The Penguins’ new brain trust threw their support behind goaltender Tristan Jarry after his struggles led to another early exit for the team this postseason. At least publicly, the team claimed that they still believed in the 25-year-old as their starter. In fact, they went so far as to say that adding size and physicality was their only objective this off-season. Behind closed doors, the conversation seems to have gone differently. Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now reports that multiple sources close to the team confirm that the Penguins aim to add a veteran goaltender on the trade or free agent market this summer. While Kingerski calls the focus an “experienced backup”, in all likelihood that means they are looking for someone with starting experience to play 1B to Jarry’s 1A and take over if he again has issues. Frederik Andersen is a name that has already been linked to the Penguins, while other UFA options include Jonathan Bernier, James Reimer, Antti Raanta, Jaroslav Halak or Devan Dubnyk. Younger names like Linus Ullmark or Chris Driedger could really push Jarry if brought in. Trade options are numerous and the Expansion Draft will likely shake up the market, but Anton Khudobin stands out as an ideal fit for what the Penguins are looking for.
- Again, this means that Casey DeSmith is the odd man out – and not just on the depth chart. Kingerski put to rest any speculation to the contrary by stating definitively that Jarry will be protected by the Penguins in the impending Expansion Draft. That will leave DeSmith, 29, up for grabs for the Seattle Kraken, though the team will likely have better options elsewhere on the Pittsburgh roster. Nevertheless, DeSmith’s time with the Penguins could be running out. After outplaying Jarry in everything but games played this season, DeSmith has proven himself to be a solid backup in his own right. Injury prone and unaccustomed to a starter’s workload at the NHL level, teams may not be clamoring to acquire DeSmith, but he also is unlikely to clear waivers if the Penguins add another goalie.
- Another player that Kingerski confirms for the Penguins’ protection list in next month’s Expansion Draft: Evgeni Malkin. No, its not exactly a revelation. Not only is Malkin one of the faces of the franchise, but his contract also carries a No-Movement Clause, requiring him to be protected. Malkin could waive his NMC, but the team will not ask him to do that. That may seem like common sense, but after a down year by his standards, advancing age, an expensive contract, a serious injury that could carry over into the season, and very poor Expansion Draft outlook for their deep roster, the Penguins have plenty of reason to at least consider exposing Malkin. However, Kingerski adds that it probably would be a useless request anyway. As as has been the book on Malkin throughout his whole career, he would only leave Pittsburgh if he was traded to a Florida team, where he makes his home in the off-season. Seattle is on the other side of the continent.
Incorrect, the penguins actually have absolutely no reason to expose Malkin in the expansion draft.
Well actually they do. Highly unlikely that they do but it’s not a guarantee that he’s not at least asked.
Yes it is, there’s zero chance you would expose a top level player when you can trade him if you are looking to get rid of him. Teams don’t just expose or give away top line centers
Trade an aging player who might not play half the season with a 9.5M cap hit in a league with a flat salary cap for the next few seasons whose been declining the last few seasons (age or injury related) and who will be a UFA at next seasons end? Perhaps a team might take a flier on him if PIT retains a bunch of money and another team retains bunch of money too MD as long as that team is FLA (which Malkin I believe has stated his preference to play for if not PIT) so yeah, it’s not an impossible thing to believe that PIT could potentially Sk him to waive his MMC. He could play half a season in SEA and re-sign in PIT as a UFA if he wants to also.
id shoot for Halak, Bernier if they cant pay that much
Dan Kingursky has been full of BS for years and most of his inside sources are inside his head. Guy is a tool.
According to these boards any a sports writer is full of crap unless they write what you want to hear
Well the thing is all the big teams have a Steve Simmonds or a Larry Brooks. Reports that just write absolute garage and pass it off as news, sites like trade rumours then pick that up and pass it off as news. Now am I a run of the mill leaf fan gonna know who the Steve Simmonds of Pittsburg is? Probably not but now I do
Pittsburgh media…
Jonathan Bomboulie and Josh Yohe are good. Ignore the rest.
Rob Rossi is a weird little troll. Some like Seth Rorabaugh, but he’s a meh blogger. Jason Mackey was good but moved to the Pirates, whoever replaced him is wallpaper, don’t even know their name.
PS- Not on the Pens beat per se, Mark Madden is a blowhard with the saddest life ever but he does know hockey and has sources inside the team.
I’m not the biggest Penguins fan, but I think I’d much rather hope the Kraken take Jarry rather than one of Rust or McCann if it came to that choice.
Giving up on a young goalie with years left on his deal because he had a bad week seems like a bad plan.
The “Malkin isn’t as elite as he used to be so let’s act like he’s awful” crowd confuse me.
I went from thinking DeSmith was an AHL goalie to thinking he is a very solid NHL backup but that is still his ceiling. The Pens should find a 1B.
I mostly agree, but I think that the Pens should protect DeSmith instead of Jarry as I don’t believe the Kraken would pick him given his bad week in the playoffs. Just too much of a recency bias to overcome. If they did, that would free up cap space to find that veteran goaltender and use him and DeSmith next year.
If I had to guess, I think the Pens are hoping for Seattle to take either Pettersson or Zucker. Pettersson would be more palatable in terms of replacing him, Zucker would free up more cap space long term.
DeSmith won’t even be on the team next year. They should move him for a sixth or something.
The Pens need Seattle to take Zucker or Pettersson but then they need to trade the other one, as well. Poulin and Joseph are ready to fill their roles for way less AAV.