5 Young And Exciting Penguins Trade Targets This Offseason

Danila Yurov would be an interesting acquisition. He is a 22 year old left handed forward from Russia. The Minnesota Wild selected him with the 24th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Last season, he centered the Wild’s third line while playing next to Vladimir Tarasenko in his first year in the NHL. In 73 games, Yurov posted 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points. If Minnesota is willing to move off of him, Dubas should be on the phone. Yurov will likely be the easiest player on this list to acquire. 

4. Jack Quinn

After the season that the Buffalo Sabres just had, it could be tough to get them to move their pieces, but it couldn’t hurt to try. Jack Quinn turns 25 in September and he could be a big addition in Pittsburgh. Quinn was the eighth overall pick in 2020 and he has played games in the NHL for the last five seasons. He hit his stride last year playing alongside Jason Zucker and Konsta Helenius when he registered 20 goals and 31 assists for 51 points. In the playoffs, Quinn scored two goals and notched five assists in 13 games. He will be a restricted free agent after next season, and he will look great in black and yellow. 

3. Dawson Mercer

Trading for a player in the division could be weird, but Dawson Mercer would be an awesome addition. He’s a restricted free agent after next season, but he is coming off of a season that saw him score 20 goals and add 22 assists for 42 points in New Jersey. Mercer has played 82 games in all five of his NHL seasons, proving that his availability is bulletproof. Back in 2022, he posted a career best 27 goals and 56 points and he has never had less than 33 points in a season. As a member of the Penguins, he would see his old team often. 

2. Mason McTavish

The Anaheim Ducks are another team that could be tough to do business with, but it’s worth a call for Mason McTavish. He makes $7 million per year and is locked up until 2031. Last season, he played 75 games and had 17 goals and 24 assists for 41 points before he put up one goal and five assists in 10 playoff games. In 2024, he gathered a career high 22 goals and 30 assists for 52 points. He centered Anaheim’s third line last season, but he would look great on Pittsburgh’s second line next year. It would take major assets to get him, but it could be worth it. 

1. Shane Wright

Shane Wright is a player who is rotting in Seattle. He’s a 22-year-old, right-handed center who can thrive in the right situation. Over his two seasons as a consistent NHLer, Wright has posted 31 goals and 40 assists for 71 points in 153 games. At $4 million per season, he would be a steal until his contract runs out in 2028. Wright was the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft behind Juraj Slafkovsky, Simon Nemec, and Pittsburgh native Logan Cooley. Things haven’t worked out perfectly for him with the Seattle Kraken, but a change of scenery would do him well. 

End Of My Pittsburgh Penguins Rant

After watching Dubas’ end of season press conference, it became clear that he wasn’t going to make any out-of-pocket moves this offseason that could hurt the team down the line. Instead, it appeared that he would continue to opt for safer moves that could provide high upside for the Penguins’ future. All the players on this list are worth the lottery ticket. Some of them haven’t worked out perfectly in their situation, but sometimes all a player needs is a change of scenery to explode into their full potential. Pittsburgh has a bundle of draft picks that they can move in trades.