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Pittsburgh Penguins They’re not exactly setting the hockey world on fire to start the 2024-25 season.
They’re one spot out of the back of the Metropolitan Division at 5-7-2, and while they have plenty of season left to turn things around (and just six points separate them from the first-place Carolina Hurricanes), they’re overkill. of players and a lot of youth waiting in the wings.
Some of the top pending unrestricted free agents, such as forward Lars Eller and defenseman Marcus Pettersson, may be worth keeping at least until the trade deadline due to their high level of value to the NHL roster.
However, there are other players who, while valuable to the Penguins, may be a little more expendable and could still generate a decent return. And they can also help free up some roster space for other players to get their chance.
Noel Acciari
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© Stephen R. Sylvanie – USA TODAY Sports
The Penguins entered the 2024-25 regular season with a surplus of forwards, causing a bit of a roster logjam. In fact, the Penguins will have too many forwards once Matt Nieto and Bryan Rust are activated from injured reserve.
So, looking at some of the Penguins’ options, Acciari’s strong start to the season deserves a spot on this list.
Make no mistake: Acciari is an important player for the Penguins. Head coach Mike Sullivan has emphasized that Acciari does a lot of the “thankless” jobs of blocking a lot of shots, delivering and receiving hits to make plays, taking penalties and clogging up passing lanes in the defensive zone. He also has four points on the young season, putting him on pace for 24 points, which would be the second-highest total of his career.
He’s the type of depth player any contending team wants on their roster during the playoffs, and deployed with the right players, he’s capable of producing at a decent rate for a fourth-line player.
Look for teams like the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames who will want to bolster their bottom-six depth and could use a reliable veteran like Acciari in the mix.
Drew O’Connor
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© Charles LeClaire – Image Images
One of the pending unrestricted free agents who sometimes gets lost in the shuffle is O’Connor. After a promising close to the 2023-24 season in which he recorded six goals and eight points in his final 12 games and finished the season with a plus-14, he has just three goals and four points in the first 14 this season and He is -10, the worst on the team.
The numbers aren’t necessarily bad for O’Connor, but overall, he hasn’t consistently been one of the best players in the Penguins lineup this season. Given his pending UFA status, it’s conceivable that Pittsburgh could acquire a mid-round asset from a team for the 26-year-old’s services.
However, there could be an opportunity to trade O’Connor and a player from a different team who is in a similar situation and needs a change of scenery. Some names that could stand out here are Los Angeles Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev (who is currently on injured reserve), Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nicholas Robertsonand maybe even Chicago Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev, although his $2.25 million cap hit poses a challenge.
And, if not O’Connor, someone like Jesse Puljujarvi can also run in a similar way.
Alex Nedeljkovic
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© James Carey Lauder – Imagn Images
A little surprising? Maybe. But when you stop to think about it for a few seconds, it might make some sense, depending on the situation.
Let’s be clear: The Penguins being able to trade Tristan Jarry is undoubtedly the most desirable outcome from a contractual standpoint. But Jarry’s marketability depends almost entirely on him. going on a hot streak upon returning from his AHL conditioning periodwhich would also lead one to assume that the Penguins play pretty good hockey at the same time.
Rookie Joel Blomqvist appears destined to be assigned to the AHL when Jarry returns, but he is clearly NHL ready and arguably better than Nedeljkovic and Jarry. If the Penguins are smart and really look to the future, they want him on the NHL roster.
With these things in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Nedeljkovic out relatively soon. Simply put, he is more marketable than Jarry, even if Jarry finds his game.
It’s definitely a realistic possibility that the Penguins try to trade one of their NHL goaltenders to a team in need, and if Nedeljkovic is the one, teams like Colorado, Tampa Bay and Detroit may be interested. Utah could also be a contender for either goalie, as the tandem of Connor Ingram and Karel Vejmelka has struggled to start the season.
