3 Pittsburgh Penguins Trade Candidates As Changes Continue
The Pittsburgh Penguins are far from a finished product, and president Kyle Dubas has been busy of late, trying to retool his roster on the fly.
Since Dubas arrived in Pittsburgh, he's been solely focused on icing a competitive team, while also trying to create a younger core who can take over the reigns once Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang hang them up. The Penguins have made some significant roster changes these past two seasons, and expect much of the same to continue this season.
Here's three Penguins trade candidates heading into next season:
Erik Karlsson
Karlsson has been on the trade block for over two years, and for now, remains a Penguin. He's found his game once again, being a two-way threat, who is one of the best skaters in the league. The veteran blueliner is signed for just next season at $10 million AAV, and owns a no-movement clause, controlling his own destiny. Word is the San Jose Sharks and Penguins had a deal in place, but it fell through once Darnell Nurse opened up about joining the Sharks.
Ryan Graves
One of the worst free-agent signings in hockey these past few years, Ryan Graves hasn't been able to find a home with the Penguins. This season, he'll head to training camp to try and stick with the big club, and avoid riding the buses of the AHL. Graves, 31, is signed through the 2029 season at $4.5 million AAV, and owns a eight-team no-trade list. Graves posted one goal in 22 games last season.
Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell
Four for the price of three. Rust and Rakell have been on the trade block all summer long and there's been times where deals were very close to completion. Dubas tried hard to move up the first round and was using these two veteran forwards as trade bait, but unfortunately, nobody was biting. Rust doesn't have trade protection, with two years left on his deal, meanwhile, Rakell owns a eight-team no-trade clause. Rust has been linked to the Detroit Red Wings, and Rakell was being linked to the Edmonton Oilers recently.