Report: Penguins shopping former 1st round D

According to a report from Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pittsburgh Penguins are reportedly trying to trade defenseman Ian Cole.

The 28-year-old defenseman has been a healthy scratch for three consecutive games, not due to his play but because Penguins GM Jim Rutherford is trying to trade him and wants to ensure that he stays healthy in the meantime. The nature of Cole’s game makes him prone to injury, as he’s a rough and tough, old school defensive defenseman. He missed three games earlier this season recovering from jaw surgery after taking a Roman Josi slap shot to the mouth. That’s the kind of player he is.

According to Mackey, “It does not appear the desire to trade Cole has anything to do with his play. It’s more a function of him being an attractive option to other teams, and, according to a source, interest in him has already been several teams deep.”

So, who might be interested? Should the Toronto Maple Leafs put an offer in on the former first round pick? They could certainly use the depth on defense, but head coach Mike Babcock has made it pretty clear he could use a right-shooting blue liner, whereas Cole shoots left. 

Wherever he ends up, it’s clear that Cole’s not happy with how things are playing out in Pittsburgh. “Any time as a hockey player you’re not playing hockey, it’s tough,” Cole said Monday morning. “It’s disappointing, annoying, [ticks] you off, aggravating, whatever word you want to use to describe it. Maybe it’s all of the above. It’s one of those things where you want to try and get in as soon as possible, however that works out.”