LIVE BLOG: #NHL Trade Deadline Day

Where will Brian Gibbons end up within the Penguins organization?

UPDATE ( 1:59 p.m. ET): The Penguins made their first move, acquiring forward Marcel Goc from the Florida Panthers in exchange for their 3rd round pick 2015 in and their 5th round pick in 2014. With Hemsky off the table, the Penguins bolster their bottom-six with a two-way forward in Goc, who has added 23 points (11G-12A) in 62 games with the Panthers this season. The price is the same that Hemsky got from Ottawa for Edmonton.

The importance, Rob Rossi says, is that the Penguins still have this year's 3rd round pick and could make a push for Ryan Kesler. Only an hour left until the 3 p.m. deadline. Buckle up.

Guys like center David Legwand of Nashville and left wing Tuomo Ruutu of Carolina are picking up trade buzz. 

TSN's Bob McKenzie says the Penguins are interested in Legwand, while Kevin Weekes, Co-host on CBC Hockey Night In Canada, says that Ruutu is very much in play and a deal is pending with the New Jersey Devils. (Edit: Devils acquired Ruutu for Andrei Loktionov and a conditional 2017-3rd round pick).

Update (12:30 p.m. ET): The Penguins missed out on the Ales Hemsky sweepstakes, as Hemsky was sent to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 3rd round pick in 2015 and a 5th round pick in 2014. The Oilers are also paying half of Hemsky's remaining salary. The Senators waived forward Cory Conacher yesterday to make room for Hemsky, so as of now it doesn't appear that the Binghamton Senators will be losing a forward to their NHL club for the time being.

Next move for the Penguins? Elliot Friedman thinks the Pens are going after current New York Islanders left wing Tomas Vanek. Tribune Review's Josh Yohe has denied those thoughts saying that the Pens aren't in on Vanek. Rob Rossi is saying in his latest Pens trade update that Ryan Kesler might be staying put in Vancouver until this summer and that Shero not willing to trade Derrick Pouliot.

It's that time of year again. I'll be updating this post throughout the afternoon with any trades affecting the Penguins organization as well as some AHL trades that affect the WBS Penguins.

If not dealt before today's deadline, Simon Despres, Brian Gibbons and even Chuck Kobasew, who cleared waivers and remained with Pittsburgh, must be re-assigned to the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before 3 p.m. ET or they will remain with Pittsburgh the rest of the year. Any player on an NHL roster at Wednesday afternoon's trading deadline is ineligible to play in the AHL the rest of the 2013-14 season, including the 2014 Calder Cup Playoffs.

The Penguins (as Rob Rossi of Pittsburgh's Tribune-Review has reported all week) have interest in Vancouver Canucks center Ryan Kesler. From Rossi's updates on the Penguins trade deadline situation:

The Penguins have offered Vancouver a package that includes C Brandon Sutter, either of Ds Simon Despres or Brian Dumoulin, and their first- and third-round picks at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. That they are willing now to soften on their stance against including D Derrick Pouliot, a first-round pick from 2012, is an indication of just how badly they want Kesler.

The Penguins prefer to keep defensive prospects Derrick Pouliot and Scott Harrington and instead surrender picks, but those parameters could change to close a deal for Kesler. Also, it is possible the deal could involve more players from both sides, similar to the one that helped the Penguins land Marian Hossa six years ago.

There are also claims that the Penguins have talked with the Edmonton Oilers about right wing Ales Hemsky as ESPN.com NHL columnist and TSN Hockey Insider Pierre Lebrun, as well as Rossi, have said the Penguins might be interested in Hemsky. The current asking price by the Oilers for Hemsky is reported to be a second round draft pick, which the Penguins don't have (traded for Douglas Murray last season).

The bottom line: If the Penguins are going to acquire either of the two aforementioned forwards, or even bolster their forward depth with a different option, a Penguins defenseman prospect and/or draft pick will likely be involved.

Here's a look at the current organizational depth chart:

NHL

Kunitz - Crosby - Gibbons
Jokinen - Malkin - Neal
Pyatt - Sutter - Vitale
Glass - Adams - Kobasew

Injured: Beau Bennett, Chris Conner, Pascal Dupuis

Brooks Orpik - Olli Maatta
Matt Niskanen - Robert Scuderi
Simon Despres - Robert Bortuzzo
Deryk Engelland

Injured: Kris Letang, Paul Martin

AHL

Dominik Uher - Andrew Ebbett - Spencer Machacek
Harry Zolnierczyk - Nick Drazenovic - Tom Kostopoulos
Adam Payerl - Denver Manderson - Jayson Megna
Bobby Farnham - Mike Carman - Pierre-Luc Leblond
Tom Kuhnhackl - Anton Zlobin

Injured: Zach Sill

Philip Samuelsson - Reid McNeill
Scott Harrington - Brendan Mikkelson
Nick D'Agostino - Harrison Ruopp
Barry Goers

Injured: Brian Dumoulin