NHLTR: Penguins and Blackhawks talking loaded trade

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been chomped on by the injury bug this season, but that's not going to change their end goal - win the Stanley Cup.

According to sources connected to Pens' GM, Jim Rutherford, the Penguins were in contact with the Chicago Blackhawks before the Christmas break regarding a deal centered around Brandon Saad for Alex Galchenyuk, Jack Johnson and a draft pick.

The talks have since stalled as Saad went down with an ankle injury, but you can expect these two teams to have dialogue once everyone is healthy. Some insiders feel Pittsburgh could also be a new home for veteran Duncan Keith who was approached by the Hawks about accepting a deal.

The ball is in Keith's court if he wants to be moved out of the windy city, however, Galchenyuk and Saad do not have any trade protection.

Saad has struggled this season, with only 11 goals and 19 points in 36 games, while 'Gally' has only 4 goals and 13 points in 30 games. The deal would give both players a change of scenery but also give the Blackhawks a chance to free up some cap space this summer if they chose to not sign Galchenyuk to an extension.

More to come as these two teams will be fun to watch as we close in on the trade deadline.