Penguins Could Make Several Trades This Offseason - NhungD

For the second straight season, the Pittsburgh Penguins missed their chance to compete in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With a second straight absence from the postseason, a lot of change is expected from the Penguins.

Kyle Dubas is entering his second offseason with the Penguins and, at this point, has a clearer picture of how to retool the team for success. There are a handful of locks to remain on the roster, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see a few trades made this offseason.

The Penguins have some tough contracts to move, but nothing is impossible, and these are the most likely names to be dealt before the 2024-25 season opens up.

Reilly Smith

At first, it looked like Reilly Smith would work out nicely next to Evgeni Malkin. The two had good chemistry and had good production on the second line. It didn’t take long for the wheels to fall off for Smith.

In 76 games played, Smith struggled to score, picking up only 13 goals on the season. That’s the lowest number he’s had since 2014-15 as a member of the Boston Bruins.

Smith was rumored to be getting shopped around the trade deadline, but no deal was made. It wouldn’t be a shock at all to see a possible Smith trade get revisited during this offseason.

P.O. Joseph

Of all the trades the Penguins could make this summer, sending P.O. Joseph somewhere might fetch them the most significant return. He’s still young and has the potential to be a solid blue liner in the NHL for a long time.

Joseph struggled at different points of the season but stepped up big down the stretch. Playing on the first line with Kris Letang, Joseph found a great rhythm and may have caught the eyes of a few teams.

Joseph is an upcoming restricted free agent, but it shouldn’t cost a ton of money in a new deal. He’ll be affordable for any team in the NHL to sign. Joseph is another player who was dangled a bit during the deadline and may need a change of scenery to evolve into a stud defenseman.

Rickard Rakell

Rickard Rakell is one of the last pieces still standing that joined the Penguins organization during the Ron Hextall era. If Kyle Dubas genuinely tries to build the team in his image, Rakell might not have a choice but to fall as a casualty.

The 2023-24 season wasn’t easy on Rakell, either. He didn’t score a goal through his first 19 games and missed a month with an injury in that time. It’s likely he never fully recovered, either, as he was forced to miss the IIHF World Championship tournament due to a lingering injury.

Rakell has been a valuable piece for the Penguins organization since his arrival in 2022, but they’ll need salary cap space if they plan on taking swings at big names.

Tristan Jarry

The future of Penguins goaltending is up in the air. While Dubas stated his confidence in Tristan Jarry, that doesn’t guarantee he’ll be back as the starter in 2024-25. Joel Blomqvist is expected to take the next step but is not likely to be a starter in the NHL. The backup position is possible, but who will be playing in front of him?

Teams across the league need goaltending, and there is still a certain belief Jarry has what it takes to carry a team.

The Penguins have plenty of decisions to make this summer. Free agents and trades will be a huge piece to focus on as Dubas looked to quickly get the Penguins back on the right track.

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