Penguins Have Potential Trade Partner In Sharks For Defenseman

The Pittsburgh Penguins are going to find themselves under new management before next season and there should be changes with the team that comes with that. The three long-tenured Penguins - Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, did all they could to try and get the team into the playoffs for a 17th consecutive season. But they were let down.

Last offseason featured two questionable trades to change their defence around and the team acquired Jeff Petry and Ty Smith. While Petry is past his prime and that prime really only lasted four seasons, he is an overpaid defencemen that could use a different home.

The San Jose Sharks are going to be in a position to take on money and get some assets for acquiring some unwanted players from around the league. This is where the Penguins and Petry come in. If Erik Karlsson is traded, as he is expected to be, there will be a ton of cap space freed up as well as a top-four spot on the right side. Petry would fit right in there as he can still log minutes and would be someone who can help the young defencemen on the Sharks grow for a few years.

Petry has two years left on his deal at $6.25 million AAV. His 15-team no-trade clause may be a factor and he will likely cost an asset to move. Nevertheless, the Penguins must find a way to get back into the playoffs or break the team down. We will see which route they take over the next couple of months.