Rumor: Proposed 1 for 1 trade between the Penguins and Sabres.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had themselves what you might consider something of a midseason resurgence and, although things seemed bleak to start the season, it would now appear that they are once again destined to enter the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

The question on everyone's mind has been how will general manager Ron Hextall, and President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke, handle the upcoming trade deadline with their team once again poised to contend? It seems very likely that the team's veteran management will look to bring in help as they look to win it all one more time with their core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, but with limited cap flexibility the Penguins will also be limited in what they can do.

That being said, Penguins insider Rob Rossi recently proposed a 1 for 1 trade that could see the Penguins bring in a veteran forward to anchor their third line. According to Rossi that trade target should be former National Hockey League captain Eric Staal, currently with the Buffalo Sabres, a player he believes has been somewhat under the radar due to the terrible season the Sabres are having. With Staal getting less attention Rossi believes the price for him could be just right, with that price coming in the form of one of the Penguins young defensemen.

From The Athletic:

Staal’s $3.25 million cap hit could easily be offset by including defenseman Marcus Pettersson in any possible trade with the Sabres. Buffalo appears close to a full-on rebuild, and adding a young defenseman such as Pettersson, already an established NHL regular, could probably be sold to a hard-luck fan base as a win for Staal, who is 36 and slated for unrestricted free agency. A straight-up deal would actually give the Penguins more room under the $81.5 million cap.

Although it is true that teams have been loathe to take on additional salary this season due to the flat cap imposed on the league as a result of the pandemic, Rossi believes the prospect of adding a young player with several more years of control could be enough to entice the Sabres to part with Staal who is on an expiring contract.

Would you make the trade if you were the Penguins GM? Should the Sabres consider such a move? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.