The 'Chinakhov Template': 10 Penguins' Trade Targets Who Fit The Dubas Mold

On Wednesday, Pittsburgh Penguins’ GM and POHO Kyle Dubas made clear what his plans are for both Friday’s NHL trade deadline and for the foreseeable future.

The Penguins figure to be one of the most interesting teams to watch on deadline day, as they find themselves second in the Metropolitan Division in a season many thought was going to be a lost one. They are near the top of the league in some of the most important categories – including goal differential (plus-29), regulation wins (27), and points percentage (.625) – and they are a legitimately good hockey team with a future that’s becoming increasingly bright because of Dubas’s asset management and track record with the NHL Draft.

However, they will still be without their best player in Sidney Crosby for a few weeks, and they have the league’s most difficult schedule to close out the season. They could use a boost to their roster at the trade deadline, but Dubas made it clear that they are looking for specific types of players.

“In terms of acquisitions, I think where we look is both up front and on defense,” Dubas said on the Penguins’ ‘GM Show’ on iHeart Radio. “And I think the ideal acquisition for us will be a player that’s in their 20s – closer to their mid-20s – that has some team control. Either they’re signed or they are a pending-restricted free agent, or just where they’re not a rental.

“That said, if we get closer to Friday, and there’s a chance to add to the team with someone who is a rental, we could look at that, too. Everyone looks at the deadline as a time that you have to act, and I think it is.”

Dubas also mentioned the Egor Chinakhov acquisition – the Penguins sent a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and forward Danton Heinen to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Chinakhov – as a blueprint for the type of trade they’d be looking for.

So, with that said, which forwards and blueliners would make sense for the Penguins? Who could fit the “Chinakhov template?”

Here are 10 names to watch.

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Cole Perfetti – Center/Winger, Winnipeg Jets

Unfortunately, for both Perfetti and the Jets, things have not gone as planned this season. Just one year after capturing the President’s Trophy as the league’s top team in the regular season, the Jets may be lottery-bound, and Perfetti is having a somewhat forgettable year in his fifth season of NHL action.

The 24-year-old forward has a whole lot more potential as an offensive weapon, and a year ago, the Jets’ 10th overall pick in 2020 would almost certainly have cost another first. But, with just eight goals and 22 points in 46 games this season in a second-line wing role, his stock has likely gone down.

He hasn’t quite lived up to his billing in Winnipeg, and there have been trade rumors surrounding him for a long time. The Penguins might be able to snag the pending-RFA forward in hopes that he can rebound and be re-signed as a key part of their roster for the coming years.

Logan Stanley – Left Defenseman, Winnipeg Jets

Stanley is a towering defenseman at 6-foot-7, 231 pounds, and not only is he unafraid to use his size to his advantage in terms of physicality and reach, he’s also a player who finally experienced a bit of a breakout in 2025-26.

He has nine goals and 21 points so far this season, and the left-side blueliner has the defensive toolset that the Penguins should be coveting as well. At 27 years old, he’s still young enough to fit the mold of what they’re looking for, and he isn’t afraid to stand up for his teammates, as he is a bit of an old-schooler in terms of style.

Stanley is a pending-RFA, and he’s a guy Winnipeg should want to keep. But it’s possible that they sell high on him during what has, by far, been his most productive season as an NHLer.

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Kent Johnson – Center, Columbus Blue Jackets

Yes, the Blue Jackets are in the middle of a race to secure a playoff spot, and they have been one of the hottest teams in hockey for the last several weeks. In fact, they sit just five points behind the Penguins in the Metropolitan Division standings.

But that didn’t stop them from making Johnson a healthy scratch on Feb. 28 against the New York Islanders. He has six goals and 18 points in 57 games this season, which is a steep dropoff from last season, when he recorded 24 goals and 57 points in 68 games.

Like Perfetti, he’s 24 years old, he was drafted within the top-10 (fifth overall in 2021), he’s a natural center who can play effectively on the wing, and he could badly use a change of scenery – not unlike his former-teammate-turned-Penguin in Egor Chinakhov. He is on the books for one more season at $1.8 million.

Simon Nemec – Right Defenseman, New Jersey Devils

Well, Devils’ general manager Tom Fitzgerald did say his team would be listening on offers for some of his players, as New Jersey has found itself in the mix for a top-five pick this season. And one of those players is 22-year-old blueliner Simon Nemec.

He surely fits the “reclamation project” mold, as Nemec is still very raw and very much a work in progress. However, he has superstar potential, even if any team may have to be a little bit patient as he develops the defensive side of his game a bit more.

