Penguins Rumors: 3 Players Being Shopped Ahead of Trade Deadline

The Pittsburgh Penguins won't be undergoing a fire sale ahead of the March 7 trade deadline, but fully expect to see president Kyle Dubas make several moves. The Penguins are in a tough spot five points out of the playoffs, with a vision and aspiration to re-tool on the fly, while getting younger.

The Penguins have one of the oldest rosters in the league, and so far this season, haven't met expectations, or come close for that matter. Projected starting netminder Tristan Jarry is in the minors, so you can scratch his name off the trade list, however, here's three Penguins to watch who Dubas would likely love to move:

Erik Karlsson

In a perfect world, Dubas is able to use a sweetener to move Karlsson and his full contract in a deal before March 7. The only problem is, interested teams aren't interested at full-pop, $10-million AAV through 2026-27. The Pens will have to retain some more on Karlsson's deal to get a trade finalized. If Dubas is willing to eat 20% and get his AAV down to $8 million, and include a prospect or mid-level pick, there could be some serious suitors, including a few contenders in the Western Conference.

Ryan Graves

Dubas' tenure in Pittsburgh has not been perfect by any means, and like Karlsson, Graves is someone Dubas brought in, who ideally would now be moved. At $4.5 million and inconsistently producing this year, Graves isn't meeting expectations. He hasn't yet recorded a point through 39 games this season, despite seeing 15:17 of ice-time per game. Graves has landed 44 hits and blocked 48 hits on the year. He holds a 12-team no-trade clause, and won't fetch much more than a c-level prospect or late-round pick if traded solo.

Matt Grzelcyk

Add another defenseman to the trade list in Pittsburgh, however, Grzelcyk is the most likely of the three to get moved, just based on the fact he's a pending unrestricted free agent. He's owed $2.75 million on the cap this year, and so far in 56 games, is having a strong campaign with 27 points. Teams looking for a power-play specialist and depth blueliner will be calling Dubas on the asking price.

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