The Penguins are making moves ahead of tomorrow’s NHL trade deadline, with general manager Ron Hextall making two deals yesterday. In a salary cap move, popular center Teddy Blueger was swapped to Las Vegas in exchange for minor league defenseman Peter DiLiberatore and a third round draft choice next year. Blueger is the team’s top penalty killer but has struggled offensively this season, with just two goals and eight assists.
A sixth round draft pick in 2018, DiLiberatore has never played in the NHL. He is not considered a prospect and hasn’t been able to stick in the American Hockey League, shuttling back and forth between the AHL and the ECHL this season.
Hextall also traded a second round pick in this year’s draft to Nashville for forward Mikael Granlund. The 31-year-old Granlund is a former first round draft pick of Minnesota who played parts of eight seasons for the Wild before being acquired by the Predators in the 2018-19 season. He has nine goals and 27 assists this season.
Both Brock McGinn and Mark Friedman cleared waivers yesterday and were assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
And the Pens yesterday signed defenseman Isaac Belliveau to a three-year entry level contract that will activate next season. The 2021 fifth round draft pick will be eligible to play for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton starting next fall.
On a three-game win streak, the Penguins play at Tampa Bay tonight. You’ll hear the game on U92 starting with the pregame at six o’clock.
NHL
The Arizona Coyotes traded defenseman Jakob Chychrun to Ottawa for a conditional Senators first round draft pick this year, a conditional second rounder next year, and a second rounder in 2026.
