3 Pittsburgh Penguins Expected To Be Traded This Season
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a team to watch on the trade market this season, and the flurry of moves could be starting sooner, than later. President Kyle Dubas is open to moving out some of his veteran players, and recent reports from Elliotte Friedman have certainly turned up the heat on trade talks.
The Penguins are off to a tough start to the season, and even though they've recently been linked to Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, it's very unlikely to see Dubas add Hellebuyck, when he wants to make his roster younger.
Instead, expect to see Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Erik Karlsson traded throughout this season, leading up to March's trade deadline. The Penguins are off to a 3-6-1 start after 10 games and because of their lack of defensive structure, or strong goaltending, seem to be in trouble to contend for a playoff spot.
Trade talks are expected to continue to heat up over the course of the next two weeks, as teams now know that Rust and Rakell are readily available. Rust doesn't own any trade protection and is signed through next season at $5.1 million AAV, while Rakell owns a eight-team no-trade clause, and is also signed through next season at $5 million cap hit. Meanwhile, Karlsson is a pending UFA, who will have a major chunk of his $10 million cap hit retained by Dubas and the Pens, allowing for a better trade return for the mobile defenceman. While the Toronto Maple Leafs will have some trade interest in both Rust and Karlsson, there's a better chance of seeing them wait out Karlsson, and sign him in July once he hits the open market.
Rakell has been linked to the Edmonton Oilers, but at this point, talks haven't advanced. A few other teams to consider would be the Seattle Kraken, Carolina Hurricanes, and Boston Bruins.
The Penguins continue to work the phones, as Dubas wants to make his roster younger, and give some of his top prospects some consistent NHL minutes. Such a weird game plan considering Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin still got it.