4 Trade Targets That Make Sense For Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins accomplished two things this past season: Getting Sidney Crosby another run at the Stanley Cup playoffs (though it was a short run), while continuing their search for younger pieces for the future (see: Chinakhov, Egor).

GM Kyle Dubas will continue to try to straddle that delicate line again this summer. And to that end, Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now has suggested four young players that Dubas can try to acquire over the next couple of months.

We'll start up front, then head to the back line.

Brad Lambert, 22, Winnipeg Jets

Despite being a first-round pick (30th overall, 2022), Lambert has made very few inroads in Winnipeg over the last three years. He's played a total of just 31 games in that time, 25 of them this past season. But even then, he was only able to get on the ice for less than 11 minutes a night, while registering three goals and six points.

But the Finnish center played a big role in his one junior season on this side of the pond, with 17 goals and 38 points in 26 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2022-23. He posted another 26 points in 17 playoff games in helping the team to a WHL title.

"He’s not happy with Winnipeg and the team isn’t necessarily enamored with him," writes Kingerski. "The speedy forward could find work on the Penguins’ third line, and from there, see what happens."

Shane Wright, 22, Seattle Kraken

Wright was the subject of trade rumors back at the deadline, after a slow start to the season. The Kraken held onto the former 4th overall selection (2022), but it got even slower for him as the season progressed. Wright managed just one goal and five points in 18 post-All-Star Break games. He finished the season with just 12 markers and 27 points, both down significantly from his 19-goal, 44-point rookie season the year before.

As Kingerski notes, "Wright is a prime candidate to be the next Egor Chinakhov."

Mason Lohrei, 25, Boston Bruins

Lohrei has three nearly full seasons under his belt with the Bruins and has one year remaining on his two-year deal, though it comes with a $3.2 million cap hit. The left-shot D-man saw his ice-time reduced by two-and-a-half minutes this past season, to 16:54 a night, though he still produced 26 points and demonstrated some solid skating and puck-moving skills, as Kingerski notes.

He also increased his plus/minus rating by a whopping 60 goals this past year—from a -43 in 2024-25, to a +17 this season. Kingerski suggests that some of that could be attributed to playing more "sheltered" minutes.

Nevertheless, grabbing a 6'5" defender with mobility and offensive upside would be a Dubas-like move, that might cost a second-round pick.

Pavel Mintyukov, 22, Anaheim Ducks

The Russian blueliner was not a happy camper earlier this season in Anaheim after some healthy scratches, even expressing a desire to be traded if his playing time and role didn't improve.

Things did improve somewhat in the second half, and the former 10th overall pick (2022) logged close to 20 minutes a night from January onwards. But he's an RFA this summer, and his future on the Ducks' blueline is still up in the air.

"Mintyukov has good wheels and could be a dynamic defenseman with his offensive skills," writes Kingerski. "Anaheim has more options on their blue line, which is about to get more crowded with other youngsters joining the mix."

There could be a golden opportunity to pounce here for Dubas.