Kyle Dubas passed on Ryan Strome at $5M and it cost the Penguins real depth
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Daniel Lucente
Mar 26, 2026 (10:36)
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Photo credit: © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
NHL Trade Rumors, citing Frank Seravalli, says Ryan Strome, $5 million through 2026-27, nearly became Pittsburgh's deadline fix.
Strome is 32, a 2011 first-round pick by the New York Islanders, and this was never about star power. It was about a veteran center who fit a clear roster problem.
That is why this rumor lands now. Pittsburgh still needs insulation down the middle, and Evgeni Malkin is out again for tonight's game in Ottawa.
The cap math was simple. Strome carries a $5 million hit through next season, and the available reporting does not show trade protection attached.
The on-ice logic was cleaner than the name value. Strome could have steadied a third line, taken draws, and eased the nightly burden on Sidney Crosby.
You can see it as the rumor hits, one more fork in Dubas' road, one more middle-six answer left on the table.
Anaheim had already signaled where this was going. Strome's ice time had dipped, healthy scratches were part of the story, and his place in that younger Ducks build was fading.
Ryan Strome exposed the Pittsburgh Penguins need
Fans are right to be annoyed by this one, because this was a hockey trade, not a fantasy splash.
Calgary got Strome on March 6 for a 2027 seventh-round pick. That price makes Pittsburgh's non-move look less patient and more passive.
Strome has 5-11-16 in 43 games with Calgary after the move, and those numbers miss the real point. He was acquired to stabilize usage and matchups.
Pittsburgh enters Thursday at 35-20-16 with 86 points. Ottawa sits at 38-24-9 with 85, so every lineup weakness is now magnified.
That is the strategic miss. Dubas did not need a game-breaker, he needed one more reliable center for the stretch drive.
This rumor matters because the simplest deadline move is often the one that saves a season's shape.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 26|107 ANSWERS Kyle Dubas passed on Ryan Strome at $5M and it cost the Penguins real depth Did Kyle Dubas miss the right deadline move with Ryan Strome? | ||
| Yes | 72 | 67.3 % |
| No | 35 | 32.7 % |
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