Several Sleeper Candidates on the Penguins Emerge for Deadline Trades

The Pittsburgh Penguins are back to playing good hockey again. After a rough patch around the All-Star Break where we all though Kyle Dubas would be deciding their fate, he is still waiting on how they play to determine his next moves.

The Core Penguins Will Be Going Nowhere

As we know the Penguins have a group of core players that will not be moving anytime soon. The group of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang are staying in Pittsburgh. The surprise is Marcus Pettersson. Last year at this time, he would have been a trade candidate. Now, he is playing a the top of his game, is the solid d-man of the Penguins and is signed at a bargain price.

Marcus Pettersson with the only goal of first period. 1-0 #Penguins over #Islanders pic.twitter.com/rLrc00o6wD— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) February 21, 2024

Jake Guentzel is Part of the Next Grouping of Penguins That Can Go for the Right Price

As we know, Guentzel is the top prospect on the Penguins to be traded. Others who may have high value are Lars Eller and the tandem goaltenders.

One can look at Tristian Jarry as a sleeper trade. He still leads the league in shutouts and could be a top player on a team that is a contender needing a solid goalie. For those teams, his salary cap hit is pretty manageable as well. So he might bring in some good prospects for the Penguins.

This may be the save of the season for the Pens. What a timely save that sets up eventual GWG.

Tristan Jarry with a handful of excellent saves against Vancouver.

pic.twitter.com/vOiKNqgaJ9— Nathan Breisinger (@NateBreisinger) February 28, 2024

Lars Eller was traded last year to the Penguins for a second-round pick. His production is already better this year, so he might be able to get the Penguins at least a second-round pick again.

Bryan Rust Leads the Charge for the Least Likely to Get Traded Group

Although not likely to be traded, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Reilly Smith, and P.O. Joseph because of play or contract are still food for thought.

The top guy here is Rust. He does have a pretty sizeable contract through 2027-28 and a no trade clause for two more years. But if Dubas was able to negotiate the right price, that would be something to think about.

With the deadline a week away, the Penguins still have many decisions to be made. It also looks like they have some other options to trade with.

As Read On: The Hockey News - Penguins Trade Tiers: Sleeper Candidates and Splash Trades