The trade deadline looms and is now less than two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Being one of the game’s most recent dynasties, and housing one of the greatest players in NHL history, expectations are always high for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Not reaching the Conference Finals since their Stanley Cup victory in 2017, the Penguins are looking to squeeze out the last few seasons of their generational talents such as captain Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Dealing with the ramifications of contending for so long, the Penguins no longer have the pipeline of young players they can bring into the lineup. Surviving mostly on the supplementation of college signings, the Penguins have only drafted in the first round three times in the last decade.
With a tight cap situation, and a lack of young assets to dangle, GM Ron Hextall will have quite a lot of work to do in the coming days in Pittsburgh. Serving at the helm since 2021, many of Hextall’s trades have come with mixed reviews. Acquiring players such as Jeff Carter, Jeff Petry, and Rickard Rakell, many of these trades were well received at the onset. However, through injuries or simply underperformance, these players have not been the game-changers that the Penguins may have expected them to be. As things currently sit, the Penguins sit in fifth place in the Metropolitan Division, barely hanging on to the last wild card spot in the East. As their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, and several holes to fill in the lineup, the Penguins will have some hard decisions to make over the next few days.
Record
29-21-9, 5th in Metropolitan
Deadline Status
Conservative Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$1.9MM in full-season cap space today, $2.1MM at the deadline, 0/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2023: PIT 1st, PIT 2nd, NJ 3rd, PIT 5th, PIT 6th, PIT 7th, FLA 7th, TOR 7th
2024: PIT 1st, PIT 2nd, PIT 3rd, PIT 4th, PIT 5th, PIT 6th, PIT 7th
Trade Chips
Taking a page out of their rival, the Washington Capitals, the Penguins should look to deal expiring contracts and any player that is not performing to their cap hit. Although trading underperforming veterans such as Carter and Brock McGinn could prove to be difficult even at their relatively modest cap hits, these are the players that the Penguins must look to move from their roster. Former Penguin Kasperi Kapanen was in a similar situation to these two. In the first year of a 2-year, $6.4MM contract, Kapanen wasn’t able to put it together in Pittsburgh once again this season. After being put on waivers, the St.Louis Blues claimed the forward, absorbing the rest of the contract. Although they didn’t receive anything in return, removing a player that isn’t producing in line with his contract is exactly what this team needs at the moment.
Because their cap hits are relatively modest compared to other underperforming stars, Jeff Carter and Brock McGinn shouldn’t need a world-changing offer to move. A former top-line center for the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings, Carter was acquired from the Kings during the trade deadline of 2021. Already having Crosby and Malkin in the mix, Carter was acquired at the time to provide depth in the Penguins’ bottom six. However, only scoring 21 points this season paired with a dismal -11 +/-, Carter just isn’t living up to the 2-year, $6.25MM contract he signed prior to this year. Being a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Kings, there could be a team willing to acquire Carter as well as his salary to mentor some of their young centers of the future. 
Additionally, since it doesn’t appear that they are going to run to the Cup Final, the Penguins should be looking to move any player not named Tristan Jarry set to hit unrestricted free agency. After several down years, Jason Zucker has had a revitalization of sorts. Scoring 16 goals and 18 assists in 55 games, he has shown this season that he can still be a top-six forward in the NHL. Interestingly enough, after not throwing over 100 hits in any season prior to this one, Zucker has already racked up more than 150. Being able to score goals and throw the body are invaluable to many teams for the playoffs, and the Penguins should net a decent return for the forward if they sell.
Other Potential Trade Chips: F Teddy Blueger, F Danton Heinen, F Josh Archibald, D Brian Dumoulin
Team Needs
1) Top-2 Defenseman: Already a franchise legend, Kris Letang has still been tasked with leading the Penguins from the back end. After acquiring defenseman Jeff Petry from the Montreal Canadiens over the summer, the Penguins were hoping to take some of the stress off of Letang’s shoulders. Unfortunately, even after the addition of Petry, and the signing of Jan Rutta, the Penguins’ defense has continued to look lackluster. The goaltending tandem of Casey DeSmith and Jarry has allowed the Penguins to maintain a respectable 3.20 GA/G over the course of this year, however; the team is also 29th in shots allowed, giving up a total of 2007.
