The Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 NHL trade deadline.
After significant roster moves and other notable happenings, Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas answers one question via email from each media outlet in the Pittsburgh chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association for use by the whole group in coverage of breaking news about the Penguins.
Today, I’ll share the questions and Dubas’ responses about the trades he made Wednesday night. I’ll also give my perspective on what the Penguins’ hockey boss said — and what it could mean for the team now and in the future.
A quick recap: The Penguins made two trades late Wednesday.
In the first, the Penguins received a 2028 fifth-round draft pick from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Vincent Desharnais.
In the second, the Penguins received forward Tommy Novak and defenseman Luke Schenn from the Predators in exchange for forward Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round pick.
GO DEEPER
Yohe: One trade at a time, Kyle Dubas is showing his hand and committing to the future
For more details, check out this story and another one grading the bigger deal involving Bunting.
What was the motivation for the Nashville trade, especially given Luke Schenn’s age?
Dubas: We looked at the two trades in totality – Desharnais, Bunting and a pick for Novak, Schenn and a pick. The motivation being that Tommy was younger, under team control for an additional season over Bunts, carried a lower cap charge and is primarily a center – we felt that carried a large amount of value as we move ahead here with our plans. As for Luke, his experience, leadership, toughness, and spirit will be a major benefit to helping the Penguins maintain standards and support our existing core as they help to lead us through this phase in our program’s evolution.
My take: A major move on defense is coming, likely this summer.
The Penguins have two aging veterans with high cap hits, Erik Karlsson ($10 million) and Kris Letang ($6.1 million), and it doesn’t make sense to keep both given the franchise is no longer a contender to chase the Stanley Cup. Each player’s contract contains a full no-movement clause, and Dubas has said he generally does not prefer to ask players to waive those — but the Penguins were in a different spot, still trying to contend, when he first made that commitment publicly.
Schenn, who has one year remaining on his contract ($2.75 million cap hit), is 35 and, like Karlsson and Letang, a right-shot defenseman. He is a logical replacement — on and off the ice — if and when Dubas pulls the lever on trading Karlsson or Letang this offseason.
Did you acquire Luke Schenn with the intent to keep him beyond the trade deadline/summer?
Dubas: We moved Vinny to San Jose in lockstep with the Nashville trade because we feel that having Luke’s defensive play, character, leadership, toughness and spirit is something we need here to help push our program through this phase and preserve our culture and standards as we work to return to contention. We believe the way he plays and the way he carries himself each day will be very well received by Penguins fans and the city of Pittsburgh.
My take: Owen Pickering’s veteran mentor has arrived.
Defense is the toughest position for a prospect to transition into full-time NHL work from the minors. Schenn is not a sure-bet future Hall of Famer like Karlsson or a franchise icon like Letang. Pickering is a nice prospect, but the Penguins do not view him as a likely top-paring defenseman. But they need him to become a regular while adding better talent at the position.
Dubas does not want to force prospects into the NHL. However, Pickering, a 2022 first-round pick, is probably ready to get a shot at becoming a regular. Schenn could serve as a mentor next season, a role he would probably be better suited for than whoever stays between Letang and Karlsson.
If, as is probable, Letang stays — which ownership would likely favor given his ties to the franchise — he’ll be more likely to take Harrison Brunicke, a better prospect than Pickering, under his guidance. Letang’s legendary work ethic would be an eye-opener for Brunicke.
What do you like about Novak beyond him still being under contract and on the right side of 30?
Dubas: We like Tommy’s ability to control play, generate scoring chances for himself and others, and produce at even strength. Nashville did a great job with his development over the years and he blossomed into a very solid player for them. He has been on our priority list for a few years now here, and we feel his mobility, playmaking and production as a center provides us a great option in the years ahead.
My take: The Penguins desperately need centers, and Novak can fill a short- and mid-term hole.
As Josh Yohe wrote, Novak will likely slot as the No. 3 center from day one with the Penguins.
