Canucks’ Hoglander Meets Penguins’ Retool Trade Mandate

Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Höglander is drawing trade interest, with insiders linking him to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Elliotte Friedman, speaking on the 32 Thoughts podcast, highlighted Höglander as a potential fit for Pittsburgh as the team seeks young, NHL-proven talent to retool its roster. “I think Pittsburgh would be one of those teams,” the NHL insider said. “He’s signed, and Pittsburgh makes a lot of sense.”

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Höglander, 23, has struggled to carve out a consistent role in Vancouver this season. His average ice time has dropped to a career-low 11:53 per game, and he has managed just five points in 23 games. Despite these struggles, the winger’s potential is there and the Penguins are in a position where they might want to take a calculated risk on young forwards with a high ceiling. “You look at the players that Pittsburgh is collecting. Hoglander fits it,” added Friedman.

Hoglander is coming off a 24-goal, 36-point campaign.

The Penguins, tied with the Islanders at 24 points but sitting last in the Metropolitan Division, have emphasized acquiring young, NHL-ready players like recent additions Philip Tomasino and Cody Glass.

Höglander, signed through 2026 with a $1.1 million cap hit, fits their profile.

The Penguins Are Trying to Find Something That Will Get Them Going: Is Hoglander It?

The Penguins’ strategy under GM Kyle Dubas seems to be to try and win with the aging core he has, but also balance it out by bringing in youth with experience.

The team remains focused on building around younger assets. Höglander is the kind of player who has the potential to be a difference-maker, but his struggles don’t make him a sure thing.

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