Although Erik Karlsson is a name that many fans would like to see donning the Penguins black-and-gold, his age and contract should be a major hindrance to the Penguins’ brass. Scoring 77 points already this year, Karlsson is still -2 +/-, showing that he is not the complete defenseman that the Penguins need at the moment. A much better alternative resides in Arizona. On a similarly situated team as Karlsson, Jakob Chychrun could be a perfect fit for the Penguins. Only 24, and signed to a relatively low $4.6MM over the next three seasons, Chychrun could benefit tremendously from being paired with Petry or Letang, and also benefit from being on the same power play as Crosby and Malkin.
2) Youth Movement: According to EliteProspects, the Penguins are the second oldest team this season with an average age of 29.9. As their franchise icons grow older, the Penguins must look to fill this team with the next generation. There is a lot of value to be had in draft capital, however; the Penguins should be putting an emphasis on acquiring young players instead of draft picks this trade deadline. Fortunately for the Penguins, Crosby still has the Midas touch. Any player the coaching staff puts around him instantaneously becomes better. Instead of stockpiling picks for players just exiting the college or junior levels, the Penguins should instead look to acquire players that are just on the verge of cracking the NHL. The league is designed in a way that it is hard to make the moves necessary to win three Stanley Cups in a decade and still be sustainable, but if the Penguins are able to re-tool and acquire young players this deadline, they might still have an open window with Crosby on their roster.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Sure Chychrun would fit in Pittsburgh, but I don’t think the Penguins have the assets to get a deal done. They have the first round picks to move, but their prospect pool is thin and they lack the high end prospect that the Coyotes are seeking. Pierre-Olivier Joseph & Drew O’Conner aren’t getting it done
Pickering and 2 1st rd picks should get it done. They could recover some of those assets in another year or so if they flip him again.
Yeah, but *why*? Chychrun is not going to win a Cup for Pittsburgh; he might not even be the difference to get them into the playoffs. Why lose ANY picks if you’re just going to flip him in a year for diminishing returns, having gained not one damn thing in the transaction?
That is a dumb idea trading for Jacob Chychrun. Why? Because is isn’t a durable player. Has missed a ton of games due to injury. He is fragile. Besides, and this is something Penguin fans can’t seem to figure out … there is a cap thing in the NHL and the Pens don’t have cap space. They had to waive Kapanen just to get Rutta off IR. People need to use their heads. Someone taking cap space over 1 mill needs to be going too. You can’t trade just prospects and picks.
That said, the best thing Hextall can do is move players. Chychrun or whoever is out there DOESN’T change things in the first round. This team doesn’t beat Boston. They match up poorly with Carolina, New Jersey, Toronto too . There are other teams that take Pittsburgh in a series. The Rags … probably the Islanders. MOVE players. Dumo should be moved; Blueger should be moved; Petry should be moved. I would move Rust and Letang too. Neither have played good hockey. Jarry? If you aren’t resigning him due to his less than durable thing, move him for picks and prospects. Even if they make the playoffs, they get bounced in first round, so its a total waste of whatever lack of assets we have left.
Carter has a full no movement clause. Unless it’s to a contender he’s not going anywhere
The Pens priority should be looking for Hextall’s replacement.
I swear Hextall is still on Flyers payroll.
To say Rakell has underperformed and Desmith has performed respectfully is just dumb on your part. The pens have to score at least 5 when he’s in net. Also yeah Carter does have a no movement clause so he’s not going anywhere. Do a little more research next time.
Yeah, I was thinking WTH? myself. Rakell’s been healthy this season, and he’s going to score more goals than he’s managed the last five seasons. He’s doing what they hoped he’d do.
The only useful information I learned from this article is the Pens have 6 contract spots available.
CDS has played like a backup goalie. He hasn’t played poorly all year. He has flashed. Common sense says he isn’t built to start eight straight games. He had to do that with Jarry’s fragility. Not rocket science.
As for Rakell playing poorly. Whoever wrote this has zero clue. Dude has been one of the best players on the team.
Dumoulin is the one I’d try to move. There’s no replacement for what Zucker is bringing with his energy and skill and you can at least move up Ty Smith to see if he’s a truly viable piece moving forward. Can play to their semi-fast style of play better as well and you still have size in Ruunta and Petry
The move for the Pens at this point (ASSUMING Jarry has another strong game or two before the deadline) is to upgrade DeSmith and to just find a few new faces for the bottom six.
