Penguins Update: McGinn and Friedman Clear Waivers

Forward Brock McGinn and defenseman Mark Friedman cleared waivers today. If the Penguins assign both players to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, they would have a total of $4 million in prorated cap space to work with to swing a trade. The number would’ve been considerably higher…$5.7 million…had McGinn been claimed.

Neither player has been designated for assignment at the present time, although it’s virtually assured Friedman will be sent to the Baby Pens. Glad we didn’t lose the feisty defenseman, who I’d still rate ahead of Chad Ruhwedel as a spare due to his wheels, aggressive nature and ability to capably man either the left or right side.

In terms of the trade front? According to published sources, talks with Vancouver involving forwards J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser have cooled.

Arizona defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who we were loosely tied to, was dealt to Ottawa for a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, a conditional second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now floated the idea of Detroit’s Tyler Bertuzzi, a fast, gritty left wing who appeals to me even though he’s having a down year due to a hand injury. However, he’s a UFA-to-be and GM Ron Hextall stated he wouldn’t pursue rentals. Too, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman is one shrewd negotiator. GMRH might get taken to the cleaners without realizing his pants are off.

Meanwhile, except for the aforementioned players and perhaps the Ducks’ Adam Henrique, John Klingberg and Dmitry Kulikov, the market has pretty much been picked cleaner than a wild boar that accidentally waded into piranha-infested waters.

Begging the question. Given the crazy prices and frenzied activity, was Hextall right to be patient? Or did he wait too long to make a move?