From the end of October until the end of December, the Pittsburgh Penguins were inching closer to the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference due to a 14-9-4 record in 27 games. Unfortunately, that solid run has been sandwiched between a 3-7-1 record at the beginning of the season and a 3-5-3 record over their last 11 games.
The Penguins have already made a prudent move by sending struggling netminder Tristan Jarry through waivers a few days ago but that may only be the start of larger things to come. According to a report from Marco D’Amico from RG.org, and corroborated by other outlets, Pittsburgh is reportedly leaning toward a full-scale fire sale at this year’s trade deadline.
It’s easier to list the names of those reported not on the trade block rather than those that are. D’Amico asserts that a source close to the Penguins believes Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Philip Tomasino, and Owen Pickering are the only players Pittsburgh has no interest in moving.
Using deductive reasoning, not only are the Penguins considering moving on from pending unrestricted free agents such as Marcus Pettersson, Matt Grzelcyk, and Anthony Beauvillier, but will additionally dangle those with length left on their deals such as Rickard Rakell, Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, and Ryan Graves.
Considering his mild eight-team no-trade clause, Pittsburgh will likely have the easiest time moving Rakell if they go that route. Aside from a tepid season last year, he’s been a productive forward for the Penguins, since being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in 2021-22.
It will be more challenging to determine the market for Karlsson and Letang. However, it is not unusual for a player with multiple years remaining on their contract and a full no-movement clause to be traded at the deadline. A recent example is the Vegas Golden Knights’ acquisition of Tomáš Hertl last year.
Still, considering Karlsson is making a hefty $10MM salary until 2026-27, and the fact that Letang isn’t playing up to his $6.1MM salary, it’s more than likely these trades will have better traction in the offseason. Pittsburgh will have to retain salary in any deal for either defenseman but D’Amico didn’t indicate the Penguins had any desire to do so at the time being.
Navigating the current situation is quite challenging for Pittsburgh. The team needs to balance the goal of remaining competitive during the final years of Crosby’s career while also considering their future. Currently, they find themselves in a difficult position, sitting 13th in the Eastern Conference, while only projected to have the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
There’s room for change on either front given there are 33 games left in the regular season but the Penguins will have to choose a direction relatively soon considering the magnitude of any hypothetical trade. At any rate, it’ll be unfamiliar territory for general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas.
They should sell everything not nailed down, but I consider Letang nailed down unless he wants to leave.
Erik Karlsson to Senators?
A bunch of players who will generate little interest and limited draft picks in return. But at least they have Malkin and Crosby who apparently have no interest in playing in the playoffs ever again.
Rakell and Pettersson should have a fair amount of suitors. Return on Pettersson won’t be franchise changing due to impending FA but will still garner plenty of interest. Grzelcyk has had a solid season and could generate a decent pick as well.
I don’t think the fire sale is about getting players to get them to the playoffs next season as much as it is gathering future assets and cap space
Yes, the pens need to tear it down. It’s been a great run during the Crosby era, but it’s time to sell it all and start anew. I get holding onto Sid and Malkin, but the rest need to go so the team can start building another championship roster.
Unless they trade Crosby, it won’t really matter much at all. And nobody wants to see him spend the last couple years of his career on the worst team in the league.
A lengthy rebuild is really the only answer.
Makes no sense Crosby or Malkin would want to stay, makes no sense pitts should want to keep them
Loyalty on both sides
So all that’s left is to limit the damage of moving out the big-$$$ guys & hope someone is willing to absorb maximum amounts of the dead weight contracts. Sad, but we all knew this day was coming.
Malkin needs to be made available. He should have been dealt 2 years ago.
He’ll retire after next year anyway and he’s still a solid if not elite contributor
He should have been dealt like 5 years ago when the getting would have been good.
when Rutherford wanted to trade him, and left the team when he was told no. Hey im just repeating the rumor.
It was Letang supposedly and even that was squashed
ah. well it made sense.
Neither the Tribune or Josh Yohe at the Athletic say anything about this. The cited RG article says “An NHL source close to the situation has confirmed to RG”. I dunno, this rumor kind of appeals to fans and seems obvious but doesn’t sound too credible if not confirmed by guys on the beat
I don’t think it’s far fetched regardless
Rakell & Pettersson will be the big assets in trading as there will be contending teams interested in these two particular players.
Players like Karlsson, Letang & Graves are going to be hard sells for various reasons. Like the article states, those 3 particular players will probably be better to move during the offseason rather than the trade deadline.
In 2002, we got a guy named Randy Robitaille, who had never done a thing in his career to that point, and he scored 30 points in 40 games for us.
Last season, our best hockey came after the deadline and trading Jake, etc.
Selling doesn’t have to mean quitting, it can mean shuffling.
This team is stale and does need to build assets, so yeah, trade anything you can get value for (aside from the obvious cast, and I question 58 being listed) and have a plan to backfill them. Bring up WBS kids or take on salary dumps.
Having said that, they might also be looking at how few teams stand between them and a top pick…it wouldn’t be hard to get there if you decide to go that way…just bring Jarry back up. I’d rather churn the roster and take a shot at a fluke run than tank, but the end results are statistically likely the be the same.
