The early NHL trade board already has a familiar name near the top, and it’s not a surprise to anyone watching Pittsburgh. Erik Karlsson is the Penguins defenseman drawing the spotlight as the season opens, with Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson placing him among the top 15 trade targets. Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust also landed on the honorable mention list.
That Penguins storyline fits into a bigger picture that’s starting to come into focus in Pittsburgh: the rebuild is not going to be short on bodies, or on choices. The issue, as the next 12 months unfold, may be less about finding options and more about sorting through too many of them. The roster picture is described as jammed, but still interesting, and the competition for spots could be crowded in a hurry.
Around the league, another name generating plenty of attention is Connor Hellebuyck. The Winnipeg Jets are said to be drawing a hard line on the goaltender, refusing to move him unless they get their asking price. In the latest rumor roundup, Detroit is also working to keep Dylan Larkin, while the Jets continue to stand firm on Hellebuyck’s trade request.
New Jersey also made waves with a move that’s already getting strong reviews. The Devils, using part of the haul they got for Simon Nemec, brought in Luke Evangelista from the Nashville Predators in a trade that looks like a bargain for New Jersey. James Nichols has the trade grade, but the early reaction is clear enough: this one favors the Devils.
Elsewhere in the expansion conversation, Houston’s mayor took a shot at Austin while making the case for an NHL team in his city. It wasn’t exactly a diss track, but the message was pointed as the two cities jockey for position in the race for a future franchise.
A few other contract and roster situations are also worth watching. Ottawa hasn’t had any trade rumors swirl around Drake Batherson, but Bruce Garrioch wrote that the Senators need to get him signed soon before the noise starts.
In Anaheim, Cutter Gauthier remains unsigned after a busy offseason, though the Ducks are also preparing to honor Ryan Getzlaf by retiring his No. 15.
Back in Pittsburgh, there was also some site news worth noting: a new subscriber platform has launched, with account management, help, and PHN+ content set to return there.
In Other News...
Penguins Still Carry One Unsettling Problem Into This Season
Jonathan Huberdeaus offseason has taken an unwelcome turn, with the winger now facing a setback after surgery and set to miss training camp. For a team trying to get its legs under it before the pace of the new season starts, any delay in a players ramp-up matters, especially when camp is where new lines, roles and expectations begin to take shape.
The Penguins also have to sort through the usual swirl of roster chatter, with trade rumors around Kirill Marchenko and reported interest in a free-agent winger adding another layer of uncertainty. None of that is unusual this time of year, but it does leave Pittsburgh with a familiar question hanging over the roster picture: whether the next move will add clarity or just create another decision that has to wait. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Face A Bigger Dan Muse Test In Year Two
The first year of the Mike Muse era gave the Penguins plenty to build on. Pittsburgh snapped its three-year playoff drought, finished with 98 points and even put Muse in the mix as a Jack Adams Award finalist, a strong opening act for a rookie head coach stepping into a team trying to bridge veteran expectations with younger talent that still needed time to grow. There were career years sprinkled throughout the roster, which helped stabilize a season that otherwise could have gone off course in a hurry.
Year two, though, is where the real test usually starts in Pittsburgh. The franchise has seen enough coaching second acts to know the follow-up season can be the harder one, and Muse will have to show he can keep the group moving forward while smoothing out some of the rough edges from last year, including a run of unsuccessful goalie interference challenges that became part of the backdrop. With veterans and younger players both needing the right kind of development, the question now is less about whether the Penguins can surprise and more about whether Muse can turn a good first step into something lasting. [Read more 🡒]