesn’t want to trade any future first-round picks at the deadline.
- Pierre LeBrun: Have been hearing that the Penguins have spoken with the Arizona Coyotes on multiple occasions.
Chychrun would fit nicely beside Kris Letang. He carries a $4.6 million cap hit for two more seasons. The Penguins would need the Coyotes to retain salary, send a salary back or find another way to move salary.
The Penguins haven’t been able to activate Jan Rutta because they don’t have the cap space. The Pens had been shopping Kasperi Kapanen.
Adam Gretz: “At this point I fully understand not wanting to trade future picks for a rental for this team, but Chychrun is the exact type of player that would be perfect to deal for. He is still in his prime, he is signed long-term at a crazy cheap rate for what he provides.”
NHL Rumors: Jakob Chychrun – Senators, Kings, Blue Jackets and Blues
Kasperi Kapanen to waivers
Pittsburgh Penguins: Coach Mike Sullivan on Kasperi Kapanen being put on waivers: “When a team doesn’t live up to expectations, change is inevitable – that’s part of it. Kappy is a really talented player. To a certain extent, it’s on all of us because we didn’t find a way to maximize his potential.”
Jay Zawaski: Sources say that if the Pittsburgh Penguins were to offer the Chicago Blackhawks a Nikita Zaitsev-type offer for Kasperi Kapanen, they take him off their hands. The Penguins are needing some cap flexibility this year and next.
Kapanen has 1 year remaining @ $3.2M Cap Hit. If clears waivers & sent down, #LetsGoPens save $1.125M of cap hit.
To activate Rutta from LTIR, they need to clear $1.44M, so they would need to send 1 additional player down if Kapanen clears & sent downhttps://t.co/UXcXzCIfCt https://t.co/ztnflx5TvP pic.twitter.com/fDLguHmjvN— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) February 24, 2023
Finally at home. As you already know, Kasperi Kapanen from the Pittsburgh Penguins has been placed on waivers. As some fans said, he’s not a TOP6 winger and he’s also terrible defensively. Hard to find good place in the line-up for this player. pic.twitter.com/7wfw3wwqGI
— Andy & Rono (@ARHockeyStats) February 24, 2023