LAS VEGAS - The Penguins are about to become a major player in the NHL rumor mill, and not in the fun way.
A report says Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas is prepared to move veteran pieces and open room for the young players in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. That makes the Penguins one of the most watched teams in the league right now, especially after another rough night in Vegas and the kind of locker room reaction that usually tells you plenty without needing to say much at all.
The timing is notable. The Penguins are off today, which means there won’t be a quick chance to press anyone on the report.
A question for Sidney Crosby was at least discussed after the game, but the night was already a mess, and it wasn’t the right moment. The last time Pittsburgh got pulled into this kind of trade chatter, it was leading into the Jake Guentzel deal, and the aftermath was just as ugly as people remember.
That’s the backdrop for a team already dealing with a bad look on the ice. The postgame report card from Saturday didn’t hand out grades, but the message was clear enough: the problems were real, and the conclusions were blunt. The game recap dug into the Penguins’ goals against, and the report card went even harder, calling out the issues on the ice and what they mean for the team’s situation.
There was also a small detail buried in Friedman’s report that stood out, at least to this writer. It may be nothing, or it may be a subtle clue about where the information came from.
Elsewhere around the NHL, the trade board is heating up fast. Sportsnet reported that Connor Hellebuyck’s suspension ends on Friday, and the reaction around Winnipeg has already started to build. The question now is what the organization does next.
Then there’s Detroit, where John Buccigross said he has a little inside info and suggested Dylan Larkin could be moved within a week to 10 days. If that happens, the Red Wings and their situation will suddenly look very different.
Philadelphia, at least, can breathe a little easier for one night. The Flyers finally won a game, but the biggest story came before puck drop: broadcaster Jason Myrtetus, who is battling stage four cancer, delivered the pregame message to the team.
His message was simple: Effort. The words clearly hit home in the locker room.
And in New Jersey, the Devils were getting called out for their own defensive issues, because the Penguins are not the only Metro team stumbling through that part of the game.
One more name to keep in mind: The Athletic’s Harman Dayal included Erik Karlsson in his list of five players who could be on the market by the trade deadline. When the rumor traffic picks up like this, Pittsburgh is right in the middle of it.
In Other News...
Penguins Roster Pivot Could Put A Familiar Veteran On The Block
The Penguins appear to be at a familiar crossroads again, weighing whether to keep leaning on veteran talent or start carving out more room for the next wave. Reports around the league have Pittsburgh exploring trades that would bring back draft picks or prospects, a move that would also open up more ice time for younger players while putting several established names into the conversation.
Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Andrei Kuzmenko, Samuel Girard and Erik Karlsson have all come up as possible pieces, with Karlsson standing out because of both his status and his contract situation. He is in the final year of his deal, and Pittsburgh has the salary retention flexibility to make a deal more workable if the season tilts further away from contention and he agrees to the kind of move that would have the most ripple effect on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Prospect Helped Drive A Win Fans Will Want To Notice
Special teams took center stage in Wilkes-Barre, and the Penguins got exactly the kind of night they hope can fuel a deeper look down the organization. In a 6-3 win over the Cleveland Monsters, the power play kept finding openings, giving the Baby Pens a chance to tilt the game in a way that stood out beyond the final score.
Mikhail Ilyin was right in the middle of it, and the rookie forward gave the Penguins a performance worth noting. He finished with a goal and three assists, a big night for a player still trying to carve out his place while Wilkes-Barre/Scranton continues to sort through a game where the man advantage became a major storyline on both sides. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Trade Radar Just Raised One Big Penguins Deadline Question
The Penguins willingness to listen on veteran forwards has already turned this deadline season into a live question about how far the front office wants to go in reshaping the roster. Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell have both been mentioned in trade chatter, with the idea being that moving established pieces could open more ice time for younger players while also bringing back draft capital and prospects.
Edmonton has now been folded into that discussion as a club looking for help on the wing, which only adds another layer to Pittsburghs decision-making. Rust stands out as the cleaner fit in that kind of market, while Erik Karlsson has also been floated as part of the broader picture, and the Oilers interest reinforces how many moving parts could still define the Penguins deadline rather than settling it. [Read more 🡒]