Report: No Pens safe from trade except players with no-move clauses
The Pittsburgh Penguins' improved play of late doesn't appear to be altering general manager Kyle Dubas' plans to sell.
The Penguins are still expected to make multiple trades, reports The Athletic's Josh Yohe. In fact, no player on the club is safe from being dealt aside from those with full no-trade clauses such as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, a league source told Yohe.
Pittsburgh is reportedly likely to make an exception and hold on to Rickard Rakell for the rest of the season. The winger is under contract through 2027-28 at $5 million annually, but he doesn't have a no-trade clause. Rakell leads the Penguins with 22 goals and ranks second in points with 38 through 45 games in 2024-25.
Crosby has a full no-move clause this season - the final year of his current contract - and for both years of the pact that will follow, per PuckPedia. Malkin has the same through 2025-26, when his current deal expires.
The other member of the Penguins' "Big Three" - defenseman Kris Letang - also has a full no-move clause through 2025-26, which then becomes modified (he can submit a 10-team approved trade list) for the final two seasons.
Dubas has already made some moves in 2024-25. He traded forward Lars Eller back to the Washington Capitals for two draft picks Nov. 12, then acquired forward Philip Tomasino from the Nashville Predators for a pick 13 days later.
Pittsburgh has four pending unrestricted free agents at forward (Anthony Beauvillier, Drew O'Connor, Matt Nieto, and Jesse Puljujarvi) and three on defense (Marcus Pettersson, Matt Grzelcyk, and Ryan Shea).
It was reported in November that the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks showed interest in Pettersson.
The Penguins struggled in the early going this season but have worked their way back into the playoff hunt. They enter Tuesday's slate at 18-19-8 and with the sixth-best points percentage (.489) in the Metropolitan Division.
Pittsburgh came into the day sitting two points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild-card position in the Eastern Conference but with two more games played.