Pittsburgh's Playoff Hopes Rest on a Tough Trade Decision, Says Frank Seravalli
Insider Frank Seravalli recently discussed on his podcast which teams he thinks can sneak into the playoffs, and the Penguins need to make a trade if they want in.
The Penguins talked their way into a playoff conversation with the way they have been playing lately, but the more pertinent question to them now is whether they can do anything other than make playoffs.
At this point in time, the answer would appear to be no, per Frank Seravalli, and that really frames this discussion on what Penguins fans should be excited about for the rest of the season.
- Frank Seravalli
A four-point night from Sidney Crosby a few days ago justified a team that has been on a great run and has outrun lots of expectations, a season that could have been so much bleaker.
Certainly, it added intrigue to their campaign, but the underlying issues were very hard to avoid.
The thing is, reinforcers are not apparently in sight. It is tough to tell which direction Kyle Dubas will go in strengthening this team. The Penguins have seemed "pot-committed" for years, dealing away future assets to maximize the present.
- Frank Seravalli
They don't really have much of a prospect pool to speak of, and it wouldn't be advisable to move the first-round pick once more to simply patch up a roster that has for three seasons now shown it isn't built to contend for anything meaningful.
So, what's the solution? Other than hoping for a strong December to keep the momentum alive, it's tough to see how they'll improve a lineup with some major holes in it.
It would likely take quite a trade to really push the Penguins into true contenders category. At this point, no one truly knows what exactly that type of trade could be, as there are several holes to fill.
- Frank Seravalli
Meanwhile, Frank Seravalli has the last playoff ticket coming between the Ottawa Senators or the New York Rangers, slotting Pittsburgh as the longest shot to win a spot in the postseason out of all three teams.
Ottawa finally has an elite, capable goalie in Linus Ullmark, and the Rangers still have tons of firepower up front, plus their superstar goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Seravalli feels it's tough for the Penguins to match up to these two teams long-term.
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