Penguins' Puljujarvi Is Great Two-Way Trade Target For Contenders

The Pittsburgh Penguins are struggling out of the gate and things might not get too much better for them. Once again, it seems like the stars are carrying, but there have been some depth players contributing.

Jesse Puljujarvi is off to a strong start for Pittsburgh. After only playing 22 games last season because he was dealing with injuries, he has played 10 games already and recorded five points. He had just four points last season and 16 in 75 games the season prior.

The Penguins have Puljujarvi playing on the fourth line and he's averaging 11 minutes per game, but his forechecking and two-way play has always been impressive and it suits where he is in the lineup. It just so happens he is with two players who could also be playing higher in the lineup in Kevin Hayes and Anthony Beauvillier.

Puljujarvi is in the second and final year of his two-year, $800,000 AAV deal and if the Penguins are out of the playoff race, should once again be looking to move what pieces they can. There isn't a shortage of younger players that can come in and fill a spot in the bottom-6 for Pittsburgh like Rutger McGroarty, Emil Bemstrom, Ville Koivunen, Vasily Ponamarev, and Samuel Poulin.

Puljujarvi has hopefully found some of the scoring touch he's been flirting with his entire career, but could never put together. It would do well for the Penguins in increasing his value ahead of a trade unless the team likes him enough in his role to extend him instead. But with who the team has in the pipeline, a trade in a few months seems like the likely outcome.