6 Penguins' Storylines To Watch During Trade Deadline Week

At long last, the NHL trade deadline is just four days away, which also means the league's most chaotic and exciting time during the regular season has finally arrived.

And the Pittsburgh Penguins figure to be one of the most interesting teams ahead of the 3:00 p.m. deadline on Mar. 6. 

Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has done a masterful job so far this season, as his offseason signings, trade pickups, and draft prospects - as well as some in-season acquisitions - have led to Pittsburgh being a top-six team in the NHL. They currently sit second in the Metropolitan Division and are fifth in the league in goal differential at plus-30.

In other words, the Penguins may just be contenders, but they could be even more so once that deadline passes. Dubas has a careful line to walk between continuing to prioritize the long-term and putting his chips on the table for a run this season with a legitimately good hockey team.

Here are six Penguins' storylines to keep an eye on during trade deadline week.

Will the Penguins keep Stuart Skinner?

When thinking about where the Penguins' goaltending situation was just a few months ago, no one could have imagined they'd be making a legitimate playoff push with two goaltenders playing lights-out.

But, that's what has happened. Skinner was brought to Pittsburgh as part of the Tristan Jarry trade in mid-December, and he has been more than serviceable since. Aside from a few outlier bad performances that skew his numbers down a bit - overall, he is 8-4-2 with an .890 save percentage with the Penguins - the 27-year-old has proven to be just as valuable, if not more valuable, as Jarry was in a Penguins' uniform this season.

Second shutout of the season, .981 save percentage, and 2-0-0 over the week? That’s our kind of Arty party 🎊

Congrats to Arturs Silovs on being named @NHL Second Star of the Week!

Details: https://t.co/Ncim54kgMLpic.twitter.com/GcDX64RJVL

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 2, 2026

However, with Arturs Silovs beginning to pull away from Skinner a bit in terms of performance - Silovs has a whopping .936 save percentage over his last nine appearances and has a track record of performing well in high-stakes situations - Skinner, who is on an expiring contract, could end up being the backup down the stretch.

If that's the case, will the Penguins bite on a trade if the price is right? Skinner is likely to be the top goaltending option on the market, and they have some strong AHL depth in Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist.

It's certainly a risk rolling with two young, inexperienced goaltenders as opposed to having a veteran with ample playoff experience, so Dubas and the Penguins may have a tough decision ahead of them.

NHL Rumors: Penguins Goalie On New Trade BoardThis Penguins goalie has been named a trade candidate to watch.

With Crosby out, will the Penguins target a depth center?

This will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow, as Crosby is expected to miss approximately three more weeks with a lower-body injury, and his team has the NHL's most difficult schedule for the remainder of the season.

So far, scoring hasn't proven to be much of an issue for the Penguins without Crosby. However, faceoffs certainly have been.

We'll circle back to this, but it will be interesting to see how the Penguins approach this situation. They do have two capable younger centers in Tristan Broz and Filip Hallander - barring his health - who should be able to help offset at least some of it. But depth never hurts, especially when that depth serves to improve the team overall. And the best bet at acquiring the best depth is in the trade market. 

So, it will be interesting to monitor whether or not the center depth on the roster - especially without Evgeni Malkin manning the middle - looks like it could use a boost in the two games the Penguins have remaining prior to the deadline.

5 Centers Penguins Should Target In Trade MarketThe Pittsburgh Penguins, currently in playoff position and without Sidney Crosby, may look to add a viable center option at the NHL trade deadline.

Will Evgeni Malkin sign before the trade deadline?

It was reported by Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now on Saturday that Malkin would meet with Dubas early this week, which follows Malkin saying in a postgame interview after a 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Rangers that they wouldn't meet until the offseason.

Of course, no one in their right mind actually believes that Malkin is going to be anywhere but Pittsburgh for the remainder of the season. However, it sure would bring some peace of mind to Penguins' faithful if Dubas and the team show priority to their 39-year-old future hall-of-famer, who is having his best season in several years with 13 goals and 47 points in 44 games. 

DAD STRENGTH FROM CHINNY! pic.twitter.com/J5dUoK9cn5

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 27, 2026

Malkin has also developed ridiculous chemistry with winger Egor Chinakhov, who was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in late December and has 10 goals in 21 games since - more than anyone else on the Penguins since his arrival and half of which have primary assists credited to Malkin. 

