The Penguins are a far worse team after these trades. FAR worse.

Have 6M in cap space for deadline move.

Doesn't really matter if Pens have the cap to sign Reilly. Reilly can sign with 32 teams next season.....realistically six. Pens shouldn't be giving on Marino just the hope of signing Reilly.

The Roster is TERRIBLE

and you have 6mil to improve it

As the Sage of Georgian Bay says, you shouldn't be giving up on John Marino to sign Morgan Rielly. Rielly is nice as an addition, but not an exchange.

That's now how you operate a team and $6M is not enough to undo how bad this team is.

Correct. Also, when you're a team that already has five left-handed dmen under contract while actively looking to reduce the number of left-handed dmen on your roster, moving out a position that creates a hole to add to a position of surplus doesn't make much sense.

Pens decline. This takes from a position of weakness to improve a position of strength. It makes no sense and you’re basically slamming the window shut after this year because I can’t see Reilly not testing FA. He’s an elite LHD, but it would be much wiser keeping Marino and using the cap space we don’t use to sign a high priced Reilly to get Letang, Rust, Dumo, Geno, and Kapanen signed to extensions.