Nemec may the player on this list who would come with the highest acquisition cost, as the Devils will surely want a young scoring winger. Unfortunately, that’s not something the Penguins have quite developed at the NHL level yet – other than Ben Kindel, who should be near-untouchable – so they would likely have to overpay and overcompensate for not necessarily having the available assets.

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Shane Wright – Center, Seattle Kraken

I wrote about Wright recently, and the song remains the same. His biggest issue at the NHL level so far has been consistency, and in his second semi-full NHL season, that might not be the end of the world.

So, it would likely still take a bit of a haul to bring the 22-year-old center to Pittsburgh, as it is rumored Seattle wants an established scoring winger in return. Of course, the Penguins have a few of those – such as Anthony Mantha and Rickard Rakell – but they may be pieces they’re not willing to part with in the midst of a playoff run, especially with such a tight locker room.

He has 11 goals and 23 points in 60 games this season – a dropoff from last season – and he doesn’t quite seem to fit in Seattle’s system. However, he still has a year remaining on his entry-level contract, so they won’t be in any hurry to move him unless a good offer comes along.

Zach Whitecloud – Right Defenseman, Calgary Flames

Perhaps the most logical and sensical name on this list is Whitecloud’s, even if he is 29.

Whitecloud was traded to Calgary when Rasmus Andersson was sent to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this season, and he is a right defenseman with some size who is fundamentally very solid – much like a Parker Wotherspoon. He can contribute occasionally on offense with two goals and 11 points in 59 games this season, but his steady defense and physicality are his bread and butter.

He is signed for two more years at $2.75 million AAV, and he is a great option to have as insurance on the right side behind Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang. He would make for a steady, solid bottom-pair defenseman, especially for their stretch run this season, and the acquisition cost shouldn’t be terribly high.

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Dawson Mercer – Center, New Jersey Devils

For the same reason that Nemec may be made available by the Devils, Mercer is, too. However, he wouldn’t cost nearly as much, and he would help fill a pressing need for the Penguins in the short- and long-term.

The 24-year-old has 13 goals and 30 points in 60 games this season, and his positional versatility, high IQ, 200-foot game, and offensive potential are all intriguing. But even if he isn’t much more productive than he is at this point, he is a near-perfect third-line center for this team, and it would allow the Penguins to bump Ben Kindel up in the lineup.

He’s signed for $4 million through the end of next season, so there is some staying power. The Penguins may be able to unlock more out of a player who already fills a need, and Mercer is someone Dubas should certainly target if he is available.

Braden Schneider – Right/Left Defenseman, New York Rangers

Even if Schneider has the tools to become an effective blueliner, he is largely unproven at this point, and the defensive side of his game could certainly use some work.

He is a pending-RFA, and there is some risk in acquiring a player like him – even if the 6-foot-3, 24-year-old blueliner certainly has a higher ceiling to reach and can play both sides. But this could be a perfect example of a guy who – like Chinakhov – needs a change of scenery and a new system to maximize his raw two-way talent and provide opportunity.

The Penguins shouldn’t overpay here, but the Rangers won’t sell him off cheap, either. This is a risk v. reward situation for them to weigh, and it could be one where all those second-round picks could come in handy.

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Elias Pettersson – Center, Vancouver Canucks

Well, if there is a big fish on this list not named Robert Thomas (probably TOO big a fish for the Penguins at the moment), it’s Pettersson. And it’s no secret why.

Despite having two down years in a row when it comes to production, the 27-year-old is still very much capable of being one of the league’s elite centers, and it was only two seasons ago where he was above point-per-game and three seasons ago when he registered 39 goals and 102 points. With only 13 goals and 35 points in 51 games so far in 2025-26 – as well as his $11.6 million cap hit through the 2029-30 season – there’s a decent chance that this is the lowest acquisition cost for Pettersson there is going to be.

So, Dubas should be on the phone. This is a player long in dire need of a change of scenery, and the Penguins probably have the assets to pull it off without too much detriment to their future. And, well, he could be a big part of the picture for them.

Pavel Mintyukov – Left Defenseman, Anaheim Ducks

As long as the 22-year-old Mintyukov stays in Anaheim, he will probably be in the shadow of Jackson LaCombe and Olen Zellweger, both of whom have passed him on the depth chart. And it wasn’t long ago that Mintyukov was unhappy with his role.

However, his play has elevated throughout the season, and he is now part of a Ducks team that is in the midst of a playoff chase. But he is still getting third-pair minutes, and there are still blueliners such as Ian Moore who will continue to push for playing time.

His puck-moving ability and offensive upside is reason enough to acquire him, as his seven goals and 17 points on the season put him just about on pace to match or surpass his rookie output. Anaheim should want to keep him – especially as they push for the playoffs – but they may still move the pending-RFA for the right price.

And if he is available, he’s one of the more intriguing options for the Penguins.

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