Many feel Malkin has earned another season with the Penguins, and folks will be anxious to hear about how that meeting with Dubas goes down. 

Could Egor Chinakhov Help Extend Malkin's Career?There has been a whole lot going right for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> during the 2025-26 season, and much of it can be credited to the work of general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas.&nbsp;

Is defensive depth still a priority?

The Penguins have already done a fair bit of tinkering on their blue line during the season, as they buried Matt Dumba in the AHL, acquired Ilya Solovyov, and acquired Brett Kulak then traded him for Samuel Girard. 

Something they could still use? A young blueliner with higher upside, whether that's on the left or right side. Harrison Brunicke, a right-side d-man, has to play out the rest of his WHL season before becoming a young depth option for the Penguins again, and that won't be until April. 

Of course, the Penguins have some options in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) should someone go down, including Dumba, Owen Pickering, Alex Alexeyev, and Finn Harding. But if they want a young defenseman who can make an impact on the NHL roster now, they're likely not within the organization already. 

Heading into this season, a priority outlined by Dubas was improvement on the left side. Well, Parker Wotherspoon and Ryan Shea have both been good for the Penguins this season, and whoever has been in that other slot has been good enough. Still, it will be interesting to see if Dubas targets a younger blueliner with promise along the lines of Braeden Schneider (Rangers) or Pavel Mintyukov (Anaheim Ducks), if available.

5 Defensemen Penguins Should Target At Trade DeadlineThe Pittsburgh Penguins are in solid playoff position during the Olympic break - and they could look to add a depth defenseman by the trade deadline

Will there be any selling at all?

Given the Penguins' place in the standings - and the fact that they already have more high-value draft capital (and more draft capital, period) than any other team in hockey - it's unlikely that Dubas is going to sell big at the deadline, even if he could receive fairly significant value in return for some of his better assets.

That said, it doesn't mean a "max value hockey trade" won't happen. 

Mo magic 🪄 pic.twitter.com/9F1tq4kBN3

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 28, 2026

Names like Skinner's and Anthony Mantha's have popped up and have the attention of other teams, but in order for those guys to be moved, value would have to come the other way - simliar to the Kulak trade and the Jarry trade, where a guy playing the same position was part of the return along with draft capital (or a prospect).

However, Dubas needs to tread carefully here. Messing with the chemistry of a locker room on a team with a high degree of belief is a tricky thing, and sometimes, these kinds of moves backfire. 

Takeaways: Penguins Earn Resounding Victory Over Vegas On SundayThe Pittsburgh Penguins put forth one of their very best efforts of the season in a 5-0 rout of the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.

Will Dubas go big?

Now, this is the money question. 

Obviously, "going big" - like selling - typically requires one or more pieces on your NHL roster or a high-value prospect going the other way in addition to high-value draft capital, which the Penguins do have. The discourse on trading their first-round pick this season comes with mixed response, as the 2026 draft is deep, but the Penguins, at this point, will probably draft late in the first round and have two second-round picks.

But even if they were willing to give up their first-rounder and more to acquire an impact player, is this year's trade deadline the time to do it?

'Decent Chance' Blues Move Robert Thomas Ahead Of Trade Deadline, Per NHL InsiderSportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman says there is a "decent chance" that St. Louis Blues star center Robert Thomas gets moved ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline.

There are some intriguing names being thrown out there. Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson is one, as is Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright and St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas. If the Penguins make a big splash, it will be for a younger player or a player earlier in their prime, and they will want a younger player either with term or someone they will extend.

It's absolutely reasonable to think that Dubas will wait until the summer to go big, given the direction he is taking the team in the foreseeable future as well as the fact that he has already made a pretty big move with the Chinakhov acquisition. 

But, never say never. Dubas keeps his cards close to the vest, and given how good this Penguins' team is, he might just shoot higher than everyone expects. 

NHL Rumor Roundup: Updates On Trocheck, Pettersson And More Notable Trade CandidatesWith the March 6 NHL trade deadline fast approaching, there's plenty of buzz about the Rangers' Vincent Trocheck, the Blues' Robert Thomas, the Flames' Nazem Kadri, the Canucks' Elias Pettersson and more.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!