With the drama surrounding the situation in Montreal and Canadiens defenseman Victor Mete, it shouldn’t shock anyone that the Pittsburgh Penguins might have looked into the availability of the blueliner. The Penguins have been decimated by injuries to their defense corps and Mete is looking to be moved. Pittsburgh would likely provide him the opportunity he’s seeking.
Related: Canadiens Not “Showcasing” Victor Mete for Possible Trade
One of the 31 thoughts in Elliotte Friedman’s recent article suggests that “Pittsburgh was one of the teams that asked about Mete.” He says the Penguins also poked around Toronto Maple Leafs’ defenseman Travis Dermott. Friedman says, “Basically, if you’re a defenceman, they [Penguins] asked about you.”
The problem with a Penguins and Canadiens trade is two-fold. First, the Canadiens have said they have no desire to move Mete regardless of the fact he might be unhappy. Second, the Canadiens can’t take back money, so it’s basically dollar in, dollar out.
About nine days ago, Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan of ESPN took some time to discuss which NHL players could still be traded this season and Kaplan mentioned the Penguins as a team to watch. That said, she brought their name up specifically in respect to former GM Jim Rutherford’s willingness and propensity to make deals. With Rutherford now gone, it’s unclear how active the Penguins will be on the trade market.
The Mete/Penguins Pieces Just Might Not Fit
While this type of trade seems to be perfect on paper for both Mete and the Penguins, the timing just feels off and the Canadiens lack of desire to move the depth defender suggests this isn’t a trade that’s imminent.
That doesn’t mean it won’t happen. It simply means the trade is not a slam dunk. Consider too, moving a player across the border also has its complications as we’ve seen from the delays in getting players like Patrik Laine and Pierre-Luc Dubois into the lineup for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets.
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