In a three team trade with Montreal and San Jose, per Elliotte Friedman, the Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson, Rem Pitlick, Dillon Mamaliuk, and a San Jose 2026 3rd round pick. The Sharks receive Mikael Granlund, Jan Rutta, Mike Hoffman, and Pittsburgh’s 2024 1st round pick. The Canadiens receive Jeff Petry, Casey Desmith, Nathan Legare, and Pittsburgh’s 2025 2nd round pick.

This trade is a great transaction for all parties involved, with the Penguins being able to restructure their roster to guarantee the ability to be competitive in the metropolitan division, at least for the rest of Sidney Crosby’s Career. Pitlick is likely a fourth line player for the Pens based on his recent trajectory, or a high-level AHL contributor.

San Jose, after an offseason with a large number of gambles on potential reclamation projects (See Filip Zadina and Anthony Duclair post-injury), has now acquired immediate help on their roster. Granlund is a serviceable bottom-six winger, Hoffman can still produce in the offensive zone and a respectable clip in a middle-six capacity, and Jan Rutta will give the Sharks a reliable third-pairing two-way defender to ease the burden on Kahkonen and Blackwood this season. Pittsburgh’s 1st round selection should also bring another long-term roster piece to the Sharks in what will likely be another strong draft.

Montreal was able to continue in their long term rebuilding plan. Jeff Petry’s return provides the Canadiens with more two-way depth and size on their backend, which for a team who was ravaged by injuries last year is a significant pick up. Desmith provided Montreal with more veteran depth between the pipes, which once again is a great insurance policy if the team sees the same injury woes of the 22-23 campaign. Legare’s ceiling, based on his last several years in the AHL, is likely going to play in the AHL again this season; however, he does have the potential, and perhaps the capacity to contribute in a bottom-six role for the Candiens this year. Also, picking up a 2025 2nd round pick from the Penguins provides Montreal with either another trade chip at this year’s deadline, or another solid prospect.

Overall, each team has received explicit short term benefits in this deal. For San Jose, the unstated part earlier in the article is getting out from under an $11 Million dollar contract, which is a benefit in the short and long term for them. The Penguins, in this trade, have sacrificed even more of their future in pursuit of a fourth Stanley Cup in the Crosby era. Regardless of if the Penguins achieve their goal in the next three years, I can at least say that Pittsburgh will be a fun team to watch.

-Christian