The Pittsburgh Penguins are hosting the 2012 NHL Draft, and so far they have been one of the most active teams at the draft. On Friday, they traded Jordan Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes and Zbynek Michalek to the Phoenix Coyotes. They also have reportedly been talking to the Nashville Predators about acquiring the rights to defenseman Ryan Suter.
Rumors of the Penguins' interest in Suter first popped up on Friday night. They died down as the first day of the draft came to a close, but they are once again swirling on Saturday. The Penguins reportedly want a top-pairing defenseman, and Suter would certainly fit the bill, which is why they are working to make a deal happen, according to CSNPhilly.com's Tim Panaccio.
A source told CSNPhilly.com early Saturday morning that Penguins general manager Ray Shero is working hard to get Suter’s rights from Nashville. [...]
"Ray feels he can talk Suter into coming to Pittsburgh," the source said.
Shero was an assistant general manager for the Predators before he went to Pittsburgh, and he was there when the Predators drafted Suter back in 2003. Could those ties result in Suter signing with the Penguins if a trade is completed? It's possible, but there's no guarantee Suter wouldn't opt to just wait until July 1, which is what the Detroit Red Wings would have to hope for if his rights are dealt to a team like Pittsburgh.
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