Penguins Trade Targets: 4 RFA D-Men to Watch

“We’re going to have to continue to amass more and more of our own young players, whether it’s through development, trade, draft, etc., which we’ll do that naturally,” — Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas.

The great offseason quest. In addition to shining a bright bat signal in the Pittsburgh sky to attract an impact player in his later 20s, Dubas is also pushing for more players in their early and mid-20s who can both help the Penguins immediately but become part of the team’s future, too.

This NHL offseason is coming into focus as potentially unique because despite the salary cap spike to over $104 million, there remains a gaggle of talented restricted free agents, some at the top end of the salary scale, and another handful of RFA defensemen who have not yet put their names on new contracts, either.

Last season, the league had the opposite problem, and it sucked the fun out of the circus that is the free agent frenzy on July 1 as it seemed every free agent both restricted and unrestricted was quickly signed until only a few remained.

This summer, there will be a shallow free agent pool, but with one month to go until teams can make offers, there are a handful of young RFA defensemen who could hit the trade block instead of signing, including a pair in Anaheim.

The interesting thing about Anaheim is the belief in hockey circles that GM Pat Verbeek will play hardball with his defensemen, much like he did with center Mason McTavish last year before the GM buckled and dished a well-paying six-year contract worth $42 million.

Also, Sunday, PHN did a full analysis of potential trade costs. Read it here.

4 RFA Defensemen Trade Targets

In no particular order, the handful have had ups and downs, but with only exception are trending downward with their current team.

4. Simon Nemec, RHD, New Jersey Devils

The did he or didn’t he request a trade question is moot. New Jersey has significant needs while they still have a young core under control. They remain so close to contending, yet seemingly so far.

Nemec, 22, has struggled with New Jersey, putting up only 26 points (11-15-26) in 68 games this season. However, the righty was a player reborn for Slovakia in the Olympics, and looked like a top-pair defenseman.

Is he being miscast in New Jersey or were the Olympics a mirage?

Trade Cost: Not cheap. Just because Nemec might benefit from a change in scenery (our colleague James Nichols definitively reported he did not ask out, but remains a potential New Jersey trade chip), does not mean new New Jersey GM Sunny Mehta will roll over. Especially because he is new, Mehta can’t bend on this one.

Full boat or no deal.

Based on the recent history of similar trades, Nemec would more than likely cost a first-round pick and an additional asset, or a straight hockey trade with equal value. But in deference to New Jersey’s immediate roster needs, this trade could break the mold by including a veteran player.

Penguins Potential: This makes little sense for the Penguins at the moment because the Penguins’ right side would seem to be full with Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, and either Harrison Brunicke or Jack St. Ivany. However, moments can change quickly.

3. Pavel Mintyukov, LHD, Anaheim Ducks

There were whispers of a possible trade this season. However, the talented 22-year-old blue liner established himself, or at least did so ahead of his direct roster competition. Mintyukov is projected as an offensive defenseman with speed and the ability to play on the rush, but the 6-foot-1, 207-pounder has yet to seize his potential.

Unfortunately for Mintyukov, 22, his third full NHL season was not statistically better than his first two, and his offensive totals were otherwise pedestrian. Mintyukov had just 22 points (8-14-22), with 112 blocks and only 17 penalty minutes, but was shut out in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Anaheim has plenty of cap space this summer ($38 million), so money won’t be an issue, though one might wonder if the relatively small-market Anaheim franchise will be one of the teams which is unable to spend to the cap.

On the financial ledger, AFP projects Mintyukov to get $6 million on a longer term deal or about $3.4 million on a bridge deal.

Trade cost: This is a tough call. Is he worth a first-rounder? If Anaheim chooses to trade him, an acquiring team might get a few groans from league circles and fans if they give up that first-rounder, but probably no criticism.

Perhaps their first playoff appearance since 2017-18, and their first series win since 2017-17 has wet Anaheim’s appetite for winning, and they would be more amendable to a hockey trade.

Penguins’ potential: If there’s one RFA defenseman who makes sense, Mintyukov is it. His blend of skills and speed fit with Dubas’s traditional acquisitions. His lefty stick is what the Penguins need, at least if they’re not going to re-sign Ryan Shea, and his speedy offensive potential fits the Penguins’ DNA.

If contract negotiations are not going well, the Penguins would do well here.

The Healthy Scratches

The pair of RFAs who were healthy scratches in the playoffs and late in the season are Michael Kesselring, RHD, of the Buffalo Sabres, and Owen Zellweger, LHD, of the Anaheim Ducks.

Kesselring is a physical specimen. He’s 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, and the advanced NHL EDGE stats place his skating burst in the 96th percentile. Yes, he can move. However, his offensive instincts are secondary to his defensive game, as evidenced by only two assists in 34 games this season.

Kesselring, 26, is a righty, which makes him an unlikely Penguins target unless things change. Pointedly, he’s on the list because he is a prime reclamation project, who could be a gold mine for an acquiring team. He certainly would not command a first-round pick or anything close.

Zellweger, 22, is in the beginning stages of his career. He’s a plucky ball of motion, but is just 5-foot-10, 193 pounds, and Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville served him press box nachos in the postseason.

Anaheim is full up on the left side, and one of Mintyukov or Zellweger could be traded. Zellweger had 22 points this season in 76 games and figures to be the more affordable of the two. If Dubas and scouts saw enough from Zellweger, who has put up bigger points in the AHL (In 2023-24, he had 37 points in 44 games), his skating and energy make him a good Dubas target, though unworthy of a first-round pick.

The post Penguins Trade Targets: 4 RFA D-Men to Watch appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now.

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