Many failed NHL trade proposals fade from memory, but one involving the Pittsburgh Penguins was captured on video. Footage released by the Ottawa Senators on August 12 showed that Pittsburgh attempted to acquire the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in exchange for an undisclosed roster player.
Steve Staios, the Senators’ president of hockey operations and general manager, called Pittsburgh’s offer “interesting” as he weighed the possibility of moving the pick. In the end, Ottawa retained the selection and drafted Swedish winger Jonas Lagerberg‑Hoen.
The video does not reveal the identity of the player or clarify whether draft picks were part of the package, making speculation less valuable than analyzing what the proposal indicates about Pittsburgh’s president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas. Ottawa’s official draft‑room segment documented the negotiations, and Pensburgh reported on Pittsburgh’s participation.
Pittsburgh was not simply inquiring about moving a few picks; Dubas appeared ready to part with a roster player to obtain another first‑round prospect. This distinction is significant for a team that returned to the playoffs in the 2025‑26 season but continues to assemble a competitive roster as veterans such as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin transition off the ice.
Dubas Was Willing to Trade the Present for Pick No. 25
The precise value of Pittsburgh’s offer cannot be quantified without identifying the player involved. What matters is the nature of the asset Dubas was prepared to discuss. The Senators had previously received a draft‑heavy proposal from the Vancouver Canucks that involved picks No. 33 and No. 41 in exchange for another selection. While Staios remained unconvinced by draft capital alone, Pittsburgh’s inclusion of a roster player intrigued him.
This indicates that Dubas did not view an additional first‑round pick as a mere luxury. The Penguins had just drafted Liam Ruck with the 22nd overall pick. They later selected his twin brother, Markus Ruck, at No. 39, and used the 54th overall pick on defenseman Tomas Galvas. With Markus still available in the second round, Dubas could retain the roster player while still acquiring both twins.
Whether Markus was the actual target at No. 25 remains uncertain. Although the timing makes the scenario plausible, Pittsburgh might have been pursuing a different player. What is clear is that Dubas regarded a player still available as sufficiently valuable to discuss converting an NHL asset into a premium future prospect.
This points to the middle tier of a roster, which is precisely where Pittsburgh has amassed valuable depth. Players in that tier can be productive, cost‑effective, and useful without being indispensable to the organization’s long‑term plans. Justin Brazeau exemplifies the type of useful NHL forward Pittsburgh possesses throughout its depth chart, whereas Rickard Rakell represents a substantially more established level of roster value. Together they illustrate the range of talent Dubas would have considered when seeking a player attractive enough for the Senators to contemplate.
Pittsburgh’s Quiet Summer Was Not Passive
The failed Ottawa trade provides useful context for what might otherwise appear to have been a relatively low‑key offseason. Pittsburgh added Andrei Kuzmenko, Nicholas Robertson, Hendrix Lapierre, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Declan Carlile without pursuing a blockbuster move that would dramatically alter its immediate ceiling.
Dubas characterized the organization’s approach as building “brick by boring brick,” a philosophy the team carried into free agency rather than spending aggressively merely because cap space was available. Quiet does not equate to inactivity.
Another First-Round Pick Fits Pittsburgh’s Larger Timeline
Pittsburgh currently has many NHL players, but it lacks certainty about who will emerge as its next high‑end core. Liam Ruck posted 45 goals and 104 points in 68 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers before being selected 22nd overall. Markus topped the Western Hockey League with 108 points and was chosen 39th overall. Drafting Liam Ruck and then reacquiring his twin brother adds two promising offensive prospects to a system Dubas has been rebuilding for several seasons.
While the prospect pool is now deeper, depth does not equate to star power. Recent analysis shows that the Penguins’ prospect pool still lacks a definitive future star, which explains why pursuing another first‑round talent would have remained attractive even after they had already made their initial selection.
Acquiring another pick in the 20s would have provided another opportunity to identify a player whose prime arrives after Pittsburgh’s current veteran era concludes. An effective NHL player could help the Penguins win games in October, while a successful first‑round selection could shape the franchise’s trajectory five or six seasons from now. Dubas appears prepared to make such an exchange when the value aligns.
Pittsburgh’s Forward Surplus Makes the Strategy Easier to Revisit
The concept becomes even more pertinent as training camp approaches. Pittsburgh has amassed enough forwards that legitimate NHL players may vie for fourth‑line minutes, extra‑forward spots, or even find themselves without a roster position. Players such as Brazeau, Elmer Söderblom, Lapierre, Ville Koivunen, and Rutger McGroarty, along with Robertson and Kuzmenko, represent a larger pool competing for opportunities this offseason.
This depth of talent explains why the organization must eventually convert quantity into quality. Retaining 15 useful forwards does not carry the same value as converting one expendable piece into a player or asset that addresses a broader organizational need. The Ottawa revelation suggests Dubas already grasps this equation.
Failed Trade Offers Can Still Reveal a Plan
Pittsburgh did not acquire the 25th overall pick. Ottawa kept it, Markus Ruck remained available at No. 39, and the unidentified Penguin stayed with the organization. While no transaction ultimately occurred, the phone call revealed considerable insight from a roster‑building perspective.
Dubas was prepared to discuss removing an NHL player in order to acquire another premium prospect, even after Pittsburgh had already made a first‑round selection. This approach aligns with an organization that seeks to remain competitive around Sidney Crosby while refusing to sacrifice every future decision to the current roster.
The Penguins’ offseason may have appeared conservative because the most significant discussions never resulted in transactions. However, Ottawa’s footage provided evidence that at least one of those conversations extended much further than anyone outside the draft room was aware.
Pittsburgh retained the mystery player and ultimately kept its draft picks. The more important takeaway is that Dubas was prepared to make different choices. Should a suitable young player or draft asset become available in the future, Pittsburgh’s current roster could prove considerably more negotiable than it currently appears.