NHL Rumors: Pittsburgh Penguins to Buyout 1 of 2 Players

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been busy this offseason, however they currently sit over the salary cap and may have to buy out a player to sneak back under the threshold. According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, look for the Penguins to potentially buy out either forward Jason Zucker or defenseman Marcus Pettersson.

With Kapanen re-signed, @CapFriendly now has #pens over the cap. There are options in October: Smith and O'Connor are both waiver exempt.

But with Kapanen's arb resolved, #pens also now have a 48-hour buyout window opening in 3 days. Zucker? Pettersson? Something to consider.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 21, 2022

The Penguins announced Kasperi Kapanen and the team agreed to a two-year deal worth $3.2 million per season and this was the move that sent Pittsburgh over. As Seravalli mentions, they do have a couple players who could be sent down to the minors who are currently on their NHL roster, a move that may be more likely than either Zucker or Pettersson getting bought out.

Zucker has been a disappointment since joining the Penguins, however the team doesn't have a ton of options at second-line left wing. Meanwhile the team dealt Michael Matheson to the Montreal Canadiens, which could open up more ice time for Pettersson. Decisions to be made in Pittsburgh as Ron Hextall has his hands full.