Pittsburgh Penguins with Depth Addition from Detroit Red Wings

Penguins Trade for Elmer Soderblom on Deadline Day

Soderblom stands at 6’8″, and that is without skates. What he lacks in production, he more than makes up for in size. A change of scenery would likely help this player. In 2025-26, he only has two goals and one assist, in 39 games played. However, his numbers throughout the rest of his career are a little more positive. In 86 career NHL games, he does have a total of 11 goals and 11 assists. So, maybe a trade would create more rhythm for the big, Swedish forward, from a performance standpoint.

What Does this Trade Mean?

General manager Kyle Dubas has been savvy. On paper, from the beginning of the season, it may have been a surprise that his team is competitive, but they are, there’s no mistaking that fact. However, it is possible they don’t want to mess with team chemistry, too much.

With guys like Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha playing key roles for Pittsburgh, it seems Soderblom kind of fits that mold. Pittsburgh is sitting fairly comfy, with around a 78% chance of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs, according to MoneyPuck. Therefore, adding more of the same of what has got you there, would seem to be a solid idea.

For Detroit, this was a good deal to ship someone out, who hadn’t been playing a significant role. For a team in a playoff race, it is almost better to stick with the guys who have been playing, and playing well. That is not to mention that David Perron was just acquired yesterday by general manager Steve Yzerman and crew. That likely freed up the spot in the roster, for Yzerman to move on from Soderblom. Also, acquiring a draft asset, was a nice move by Yzerman. All-in-all, this should be a mutually beneficial transaction.