PITTSBURGH — Kyle Dubas may not yet be finished building his first iteration of a Pittsburgh Penguins roster.
There are reports out there that the club's president of hockey operations and general manager is looking to add unrestricted free agent Tomas Tatar, and Slovakian outlet Sport.sk recently published an interview with the forward where he admitted he'd been in talks with the Penguins.
Could there be a fit?
"The Penguins don't have a true offensive threat in the bottom six," says Locked on Penguins co-host Hunter Hodies. "With someone like Tatar, he can give you at least 15-17 goals - maybe even 20 -22 goals - and someone who can be a constant threat in the offensive. And I think you can definitely get him on the cheap."
The reason why it hasn't happened yet, though, could be Tatar seeking term. If he's comfortable with a one-year deal, the Penguins could easily make it work. A two- or three-year deal would be a lot trickier.
Tatar, 32, recorded 20 goals and 48 points for the New Jersey Devils last season.
At present, the Penguins are over the NHL's salary cap limit, but could put injured forward Jake Guentzel on long term injured reserve in order to create some temporary space.
They only have 21 players on the roster, which is another consideration. Another forward, especially of his caliber, would be a great add.
In that interview, Tatar mentioned he was looking for two years on his new deal, and wants to play for a team that has a chance at winning a Stanley Cup. The Penguins are in the latter category after trading for Erik Karlsson, and even more so with the scoring depth that a Tatar would bring.
Tatar, by the way, has recorded only 13 points in 52 playoff games, including a lone goal in 12 appearances with the Devils in 2023.