Trade brewing between Penguins and Red Wings?!

If anyone would have brought trade rumours in Pittsburgh before the start of the 2025-26 season, no one would have even considered that the Penguins would be the ones looking to add to their roster. However, the Pens have had a strong start and Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now reported last week that general manager Kyle Dubas might be shopping across the league as he looks to add a left-shot defenseman.

The Penguins have recently lost Caleb Jones to a lower-body injury for eight weeks and need a suitable replacement. According to Kingerski, sources claimed that GM Dubas is “kicking tires” on spare left-shot blue liners. One of them is Erik Gustafsson of the Detroit Red Wings, who is currently with their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.

“Gustafsson has 515 games of NHL experience but has played with 10 teams over the last seven seasons,” added Kingerski.

I’m not sure Gustafsson would be a game-changer, as I doubt at this point the change of scenery is what he desperately needs to get back on track, but the move certainly would not cost Dubas a whole lot. It could be an interesting low-risk and cheap transaction coming shortly…

This rumoured move also points out how a reluctance to recall three LHDs in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Penguins do have Ryan Graves and Alexander Alexeyev, both of whom they waived at the end of training camp, and prospect Owen Pickering, who failed to make the NHL squad, as well, but they clearly do not feel they are ready for the main roster.

This could hint at a trade coming soon to Pittsburgh…