Elmer Soderblom is heading to Pittsburgh in a deadline-day deal that swaps immediate roster flexibility for a future draft asset, with the Penguins sending a 2026 third-round pick (originally belonging to San Jose) to the Detroit Red Wings before the NHL Trade Deadline at 3: 00 p. m. ET.
What the Penguins got in Elmer Soderblom — and what they gave up
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired forward Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2026 third-round draft pick that originally belonged to San Jose. The transaction was announced by Kyle Dubas, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the Penguins.
Contract details are central to the calculus. Elmer Soderblom is signed through the 2026–27 season, with an average annual value of $1. 125 million. On-ice, the forward has appeared in 39 games this season, recording two goals, one assist, and three points. The 24-year-old stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 252 pounds.
His NHL track record, entirely with Detroit to this point, spans parts of each of the last three seasons. Over 86 career regular-season NHL games, he has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists). Beyond the NHL, he has played 119 career AHL games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, totaling 54 points (23 goals, 31 assists), plus 10 Calder Cup Playoff games over parts of two seasons.
Why Detroit moved Elmer Soderblom less than an hour before the 3: 00 p. m. ET deadline
The timing underscores how compressed the market can become in the final stretch: the deal came less than an hour before the NHL Trade Deadline, which arrives today (Friday at 3: 00 p. m. ET). Detroit framed the trade as a move that adds a future draft asset while continuing a broader roster shuffle tied to both the current playoff race and longer-term planning.
Within that view, converting Elmer Soderblom into a mid-round pick serves a clear organizational purpose: it banks a future selection that can be used directly at the draft or potentially redeployed in later transactions. The third-round pick moved in the deal originally belonged to the San Jose Sharks before being acquired by Pittsburgh, a detail that illustrates how frequently draft assets circulate before deadline day arrives.
Detroit’s front office, led by general manager Steve Yzerman, has been working up against the clock. Whether additional trades were planned before 3: 00 p. m. ET was not established in the information available, but the move itself signaled continued activity as the deadline approached.
What the numbers and trajectory suggest about the bet on Elmer Soderblom
Elmer Soderblom arrives with a profile built on size, a defined track record across multiple levels, and a contract that runs through 2026–27. Detroit originally drafted him in the sixth round (159th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft.
Before playing in North America, the Gothenburg, Sweden native spent parts of three seasons (2019–22) with Frölunda in the Swedish Hockey League, recording 38 points (24 goals, 14 assists) in 90 career regular-season games. Internationally, he represented Sweden at the 2021 World Junior Championship and the 2019 World Under-18 Championship, where he won a gold medal.
The trade crystallizes a straightforward exchange of priorities at a high-pressure moment: Pittsburgh adds a signed forward with NHL and AHL experience, while Detroit takes back a future pick, opting to turn a distinctive roster piece into draft capital just before the 3: 00 p. m. ET deadline.