He’s a late bloomer, but his age (27) and cap hit ($3.5 million) are agreeable to the Penguins. He has two years remaining on his contract, which could make him a short-term replacement for Evgeni Malkin if Malkin decides to retire after his contract expires following next season.
Center, long the strength position in Pittsburgh because of Malkin and captain Sidney Crosby, is now arguably the organizational weakness. The Penguins lack an impact prospect at the position, with Vasily Ponomarev viewed as a bottom-six center.
With some NHL Draft Lottery luck this year and next, the Penguins might land a couple of higher-end, if not elite, prospects at center who could fast-track to the NHL. Crosby is still a No. 1 center, but he could also help the development of a top-shelf prospect at the position.
Novak will allow the Penguins to not prematurely force Ponomarev into an NHL role while also providing some insurance for Malkin’s eventual retirement.
Why did Bunting not fit into your plans moving forward? He seemed to find traction here.
Dubas: I wouldn’t say that Bunts didn’t fit into our plans. As we know, I’ve got a long relationship with Bunts and think the world of him as a person and player. Last season, he came in at a tough time, right when we had pivoted the Penguins from two decades of – rightfully – really going for it every season. His competitiveness and scoring was a key factor in the late-season run for us here. After a tough start this season, he showed his usual resilience and rebounded for us.
In the end, Bunts was obviously central to Nashville doing this deal, and those are the difficult decisions you have to make in this chair. Regardless of personal feelings, we have to always do what’s in the best interest of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
My take: Bunting was always a chess piece, and everybody reads too much into Dubas’ ties to his former players.
The package Dubas procured last season in the Jake Guentzel trade was always about the prospects. Bunting was hardly a throw-in, but he was never a set piece for the next contender in Pittsburgh.
He needed to show more consistency than he did while with the Penguins to warrant sticking around more than one season. He had his moments, notably on the power play, but also he was a healthy scratch at the beginning of the season because coaches weren’t happy with his approach. That was likely a signal his time with the Penguins would be short-lived.
It’s also about asset management.
Dubas needed a top-nine center more than a top-nine winger. The acquisition of prospect Rutger McGroarty last offseason didn’t render Bunting expendable, but their styles are similar, and McGroary will be a cheaper, younger option than Bunting — maybe not next season, but probably by the time a Bunting extension would have kicked in (2026-27).
Bunting served his purpose well with the Penguins. He was a stop-gap addition for a long-shot attempt to end the franchise’s playoff drought at two seasons. Once a third consecutive season without the playoffs became inevitable, Bunting wasn’t necessary given the depth of wingers among prospects and the need to find an NHL-ready center.
How do you view the market — sellers or buyers — with less than two days before the deadline?
Dubas: This is one of the more unique markets that I’ve encountered leading up to the trade deadline. There’s a lot of parity and different strategies that contending teams have deployed, combined with teams that are out of the race being very clear that with the salary cap going up in 2025-2026 and the two years beyond, that they plan to be aggressive with their acquisitions come July.
Overall, I think we are positioned well over the next few days – but especially heading into the summer and beyond – to continue to execute our plan as we have been for the last 12 months and continue to work to return the Penguins back into contention as soon as possible.
My take: Rickard Rakell might stick past Friday’s trade deadline.
The question Dubas is trying to answer might be a guessing game, but he’s using talks with teams interested in Rakell to gauge whether moving Rakell now or this summer is in the Penguins’ best interest.
If Dubas believes Rakell’s value is highest now, he’ll probably take the best offer for him before 3 p.m. Friday. If talks with other GMs persuade Dubas he can hold Rakell and get a similar or slightly better package this summer, there is no rush.
The Penguins have a lot of picks in the next three NHL drafts. Dubas could be trying to solicit from inquiring GMs another prospect instead of a potential first-round or conditional draft pick as part of the return for Rakell. It’s a sellers’ market at the moment, but shrewd GMs don’t make lesser deals just to get rid of a player who has value.
Not every player who ranks high on a trade board goes at the deadline.
Rakell might, but it’s not a lock.
(Photo of Tommy Novak: Troy Parla / Getty Images)
