Darren Dreger: Pens' Best Option For Improvement Is Via Trade
PITTSBURGH (93.7 THE FAN) – TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger joined "The Fan Morning Show" on Monday to discuss the Penguins' offseason, which got underway with a fairly uneventful draft weekend.
Dreger said it's valid, but somewhat unfair to say that Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford should have done more to adjust the team's roster this weekend by making a trade.
"It's not easy when you're dealing with the magnitude of contracts and the salaries that go along with those, especially when you're a cap team like the Penguins absolutely are," Dreger said. "That doesn't mean that Rutherford isn't interested and won't be active in the days ahead."
Dreger thinks a trade will ultimately be the best way for the Penguins to improve their roster. He said Rutherford is looking for a top 6 winger and most likely hasn't gotten the right offer yet, or perhaps hasn't found the right player yet.
Dreger explained that the Pens are strong offensively, but could use a little more of a jolt when it counts.
"When you think of the Pittsburgh Penguins across the National Hockey League, you think of how strong the team is offensively, how deep they are in the middle of the ice and that starts with Sidney Crosby," Dreger said. "Then, there is a side that is less promising, if you will, and that's based on the team has struggled to go deep in the playoffs the last few years."
Dreger also added the Penguins clearly have superstar players, but that stars alone don't make for a complete team. Thus, the Pens clearly need more depth heading forward.
He explained that this will most likely start with going younger and cheaper on defense next year, as other teams around the league have been doing.
"You can't have it all when you're a salary cap team," Dreger said. "The Chicago Blackhawks had it all, but the Chicago Blackhawks another Stanley Cup and they're about to have to go through a pretty significant retooling. The unfortunate reality for the Pittsburgh Penguins is that they are going through something similar- they just don't have a recent Stanley Cup to play off that."
The interview can be heard here:
