A recent report suggests that Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is preparing to host a fire sale at the upcoming trade deadline — and almost everyone isn't safe from skipping town.
The tip of the iceberg came when Dubas waived goaltender Tristan Jarry last week along with the three years left on his contract of $5.38 million.
An NHL source familiar with the situation confirmed that only captain Sidney Crosby, longtime alternate captain Evgeni Malkin, veteran forward Bryan Rust, forward Philip Tomasino, and defenseman Owen Pickering aren't available according to NHL insider Marco D'amico. The rest are open for negotiating ahead of March 7.
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"Sid, Malkin, Rust, and the two kids, Tomasino and Pickering, they're off limits for now, but everything else can be had for the right price," the source said.
One particular name on the block that draws attention is defenseman Erik Karlsson, who Dubas traded for only ahead of last season.
A source close to the Penguins has informed @TheRGMedia that Kyle Dubas is looking for a fire sale.
Big name veterans, not simply just pending free agents, are up on the trade block and the Penguins are also willing to retain to move out Erik Karlsson.
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Karlsson has two years remaining on his contract with a $10M AAV and a full no-movement clause. The San Jose Sharks are already covering 13.04% of that cap hit, but Pittsburgh is willing to retain additional salary to facilitate a trade.
He took a massive backward step in his first season in Pittsburgh in 2023-24, dropping from 101 points the year prior to 56. This season, he has 32 points through 45 games and holds a minus-14 rating.
"That's someone they want and need to move," the source told D'amico. "I think they retain salary for sure, and you know what? He can help the right team still. Maybe with the cap going up, you never know."
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Dubas' goal is to shed off players with term left, while taking back the right contracts to balance both the present and future.
"You're going to see him move and take back term," the source said. "He still wants to try and win for Sid and Geno, but he thinks he can build for the future, too."
The report mentions that this not only means the expiring contracts of players like Matt Grzelcyk, Marcus Pettersson, and some others alike but also players with cheaper, short-term deals like Rickard Rakell, Michael Bunting, and Kevin Hayes.
With $5.2 million in cap space and some draft picks, Dubas is gearing up to accomplish this vision by bartering those with all of the players mentioned above that he can afford to lose.
It's the right time for the Penguins to start considering a new route. After missing the playoffs for back-to-back years for the first time in Crosby's career, they are headed for a three-peat while in second-to-last place of the Metropolitan Division.
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