NHL trade: Penguins acquire AHL MVP Artūrs Šilovs from Canucks in surprise offseason trade

Imagine winning a championship, earning Playoff MVP, and getting shipped out right after. That’s the exact plot twist Artūrs Šilovs just lived. Fresh off carrying Abbotsford to a Calder Cup win, the Vancouver Canucks sent their breakout goalie to the Pittsburgh Penguins and hockey fans are trying to make sense of it.Is it a rebuild move? A roster squeeze? A masterclass steal by Pittsburgh? Either way, Šilovs might be the hottest goalie traded this offseason.

Artūrs Šilovs went from minor league MVP to trade bait overnight

Šilovs wasn’t just good in the AHL playoffs, he was absolutely lights out. The 24-year-old Latvian brick wall posted a .931 save percentage and five shutouts in 24 games, tying an AHL playoff record and earning the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as postseason MVP.He carried Abbotsford (Vancouver’s AHL affiliate) through every elimination game and stood tall under pressure.

Fans were ready to see him as the next big name in Vancouver’s crease. And then, boom. Trade alert.

Canucks send him to Pittsburgh for a pick and a prospect

The deal went down quietly:

Not exactly blockbuster buzz, but the potential is huge. Šilovs had already played 10 NHL games with Vancouver but was stuck behind Thatcher Demko and backup Casey DeSmith. Now, in Pittsburgh, he gets a chance to compete for real NHL minutes and maybe more.

Penguins might’ve just landed a future star on a budget deal

Pittsburgh’s goalie situation isn’t locked in, which means Šilovs could carve out a legit role this season.

He’s only 24, he’s signed through 2025–26 at a super team-friendly $850K cap hit, and he’s got playoff swagger built in.If he finds his groove in the NHL like he did in the AHL? This could look like one of those “how did they pull that off?” trades in a year. This wasn’t a headline-grabbing, flashy NHL trade. But it might be one of the smartest ones.Šilovs is coming in hot, literally MVP-hot and ready to prove he’s more than just AHL elite. If he gets even a little runway in Pittsburgh, don’t be surprised if the kid from Latvia starts stealing NHL games by December.Also read - NHL insiders think Sidney Crosby could be traded and this time, it’s not a hot take