NHL Rumor Roundup: More Penguins And Rangers Players Emerge In Trade Speculation

It’s been a difficult season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Shaky goaltending, poor defensive play and inconsistent offense had them near the bottom of the NHL’s Eastern Conference standings at one point.

Their four-game win streak has them within striking distance of a wild-card berth as they prepare to face the slumping New York Rangers on Friday. Nevertheless, they’re still expected to be sellers by the March 7 NHL trade deadline.

Josh Yohe of The Athletic recently looked at which players could end up on the trade block. Pending UFAs, such as Anthony Beauvillier, Drew O’Connor, Jesse Puljujarvi and Matt Nieto, are the obvious candidates, though they’re unlikely to fetch anything substantive in return.

Marcus Pettersson, however, is an exception. Yohe considers the lanky puck-moving defenseman “as good as gone,” suggesting he might bring in “at least a second pick, maybe more.” For those chiding that assessment, recall that Ben Chiarot fetched a first-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens when they traded him to the Florida Panthers at the 2022 deadline.

Related: Breaking Down The Penguins’ Trade Options: Unrealistic To Potentially Possible

Players with term left on their contracts could also be peddled. Those with a year remaining on their deals, such as Noel Acciari, Michael Bunting and Blake Lizotte, could fall into that category.

Yohe also believes forward Rickard Rakell is a goner by the deadline. The 31-year-old has 10 goals in 27 games and reached the 60-point plateau in 2022-23. A solid effort the rest of this season could make Rakell enticing for clubs seeking scoring depth, but his contract could make him a tough sell. He carries an average annual value of $5 million through 2027-28.

One player who won’t be moving is Evgeni Malkin. Yohe’s colleague Rob Rossi shot down a rumor linking him to the Dallas Stars. “It’s never happening,” he said.

Meanwhile, The Hockey News’ Kelsey Surmacz listed five young forwards the Penguins should consider for the future after they acquired Philip Tomasino on Nov. 25. Nils Hoglander from the Vancouver Canucks and Nick Robertson from the Toronto Maple Leafs were some buy-low options.

Turning to the Rangers, they’ve been the subject of rumors since reports emerged last week claiming management was open to moving veterans like Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider.

Mika Zibanejad could also be among those potential Rangers trade candidates. RG.org’s Marco D’Amico cited an NHL source claiming they’re gauging the 31-year-old center’s value on the trade market.

Related: Are The Rangers’ Trade Rumors A Wake-Up Call Or The Start Of Major Changes?

The Hockey News’ Stan Fischler suggested the Rangers should bring on the youngsters, such as Brett Berard, Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann, if they can trade some underperforming veterans.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post addressed a recent rumor on social media suggesting the Rangers could replace coach Peter Laviolette with Joel Quenneville. He claims they’ve had no discussions with Quenneville and have no intention of starting any.

The Rangers remain committed to Laviolette. Nevertheless, speculation about his future could persist if the Blueshirts fail to snap out of their slump.

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