The Pittsburgh Penguins are making their intentions clear: if the right deal comes along, some veteran pieces could be on the move as the club tries to open up more ice time for younger players.
Kyle Dubas is actively looking for future assets, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on “Saturday Headlines” that Pittsburgh is willing to part with a veteran forward in exchange for draft picks or prospects as the team shifts toward a younger roster.
“Pittsburgh has made it clear they would move a veteran forward for draft picks or prospects to give their younger players more opportunity, as they continue to transition to a younger roster,” Friedman said.
Among the names already drawing attention are Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, who has an eight-team no-trade list. Both forwards have one more year left on their contracts after this season, and both have been tied to trade talk since last year, when other teams checked on their availability.
Andrei Kuzmenko and defenceman Samuel Girard are also candidates to be moved. Both are on expiring contracts, which makes them natural pieces for a team looking to add around the edges of its future.
Erik Karlsson is another major name to watch. He’s in the final year of his current deal and could become a serious trade option if Pittsburgh slips out of the playoff race later this season. Karlsson carries a $10 million salary cap hit, and the Penguins could retain as much as half of that to help get a deal done if he agrees to waive his no-movement clause.
Pittsburgh still has two salary retention slots available, giving Dubas some flexibility if the team decides to use the roster as a source of long-term value.
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