The Pittsburgh Penguins made a significant move Friday night, trading defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor to the Vancouver Canucks. The deal marks the first of what is expected to be several moves by the Penguins leading up to the March 7 trade deadline. Noting the team is open for business, expect the Penguins to be rumored in several trade discussions.
According to NHL insiders Kate Petterson and David Pagnotta on “The Latest” podcast, Pittsburgh is actively engaged in trade discussions and open to making further roster changes. Pagnotta emphasized on Saturday’s trade recap edition that Friday’s move is just the beginning for general manager Kyle Dubas and the Penguins’ front office.
“They’re not done,” Pagnotta stated. “We’ve talked about it. They got a lot of pieces and balls up in the air. This obviously checks a couple of their boxes by moving out Pettersson and O’Connor, who we talked about; they’ve been available for some time.”
Who Are the Penguins Taking The Most Trade Calls On?
Rakell and Bunting Generating Interest?
Among the names drawing trade interest are forwards Michael Bunting, Rickard Rakell, and defenseman Erik Karlsson. Karlsson seems unlikely, given his contract and the Penguin’s lack of desire to retain his salary. Rakell and Bunting might be intriguing options for teams.
The Penguins remain hesitant to part with certain pieces, especially if the return isn’t right. In the case of Rakell and Bunting, neither is a pending UFA.
However, the Penguins still have plenty of rental options available. All of Anthony Beauvillier, Matt Grzelcyk, Matt Nieto, and Jesse Puljujärvi are set to become unrestricted free agents this summer.
Pagnotta suggests that even names like Bryan Rust, Ryan Graves, and Blake Lizotte could be in play. The only players who are being deemed untouchable (or nearly untouchable) are Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Evgeni Malkin.
GM Kyle Dubas has made it clear the Penguins aren’t folding on the season. They aren’t rebuilding, and any retooling will include the organization bringing in NHL-ready talent. Dubas isn’t closed off to adding future draft picks, but this is not a team that is offloading just to secure draft capital.
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