The Pittsburgh Pirates are not interested in acquiring a third defensemen in free agency.
It’s that simple.
While they are trying to bring in a third player in free, the Penguins have also tried to make the most of the opportunity by acquiring another defenseman to fill the void.
That includes acquiring defenseman Anthony Duclair from the Boston Bruins.
Duclair has been on the trade market since the trade deadline, and the Penguins were able to get him for a pair of draft picks and two prospects, both of which the organization used to acquire defenseman Justin Schultz.
Duclair, 26, was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Bruins in 2013, and spent most of his first season in Providence before signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
After spending his first two years with Providence, Duclair had two more seasons in Providence, finishing the 2016-17 season with 18 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 66 games.
He also recorded nine penalty minutes.
Ducla signed with the Boston Red Sox as an unrestricted free agent on Feb. 28, 2018.
The Red Sox signed him to a three-year contract in March.
Ducla was able to work his way up to the NHL this season, finishing with 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) and a plus-18 rating.