With the Stanley Cup Final finishing on Tuesday, the NHL offseason has officially begun, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the more intriguing teams to watch this summer. The first tentpole date in the offseason calendar is upon us as the NHL's buyout window begins tomorrow and runs through June 30th at 5:00 pm.
Several players on the Penguins could be buyout candidates, including Mikael Granlund, Jeff Petry, and Jan Rutta. Many have bemoaned Jeff Carter's contract, but buying out the remainder of his deal would have zero impact as the Penguins still carry his entire $3.125 million cap hit.
The remaining three players all sit at risk of being bought out. However, Jeff Petry's cap penalties would hinder the Penguins more than help, as he would cost $3 million against the cap this season and $4.5 million the next.
Beyond that, there is a limited number of potential replacements currently on the market at Petry's position, and those who are would offer a minimal upgrade for roughly the same price.
Rutta is in a similar situation. His $2.75 million salary cap hit isn't necessarily an anchor on the Penguins' blue line. Due to the overabundance of defensemen on the roster and the lackluster results, Rutta could be on his way out this summer.
While a buyout of Rutta's contract would save the Penguins slightly more than $1.6 million in cap space this year and next, it's more likely that Penguins' President of Hockey Ops Kyle Dubas would look to deal Rutta at or around the NHL Draft.
That leaves Granlund. 21 games into his Penguins tenure, and many believe he could've already played his last. Buying out the final two years of Granlund's contract would create over $4 million in salary cap space this summer. However, that relief would shrink to roughly $3.2 million over the following three seasons.
While Granlund's one goal and five points in 21 games left fans with little to hope for in his game, Dubas did target Granlund in the past when operating as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. That may not be enough to force Dubas to hold onto Granlund heading into the season, but Dubas may believe that he is a tradable deal and want to avoid the drawn-out cap penalties.
With new management in place, the Penguins are in for an unpredictable offseason, but one of the very few likely outcomes is that they will remain quiet during the buyout period.
More must-reads: