Here’s One Place Where There’s No Penguins Trade Talk

CRANBERRY — The Pittsburgh Penguins haven’t been sellers at the NHL trade deadline since 2006.

Then again, it’s also been a long time since they were in as perilous of a position in the standings as they are now.

In the wake of their 5-4 overtime loss to the New York Islanders Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena, the Penguins are eight points out of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot and nine out of third place in the Metropolitan Division

President of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas hasn’t said whether he plans to be a buyer or seller — or even whether he’s made that decision — but his players are aware that significant personnel changes could be coming.

“It’s a possibility,” said winger Rickard Rakell, a deadline acquisition from Anaheim in 2022.

But while speculation about personnel moves the Penguins might make is rampant among some members of the press and public, players insist that it rarely, if ever, comes up in the conversation inside the locker room.

“We don’t talk about it, really,” defenseman Marcus Pettersson said. “With the experience in this room, we know what comes at this time of year, the (trade) talks and everything, but we try to focus on what’s happening on the ice. I don’t think it’s a talking point in the locker room, for sure.”

He acknowledged, though, that uncertainty about where individuals might be working in a few days or weeks could make it a challenge for them to focus on the tasks before them.

“It could be, for sure, depending on the guy,” Pettersson said.

The Penguins are 1-4-1 in their past six games, and steadily losing ground in the playoff race.

Unless the results improve, it seems inevitable that the Penguins will part with more players than they add between now and the deadline.

“Our instinct, as players, is that we want to get in a position where we’re forcing Kyle’s hand to make a push for us,” defenseman Kris Letang said. “We have to start winning and force his hand to make something happen.”

That would entail stringing together some victories, beginning with Montreal’s visit to PPG Paints Arena Thursday evening.

“Other than like, everybody trying to play their best in here, we can’t really control anything that’s going on,” Rakell said.

If they can’t do that, the Penguins are realize there might be big changes in the makeup of this team before much longer.

“It’s a results-driven sport and it’s a business-driven sport,” Pettersson said. “We all know that.”

Healthy turnout

Although the Pittsburgh Penguins made their midday practice optional, forwards Reilly Smith and Jeff Carter were the only expected players who did not participate.

Fourth-line center Noel Acciari was among the 19 forwards and defensemen (and two goalies) who did go through the drills.

Acciari, who has been recovering from a concussion, was wearing a regular yellow jersey, not a no-contact one, which suggests that he could be close to rejoining the lineup.

Nieto skates again

Fourth-line winger Matt Nieto was not on the ice for the full-team workout, but did have another on-ice session earlier in the day.

He has missed the past 30 games while recovering from knee surgery.