The Pittsburgh Penguins made a tough decision in trading Jake Guentzel, but it could get more difficult from here with more names popping up in speculation.
Trading Jake Guenztel before the March 8 NHL trade deadline signalled what will be a summer of change for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
GM Kyle Dubas intends to add younger players to his roster and restock his depleted prospect pipeline as quickly as possible.
Dubas doesn’t intend to part ways with team captain Sidney Crosby, who has a year remaining on his contract. The Penguins GM hopes to re-sign the 36-year-old superstar while building a contending team around him.
There’s some talk that Dubas might attempt to bring Guentzel back this summer via free agency. That’s probably just wishful thinking unless the Penguins can shed a big salary.
That leads us to Erik Karlsson. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman floated the notion of the 33-year-old defenseman returning to the Ottawa Senators. Karlsson dismissed it as empty talk.
THN’s Nick Horwat cited The Athletic’s Josh Yohe speculating Penguins management would consider moving on from Karlsson. They’re not unhappy with his play or skills but have too many older players with expensive contracts.
Dubas could explore that option, but he’ll have to retain a big chunk of Karlsson’s remaining cap dollars. He’s got three more years left on his contract. The Penguins carry $10 million of his $11.5-million average annual value, with the San Jose Sharks picking up the rest. Karlsson must also waive his no-movement clause again.
The Penguins GM could consider other ways to shed salary and create room for younger players on his roster.
Sportsnet’s Sonny Sachdeva recently suggested a more drastic option by shopping Tristan Jarry. The 28-year-old goaltender is among the few bright spots for the Penguins during this season. Sachdeva acknowledged that moving Jarry could set them back further, but he could fetch a solid return.
It was reported the Los Angeles Kings looked into acquiring winger Reilly Smith before the trade deadline. The deal fell through because the Kings couldn’t fit Smith’s $5-million cap hit within their payroll. With the cap rising by a projected $4.4 million for 2024-25, the Kings might revisit their interest in Smith.
The Hockey News contributor Jacob Punturi suggested Dubas find a way to shed Ryan Graves’ contract. Signed last summer to a six-year, $27-million deal, the 28-year-old defenseman has struggled in his first season in Pittsburgh.
