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Penguins Could Flip Recently Acquired Defenseman

The Pittsburgh Penguins might not hold onto a recent trade acquisition for long.

Nick Horwat

Jan 14, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Luke Schenn (2) skates with the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Jan 14, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Luke Schenn (2) skates with the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
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As the trade deadline approaches, the Pittsburgh Penguins have continued their trend of trading away big pieces of their lineup. In their most recent move, the Penguins sent forward Michael Bunting to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Luke Schenn and Tommy Novak.

While Novak may be a key piece in Pittsburgh for a few years moving forward, some believe the Penguins may try and flip Schenn ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline. The Penguins flipped a recently acquired blue liner earlier in the evening, and pulling a second flip may be in the cards for Pittsburgh.

Both Chris Johnston and Darren Dreger of TSN tweeted that another move could be around the corner for Schenn before the deadline. However, if a trade doesn’t happen, the Penguins won’t be upset about continuing with the 35-year-old blue liner.

“[Pittsburgh] values his character, leadership, toughness and spirit and plans to urgently work to get this team back into contention in the next few seasons,” Dreger said in a tweet.

Schenn still has a year remaining on his contract at $2.75 million against the salary cap, making him more than a rental piece if he’s on the move again.

A veteran of 1,057 games in the NHL, Schenn’s experience and Stanley Cup pedigree could make him an attractive asset for a few contending teams to target.

Schenn is a two-time Stanley Cup champion from his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In two seasons with the Lightning, Schenn helped secure back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021.

The Penguins are already multiple moves deep with the trade deadline under 48 hours away and more moves might be right around the corner. It’s not clear if Schenn will remain Penguin or not, but there is sure to be some interest if he’s back on the block.

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Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

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