Someone like Korpisalo, who wouldn’t cost all that much, but could possibly provide starter level goaltending should Jarry get hurt again. Offer a third. Possibly a second if you have to, but keep the first and whichever of the 2nd or 3rd you don’t trade for a backup.
Then just bargain shop for two guys to bring into the bottom six mix. One of them should be able to play center, in case Carter needs to wear a suit to games. Bjugstad, Bonino, this level of player. Offer up some 5th and 6th’s and see what it buys.
Some acquisitions at this level form chemistry with their new clubs and some don’t. Don’t overpay when it’s all a dice roll.
But, at least give Sully a chance to keep Carter and Heinan in the press box or (in Heinan’s case) on waivers or sent back the other way. Dump Friedman, too if he’s still on the 23 man. Ruhwedel and Smith are enough depth.
Some of this is good, other stuff is laughable.
We have no cap room, but lets trade picks for players. We had to waive Kapanen just to get Rutta off IR. Waive Friedman. That gives how much cap room. LOL. Lets trade a second for Korpisolo … where is the cap room coming from? Lets upgrade CDS. Where is he going? Waiving him? Lets get old Bonino, or Bjugstad who sucked here last time. Marvelous ideas. I know third line center needs upgraded, but I hate trading assets for a rental, and old ones for a team that gets bounced in the first round by Boston. Pittsburgh ain’t beating Boston, so save the assets – move Duno, Teddy, Petry, McGinn if you can – Letang is going to be a problem moving forward because he hasn’t played good hockey – same with Rust. Move them for picks and prospects. Jarry? If you aren’t resigning him, move him and restock the farm and reboot the roster in free agency.
“I’m going to die one day, so I might as well walk in front of a bus today.”
“Let’s just tear everything down and make Sid and Geno play out their careers on a rebuild like Mario did because all we have to do is suck and we are GUARANTEED another core of future Cup winning superstars”, right?
Yinzgrates.
Cool story. So lets keep wasting assets on a core that is old and slow and has zero chance winning the Cup anytime soon just to given them a 0.099% chance instead of a 0 chance? Can’t make this up.
Notice, when the Pens won back to back Cups, they had players on the farm that came up that were instrumental in those runs – Murray, Sheary, Rust, Guentzel, Kuhnakl. We have nothing on the farm at all that provides ANYTHING. Why? Because of this throw picks and prospects at rentals and get bounced in the first round. Same thing happens this year. Boston, Carolina, New Jersey, Toronto, Rangers and hell, the Islanders all beat us in a series. Buffalo gives us a run and they aren’t in the playoffs.
We have serious issues. One move doesn’t change crap. Funny, we might be looking for a goalie after this year. People complain about our backup. Don’t make that ill advised deal with Ottawa for Derek Brassard, we have our backup goalie now that could be our starter next year,
Give it a rest people. Time to change things up. I’m sick of this crap to be honest. Geno and Sid have won multiple Cups and we have mortgaged the future to continue this. This would be ill advised this year.
“Geno and Sid have won multiple Cups and we have mortgaged the future to continue this.”
Yes, we have.
Because they’ve earned it.
Meanwhile, the irony of all of these impatient “what have you done for me lately” fair weather bandwagon yinzgrates is that exactly none of them will actually support the team during the rebuild they constantly whine for…
None.
Didn’t see any of them there when I was one of a few thousand watching Milan Kraft and Rico Fata and they won’t be there when the next Edzo era begins, either.
Sid and Geno have earned the right to play on the best possible teams we can reasonably put around them while they are still great.
Great run! 3 Cups with Sid, Malkin & Letang on the roster. But it’s over now. So similar to the Hawks & Toews, Kane & Keith. Neither team will be relevant for the next half a decade.
This is exactly right. We should be selling to restock the farm and rebooting. Brining the band back wasn’t so smart. The last I want to see Hextall do is trade our first this year and next for a rental when this team loses to Boston in first round regardless. Wasted assets.
I like how it’s mentioned pittsburgh doesn’t need a defenceman like Karlsson cause he is
-2 with 77 points and not a complete defenceman. Yet we have Letang who is -14 with 27 points. I think this year’s biggest blunder is resigning Letang and Malkin to sell jerseys. Carter played a better game when he was centering the second line and Malkin out. Malkin point count is mostly PP points.