There are a few players who look like they could be franchise guys and one guy, Porter Martone, who could give Sid a whole new life on his wing.
Hindsight is 20/20 but historically the Pens haven’t had great luck with trading valued players for anything more than AHL/overseas players- look back at the Straka and Jagr trades just to name a couple
Only one I can find that was a good return wasn’t the initial deal but trading Kovalev, Mikael Samuelsson was a player received in a package for Alexei, then they traded Samuelsson a 1st rounder and a 2nd for the 1st round that ended up being Marc-Andre Fleury and 3rd rounder ended up being Carcillo
The teardown will be necessary, and painful, and long. No, the team does NOT have to “balance … remaining competitive” during Sid’s last years, because they won’t be — short of him playing well into his forties, and what does he have left to prove? — any more than they have been for the last three seasons running. (If they’d started three offseasons ago, like they should have, then no, Sid wouldn’t have to finish his career on a losing team, but that ship done sailed.)
Karlsson, hrm. Who’d want him? Sure, he’s still providing offense, but he’s not at all physical now, and there’s still that monstrous contract for two more seasons. Most teams would need a bribe to take him, and Pittsburgh just cannot cannot cannot afford to give up ANY useful asset as a bribe.
Letang? What’s his incentive to waive his NMC? He’s got two rings and nineteen seasons in Pittsburgh. But beyond that, who’d want him? Three years remaining on a contract well above market for what he still brings to the table.
Anyone else, sure. Rakell’s value won’t be higher, especially.
Still don’t understand the “why minimize the number of irrelevant seasons Sid can play when you can maximize them and better those years be in his mid 30’s instead of his late 30’s” argument but OK.
The Bruins have fired their coach (who is doing quite well elsewhere) and the initial bump has vanished and now they are falling behind OTT and even MON is right there with them in the standings…so obviously now is the time to trade off their pieces before they become the Pens of Beantown, right?
They blew it when they were top tier contenders the past few years and now they are just hanging on to be a bubble team while their key trade pieces age.
It’s not like there’s even a legacy issue stopping them, none of these players have won a thing for Boston, besides Marchand.
Clearly, after not learning from the Pens’ successes as to how to maximize a championship window with multiple Cup victories, they should at least learn from the Pens’ “mistakes”, right?
No doubt you agree, as you have quite consistently espoused this exact team building philosophy.
Actually, I just saw this…the Pens are the only team in the East with a worse goal differential than the Bruins. The Pens have had the worst goaltending in the league, so in theory, the Bruins might well be the worst team in the East in that regard if not for Swayman papering over their issues.
Us Penguins are doomed on our sinking ship, but you have time to jettison Pasta and McAvoy and Swayman, etc. before it’s too late.
You really are obsessed with “whaddaboutism,” aren’t you? Did I miss something, and Brennan was really writing about the Bruins instead?
No, I’m just aware of “do as I say, not as I do.” “Rebuilds for thee, milking every last drop of contention for me.”
If one won’t follow their own advice, it rings hollow.
Should the Bruins make the same mistake the Pens made or should they tear it down and begin the rebuild before it’s too late?
It’s been a long time coming. I remember the days when Pittsburgh blew up the team, sat at league bottom for a few years, then drafted Crosby. They bunch a bunch of cups, sold a ton of merch… But now the cycle continues.
Our first rebuild netted us the best player ever.
The second rebuild netted us the second best player ever (and Geno and Flower and Staal).
I don’t like our odds of getting as lucky again.
Yeah but like any league nowadays the only way to rise is to bottom out and hope you get generational talent. It’s the ultimate rock and a hard place but at least the front office can point to some modicum of a plan if they pull the plug.
Gimme Malkin.
Don’t know how to make it work for Toronto, but he’s perfect.
Love Geno, but he’s not what TOR needs.
For years, Letang has been what they’d (theoretically) need. Not sure if he still is, but…
Rust is actually the guy the Leafs need. Winner, clutch, gritty, etc.
Letang, yes. Too old now.
Toronto does have a serious need for a 3C who can play some 2C, which they haven’t really addressed long-term since Kadri left.
Rebuilding on the fly when Cap strapped is a must hit on every signing and trade. What we have seen is Dubas has missed more than he hit. With that said, you must own those & make counter moves. He now is very hesitant & must make the best trades moving forward. As for the untouchables, Id tell them with the trades, futures in AHL & FA cap space Im going to try to make a team to compete, but you want one more shot at the Cup?! You & your agent tell me the team & ill try to get the deal done.
2 observations to attempt to make a case against this. Mostly devils advocate.
1. They have 180 goals against. 2nd worst in league and like they’re wayyyy more goals against than most of the league. Jarry is gone. That can get better.
2. Their 8 OTL’s if all gone the other way for a win, they’d be in 3rd place in the division. It can get better.
A team like Colorado- looking for insurance in case of a Rantanen defection this summer – could add some scoring depth by trading for 3-years of Rust; give them Nikushkin & they get Olausson for their trouble…