3 Moves The Pittsburgh Penguins Should Make This Summer

The Pittsburgh Penguins were the best regular season team in the East Division, as they finished the year with a 37-16-3 record. Yet, it did not matter in the end, as they were once again bounced out of the first round and lost to the Islanders in six games. With the core not getting younger, the Penguins are running out of time to win one last Stanley Cup. With their limited cap space, they also can't bring in much talent unless they make some roster moves.

Here are three moves they should consider making.

Trade Jason Zucker: Jason Zucker had an underwhelming season with the Penguins this year. In 38 games, the 29-year-old winger only had nine goals and 18 points. Zucker has a $5.5 million cap hit with two years left on his contract, but it seems as though there isn't a fit in Pittsburgh. Trading him would allow the Penguins to get some much-needed cap space. This is what would allow them to bring in some new additions.

Re-Sign Cody Ceci: Cody Ceci flipped the narrative and proved that he can be a reliable NHL defenseman. In 53 games this season, Ceci scored four goals and recorded 17 points in total. Yet, more importantly, his defensive play improved significantly and he formed a solid pair with Mike Matheson. If interest is there and the Penguins are able to gain more cap space, bringing back Ceci should be a big priority.

Re-Sign Zach Aston-Reese: Zach Aston-Reese has become a very important part of the Penguins' penalty kill, so it would be nice to see them re-sign him. He's a restricted free agent, so they do have a bit of time to finalize a new contract. In 45 games this season, Aston-Reese provided decent depth scoring, as he scored nine goals and recorded 15 points. He is a nice bottom-six two-way forward that the Penguins should look to keep.