Insider: Penguins Will Begin Rebuild

PITTSBURGH – With most of the teams around the NHL in their bye week before the All-Star break, plenty of attention is turning to the Pittsburgh Penguins and what their plan will be for the trade deadline. Will the Penguins buy or sell as they sit a handful of points out of a playoff spot, but still have a fighting chance to playing in the postseason?

Insider Elliotte Friedman stated before that he believes the Penguins won’t be buyers at the deadline, and according to him on his most recent appearance on NHL Network, that’s still the case. Friedman did take things a step further, however, and stated there could be some real change coming for the Penguins.

Friedman says the Penguins might be ready for a "soft rebuild." Not a full-blown teardown like some have suggested but retain their already few assets and try and gain a few extra pieces to build an improved team shortly down the line.

“I think that’s what Pittsburgh’s plan is going to be,” Friedman said. “I think they’ll try and do, quote-unquote, a soft rebuild. Strengthen up over the next two or three years and see what they can do. And we’ll see what that means for some of their star players.”

Jake Guentzel’s name has come up quite a bit already in trade discussions, and if the Penguins really are ready to begin a shift, he would be the first domino to fall. Guentzel is the kind of player who might not fit in those plans and can net the Penguins a big return.

While there is for sure a group of untouchable players, if the Penguins are heading for even a ‘soft rebuild,’ that list shortens. Sidney Crosby is obvious, no matter what he’s not leaving. Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are questionable, however. They’re in their late 30s and who knows what kind of production they’ll have in this three-year timeline.

Erik Karlsson is likely locked in thanks to his contract, but if he can find himself, there’s no issue in the Penguins retaining him. Marcus Pettersson has slipped himself into the untouchable conversation with his outstanding play on the first defensive pairing this year.

Just about everyone else could is a threat to be dealt or let walk. If Kyle Dubas is ready to take the Penguins in that direction, there’s no telling how many moves might get made.