Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Penguins Rumors

Erik Karlsson Open To Being Traded To A Handful Of Teams

at CDT | by 14 Comments

With the Penguins known to be sellers this summer, there has been plenty of speculation about the future of some of their veterans.  While wingers Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell have been generating a lot of attention, one other veteran that seemingly could be in play is blueliner Erik Karlsson.

The 35-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Penguins responsible for $10MM of his $11.5MM cap charge and San Jose covering the remainder.  Notably, a $5MM signing bonus this summer has already been paid, meaning his total cash compensation remaining is $11.5MM over the final two years combined, $1.5MM of which again is covered by the Sharks.

While Karlsson has a no-move clause, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic recently reported in his latest podcast (audio link) that he is willing to be moved.  However, he adds that there are only a few teams the veteran is willing to move to; Johnston didn’t identify any of the potential landing spots Karlsson would be amenable to going to.

While Karlsson hasn’t been able to come close to the 101 points he put up just two seasons ago, he’s still an above-average offensive blueliner, notching 56 and 53 points over the last two years while logging over 23 minutes a night.  While he’s never been elite on the defensive side of things, he’s still a legitimate impact player.

To that end, Johnston notes that Pittsburgh isn’t viewing Karlsson as merely a cap dump.  If he is to be moved, GM Kyle Dubas will be expecting a positive-value return and in the current environment, he has a good chance to land that.  The UFA market for blueliners is largely dried up now while more than one-third of the league has the cap space to take on the remainder of his contract outright without salary retention.  Meanwhile, if Pittsburgh were to retain some money or take players back, several more teams could get into the mix as well.

Depending on which teams Karlsson is willing to move to, Pittsburgh actually might have more realistic options than San Jose did two summers ago when very few teams had the ability to add the bulk of his contract.  Despite the drop in production, that should have Dubas in decent shape in terms of trying to build some sort of market for his defender’s services, especially if there are suitors that value the cap hit being higher than the remaining cash outlay.

But, even in a salary cap environment that’s set to jump again considerably next summer, moving Karlsson for even close to full value will be a challenge.  That said, the Penguins didn’t pay close to full value for him two summers ago when he was coming off his third Norris Trophy win.  So, while Pittsburgh is in decent shape to get something of value for Karlsson, it’s unlikely they’ll get a key element to their rebuild in a package.  And with Karlsson holding the cards with a full veto if he doesn’t want to go to a specific team, the Penguins could yet lose some leverage in discussions.

While it might make sense to wait for an in-season move if injuries strike, the summer is generally considered an easier time to make bigger moves work on the salary cap side.  With that in mind, Karlsson is a player to keep an eye on in the coming weeks with teams still looking to add to their rosters in a market where demand greatly outweighs supply.

Stars Trade Matt Dumba To Penguins

at CDT | by 28 Comments

The Stars are trading defenseman Matt Dumba and their 2028 second-round pick to the Penguins in exchange for defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Both teams have since announced the trade, which doesn’t include any salary retention.

Completing the deal will make the Stars cap-compliant for the 2025-26 season. Even if Dallas has Kolyachonok on its opening night roster, he costs the league minimum $775K against the cap.

That’s $2.975MM less than Dumba’s $3.75MM cap hit, since Pittsburgh takes on the totality of his salary with no retention on Dallas’ part. That savings puts Dallas, which is currently $1.79MM above the upper limit, back under the cap.

The Stars signed Dumba to a two-year, $7.5MM contract in free agency last summer, viewed as a risky commitment at the time after the 6’1″ righty had just 12 points and a -18 rating in 76 games with the Coyotes and Lightning the year prior. The fears around the contract were quickly realized. Dumba, who turns 31 later this month, had negative possession impacts everywhere he was deployed and was out of the lineup entirely by the time the postseason rolled around.

Dumba played 63 games for the Stars last season, averaging just 15:18 per game with a 1-9–10 scoring line. He logged a minus-five rating in what amounted to his lowest usage since his rookie campaign and was a healthy scratch for all 18 playoff games.

The best years of Dumba’s NHL career came as a top-pairing piece for the Wild, who drafted him No. 7 overall in 2012. He remained there through the beginning of his steep decline in the early 2020s, leaving for Arizona in 2023 in free agency on a one-year contract. After failing to re-establish his value there, he was flipped to the Lightning at the trade deadline for two late-round picks and finished out the year as a bottom-pairing piece in Tampa before signing in Dallas in the offseason.

