Penguins Trade Tiers: Sleeper Candidates and Splash Trades

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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins are playing winning hockey late, and it’s coming at a pivotal time. After floundering after the All-Star break, the Penguins suddenly have life again. General manager Kyle Dubas stated the team’s play will dictate the moves he makes, but have they done enough to prove they have a chance? With their team still in limbo, what players are more likely to go, and who stays put at the deadline?

MUST KEEP

• Sidney Crosby
• Evgeni Malkin
• Erik Karlsson
• Kris Letang
• Marcus Pettersson

The core in Pittsburgh remains intact for another run, regardless of how this season plays out. The group of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang are simply not going anywhere. Period.

The stand out in this group, however, is Marcus Pettersson. A year ago, he was a trade candidate and has made himself an indispensable part of the organization. He can steady any of the Penguins’ high-flying defenders, and he’s signed to a bargain deal for another season. The league is surely inquiring about Pettersson’s availability, to which Dubas is promptly hanging up.

SELL HIGH

• Tristan Jarry
• Jake Guentzel
• Lars Eller
• Alex Nedeljkovic

Jake Guentzel has the most buzz of this group, with a majority believing the Penguins will trade their high-scoring winger. Between Lars Eller and their goaltending tandem, the team has a few players with rising stocks around the league.

A dark horse candidate to be moved is goaltender Tristan Jarry. Jarry leads the league in shutouts this season amidst a bounce-back campaign. With several contenders in need of goaltending combined with the market for goaltending always being sky-high, the Penguins should listen to any calls they get from either of their goaltenders. In addition, he has a very manageable salary cap hit. If the goal is to acquire assets, Jarry could be their best bet.

The same can be said for Alex Nedeljkovic, albeit for a lesser return. Any contending team will look to add to their depth in net, and Nedeljkovic is having a fantastic season in Pittsburgh. He’s on an expiring contract and could net a mid-round draft pick or prospect for the Penguins.

If the Penguins want to sell high on a player, they will look to ship Eller out before the deadline. Last season, he was traded for a second-round pick. He already has more goals this year than last, and he’s been playing his best lately. If teams are willing to pony up a second-rounder again, how can the Penguins pass on that offer?

THINK ABOUT IT

• Bryan Rust
• P.O. Joseph
• Reilly Smith
• Rickard Rakell

This player crop is less likely to be traded because of their play, contracts, or both. Rickard Rakell’s been decent, Reilly Smith isn’t fit, and P.O. Joseph may need another change of scenery to finally get his chance.

The headliner here is Bryan Rust. He’s been excellent when in the lineup this season, playing in each of the top three lines at different points of the season. Signed through the 2027-28 at a respectable cap hit, he’s a prototypical second-line winger coveted around the league. Dubas has been clear that he won’t ask players to waive any no-movement clauses, which Rust has for the next two seasons. For the right price, however, say a first-round draft pick or high-level prospect, Dubas has to think about it, right?

The trade deadline is just over a week away, and the first big domino is yet to fall. Will the Penguins get ahead of the curve, or will they let the next few games play out before making any final roster decisions? In the meantime, they have significant choices to make about multiple players.

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