Vancouver Canucks: 5 Potential Trade Destinations for Radim Vrbata
4. Pittsburgh Penguins
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Why they need Vrbata: It is never smart to acquire someone from the Toronto Maple Leafs to improve your team. All kidding aside, Phil Kessel is hardly scoring at a higher pace than Vrbata, having recorded 12 goals and 25 points in 43 games.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference wild card standings and 20th in the league. They rank 26th in the NHL in goals for. Sidney Crosby has “only” 34 points in 42 contests. Is Vrbata good enough to fix that? There is only one way to find out.
Where Vrbata would slot in: Maybe Vrbata could be the player who finally buries Crosby’s passes in the net? Could he be the Penguins’ new first-line right winger? Perhaps.
If not, the Penguins would certainly find a different place for him. Vrbata knows how to score, which is something the Penguins aren’t doing enough. Canucks fans are trying to get rid of him because he doesn’t score enough anymore, but he is certainly someone who would be helpful in Pittsburgh.
Next: 5. New Jersey Devils