Sportsnet 590 The FAN: Shayna Goldman on the Jeff Marek Show when asked if the Pittsburgh Penguins 2024 first-round pick ends up being protected (top 10), should the Penguins consider sending it to the San Jose Sharks as opposed to giving up their non-protected 2025 first-round pick.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Marek: “Kyle Dubis, General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins has a decision on the horizon here. Now it may be moot if they fall out of the top 10. But as it stands right now, the Pittsburgh Penguins are in 25th.
The top 10, the first-round pick that goes to the San Jose Sharks in the Erik Karlsson deal is top 10 protected. But they can either surrender it or they can keep the pick. It’s a difficult conversation for Pittsburgh Penguins, certainly.
NHL Rumors: Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Ottawa Senators
But if you’re, if you’re Kyle Dubis given what’s on the horizon for the Pittsburgh Penguins, what do you do? Like play General Manager here Shayna. You’re the Penguins GM all of a sudden right now, boom. What do you do with that pick if it’s in the top 10?
Goldeman: “Okay, so if I’m entering my little pay and I am Kyle Dubas right now, I am surrendering the pick. I’m surrendering it.
Here’s the thing, unless you’re drafting (Macklin) Celebrini, you’re not getting a player that’s going to help you right now. And that’s what you have to figure out. Do you have any chances of helping yourself right now or is this it for the Penguins. And some of it does depend on Sidney Crosby this summer, but I, I don’t think that the draft pick is going to affect the next two years unless they’re getting a first or second-overall pick.
I surrender the pic right now and I have the next one at my disposal to either draft someone who can be the next great game-breaker of the Pittsburgh Penguins or depending on how things go maybe all of a sudden they get this puck luck they’ve been missing this year. And all of a sudden things start coming together for them and Crosby continues to turn back the clock. Because we know aging curves, you know player declines as they age, but someone like Crosby is at such a high level that his you know, aged-out level is still above average.
NHL Rumors: The Direction of Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins
You have that first-round pick to maybe make a move with it. And yes, you’re digging yourself a hole but you’re still accomplishing that near term goal of getting Crosby and this crew one more Cup. So I think there’s an argument to keep the 2025 pick and, and go from there.
