Jake Muzzin is the puzzle piece the Penguins need

The Pittsburgh Penguins have already made one trade with the Los Angeles Kings this season. They should explore making another to acquire defenseman Jake Muzzin.

Over the last month, the Pittsburgh Penguins are bleeding shots against at an awful rate. They need a top-four defenseman with or without Justin Schultz. Here is an in-depth look at their best option on the trade market – Jake Muzzin.

The Penguins and Kings have already made one trade this season. For the Penguins sake, they should make another. If they do, the trade this time around needs to include Muzzin, who has been great for the Los Angeles Kings.

More from Puck Prose

• Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
• This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
• 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
• 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
• This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings

Muzzin has been the Kings best defenseman – and arguably best player – through 35 games. Per Natural Stat Trick, he leads all Kings defenders in even-strength shot attempts per 60 minutes, goals for per 60 minutes, shots for percentage, and goals for percentage. Muzzin also leads all LA players in goals above replacement this season with 2.9.

The fact that he can produce even-strength offense is great. Muzzin has scored 40 or more points three times in his NHL career. Pittsburgh needs more of that production from their back-end. But the crucial aspect of Muzzin’s game is his ability to limit opponents shots against.

On average, opponents generate 28.65 shots against for every 60 minutes that Muzzin is on the ice. That is the lowest mark amongst all Kings defenders. Muzzin ranks slightly better than Kris Letang in this category and that mark would be first on the Penguins. Muzzin limits shots at a better rate than big names such as Victor Hedman, Seth Jones, and Roman Josi.

This season, he has started the majority of his shifts in the defensive zone. Despite that, Muzzin has been a positive player in terms of shot share this season and in each of the last six seasons. He has won two championships playing alongside Drew Doughty. Muzzin is likely capable of doing the same while skating alongside either Letang or Schultz.

In terms of Quant Hockey’s model of points and goals per game and percentage of games played, Muzzin compares similarly to Nashville Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm. That is pretty good company. Durability is also a strength of Muzzin’s, as he has played in 84% of all possible contests in his seven NHL seasons.

In terms of cost to acquire, Olli Maatta makes sense for the Kings. He is younger, cost-controlled, and also a left-handed shooting defenseman. The Kings play a slower style, so that would likely be a better fit for Maatta’s skating style. The Penguins 2019 first-round pick could also be an option as part of a potential trade package.

If Pittsburgh wants to continue to play Jack Johnson, they need to shelter him on the third pair and have a dominant top four defense core. Brian Dumoulin, Letang, Muzzin, and Schultz would be just that. Acquiring Muzzin would give the Penguins the best defense core of the Crosby/Malkin era.

In a potential playoff matchup with Tampa Bay or Toronto, you will likely need two great pairs to slow down the elite forwards on those squads. Muzzin and Schultz as a second defense pair would be an enormous — and perhaps an essential — luxury for these Penguins to get back to the big dance this June.

Thanks for reading!