The Pittsburgh Penguins have managed to right the ship to a degree recently thanks in no small part to captain Sidney Crosby playing like a man possessed. While he's been held off the score sheet in the Pens last three games, Crosby has vaulted himself back into the conversation for the league's best player with some absolutely astounding work. He now has 24 goals and 53 points in 54 games, a point per game clip. But even with the Kid back to his old self, all is not right in the Steel City. The Penguins hold a tenuous grasp on the final wild card spot in the East - they're just four points ahead of the rival Philadelphia Flyers - and areas on the roster, specifically on the blueline and in the top-six at forward. Per ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, there are a number of players that Penguins GM Jim Rutherford is "monitoring" at this point, but maybe the biggest name - literally and figuratively - is Mikkel Boedker of the Arizona Coyotes.
While LeBrun doesn't come out and say that the Penguins are "monitoring" Boedker as they are with Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak, he does suggest that he'd be a good addition to their top-six. And really, it's hard to argue.
The 26-year-old Boedker is a big - 6-foot, 206-pounds - fast, player who brings a strong all-around game. Unfortunately, his attractiveness may also be what may keep the Penguins from landing him. His contract demands could also play a part, though as LeBrun notes, with their cap situation being as tight as it is, the Pens may prefer to pick up a rental piece they can let walk in the summer.
But as of now, it seems the likelihood of Boedker being dealt by the Coyotes is growing. Per LeBrun, via Chris Nichols of Today's Slap Shot, it's looking "more and more like" Boedker and Arizona won't be able to come to terms on a deal and with the Coyotes apparently determined not to allow themselves to go through the trade deadline without signing or trading the big forward, it seems his days in the desert are numbered.
And while the Penguins aren't necessarily alone in their potential pursuit of Boedker, there's no denying how good he'd look playing alongside Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. The trick for Rutherford will be to find a way to add, whether its Boedker, Polak or another player, without surrendering every pick and/or worthwhile prospect in the Penguins system.
