Penguins GM Dubas Speaks On Bunting, Desharnais Trades

It was only a matter of time before Pittsburgh Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas tipped the first domino in the days leading up to the Mar. 7 NHL trade deadline.

And he did that Wednesday night.

The Penguins announced that they traded forward Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Luke Schenn and forward Tommy Novak.

In addition, the Penguins dealt recently acquired defenseman Vincent Desharnais to the San Jose Sharks for a 2028 fifth-round pick.

Dubas explained that, while the decision to trade Bunting was not an easy one, Novak is someone the organization has been eyeing for a while.

“We looked at the two trades in totality – Desharnais, Bunting, and a pick for Novak, Schenn, and a pick,” Dubas said via email. “The motivation being that Tommy was younger, under team control for an additional season over [Bunting], carried a lower cap charge, and is primarily a center. We felt that carried a large amount of value as we move ahead here with our plans.”

He added: “We like Tommy’s ability to control play, generate scoring chances for himself and others, and produce at even strength. Nashville did a great job with his development over the years, and he blossomed into a very solid player for them. He has been on our priority list for a few years now here, and we feel his mobility, playmaking, and production as a center provides us a great option in the years ahead.”

Novak, 27, has 13 goals and 22 points in 52 games this season, and he has registered 49 goals and 117 points in 201 career games for Nashville, who drafted him in the third round (85th overall) of the 2015 NHL draft.

He will be a solid third-line center option for the Penguins, and there is definitely some upside…