The Pittsburgh Penguins may not be ready to slam the door on the season, but they do sound like a team that could be willing to listen.
That was the takeaway from Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, where the Penguins’ direction came up as a possible seller if the season keeps trending the wrong way. With Pittsburgh sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Pagnotta said the club has pieces that could draw real interest from contenders looking for offense.
“the Pittsburgh Penguins are in an interesting position to capitalize on the market right now because they have assets that they’re willing to move.”
Two names sit right at the center of that conversation: Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. Both have one year left on their contracts, with cap hits in the $5 million and change to $6 million range.
Rakell also carries no-trade protection, while Rust does not. Pagnotta noted that both players were already on the radar last season and remain attractive options for teams this year.
Erik Karlsson is another player to keep an eye on, though Pagnotta framed him as more of a later-season possibility. The timing, in his view, depends on how the Penguins’ year unfolds and how the organization evaluates its place in the standings.
At the same time, Pittsburgh is looking to get younger and create room for some of its prospects. Pagnotta said the team wants to give young players a chance to get NHL reps while also working with a mix of pending unrestricted free agents.
That’s why he doesn’t expect one clean, all-at-once move if the Penguins decide to pivot. Instead, he suggested the process could unfold in pieces over the course of the season.
“if they remain where they are right now, which is near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, don’t be shocked if we see multiple moves coming from this team sporadically throughout the season, because other teams know that they’re open for business to a certain extent.”
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