The Pittsburgh Penguins were stockpiling draft picks as the team made a series of deals before Friday's NHL trade deadline.
Penguins left-winger Michael Bunting underwent surgery to remove his appendix yesterday, head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters, including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Less than 30 minutes after making a smaller trade, shipping out Vincent Desharnais for a mid-round pick, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas made the bigger deal, trading Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Nashville Predators for center Tommy Novak and defenseman Luke Schenn.