Dumba’s best season came back in 2017-18 as a 23-year-old, when he finished 19th in the league in scoring among defensemen with 50 points in 82 games and tied for 10th with 14 goals. He also had 12 goals and 22 points in just 32 games the following year before an upper-body injury ended his season. His offensive production never recovered, averaging just 22.4 points per 82 games since returning.

It’s unclear if Dumba will have much of a role in Pittsburgh’s lineup next season. They have three right-shot defenders ahead of him on the depth chart in Connor Clifton, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang, although Karlsson is well-known trade bait this summer. If he remains in the picture, though, Dumba could start the season in the press box – or even on waivers and buried in the minors – unless someone shifts to their offside.

Dumba’s price tag is exceedingly steep for the No. 6/7/8 defender he is at this stage of his career, one Dallas simply couldn’t afford to shoulder with their cap crunch after extending Mikko Rantanen and retaining UFAs Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene. They part with a second-round pick to wipe his deal off the books one year early – a steep price considering the market for cap dumps this summer, although they do well in acquiring a serviceable depth piece in Kolyachonok. They’re now without a pick before the third round in 2028.

The Penguins already had a bit of a crunch among depth defensemen after signing Alexander Alexeyev, Caleb Jones, and Parker Wotherspoon in free agency. It isn’t surprising to see them unwilling to take on a defenseman without moving one out.

They picked up Kolyachonok, a 24-year-old 6’2″ lefty with some untapped two-way potential, off waivers from Utah in February last season. He didn’t get into much game action, though, recording two assists and a minus-five rating in 12 appearances while averaging 14:20 per game. There wasn’t going to be much opportunity for him in Pittsburgh with their aforementioned additions and younger, higher-profile names like Owen Pickering pushing for more NHL ice time.

Kolyachonok, a second-rounder in 2019, has 14 points in 74 career NHL games with a minus-seven rating and 72 hits. He’ll presumably compete with veteran Alexander Petrovic to exit training camp as the extra defenseman on the NHL roster.

Sean Shapiro of DLLS Sports was first to report the Stars and Penguins were working on a trade centered around Dumba and Kolyachonok.

Image courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.

Teams Maintain Interest In Penguins’ Rakell And Rust

at CDT | by 21 Comments

With the main wave of free agency behind them, teams that missed out on big-name signings may now be shifting their focus to the trade market. And at the top of that list are Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, the Fourth Period reports.

Trade speculation surrounding both players isn’t new, especially given that the Penguins are one of the few teams currently in a rebuilding phase. While GM Kyle Dubas hasn’t explicitly stated that either player is off-limits, it’s believed the Penguins would need to be blown away by an offer to part with them. There doesn’t appear to be immediate urgency to move either winger, especially since both have team-friendly deals.

Rust has three years remaining on his contract, which comes with a $5.125MM AAV. The 33-year-old is coming off a career-best season, posting 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games. He has spent his entire career in the Penguins organization after the team selected him in the third round (80th overall) in the 2010 draft. In 638 career games, he’s recorded 427 points, with his 203 goals ranking ninth in franchise history. Rust also excels as a penalty killer and has a history of elevating his game and scoring timely goals in the playoffs. While Rust has expressed interest in remaining in Pittsburgh, his no-trade clause recently expired, thus taking that decision out of his hands.

Rakell bounced back with a strong 2024-25 season after a down year the previous season. In 81 games, Rakell posted a career-best 35 goals and 70 points in 81 games last season, mainly playing alongside Rust and Sidney Crosby. The sharpshooting right winger has three years remaining on an extremely team-friendly $5MM AAV contract. Rakell has eclipsed the 30-goal plateau three times in his career, and the 20-goal mark six times.

Several teams have been recently linked to the duo, including the Hurricanes, before inking Nikolaj Ehlers to a new six-year contract. The Fourth Period also includes Toronto, Los Angeles, San Jose, New Jersey, Buffalo, and Seattle among the teams looking to upgrade their top-six.

While Dubas and the Penguins’ front office would need to be impressed to make a move, with over $15 million in cap space (per PuckPedia), they could be open to taking on a large salary if it sweetens the deal and keeps the other team cap-compliant.

 

Penguins Sign Benjamin Kindel To Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed 2025 first-round selection Benjamin Kindel to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Just a few weeks after drafting Kindel at 11th-overall, Pittsburgh will restate their confidence in the Coquitlam-native by making him just the third player from this draft to sign his first NHL contract. Kindel has been a true star in the WHL since joining the Calgary Hitmen in 2023. He scored 15 goals and 60 points in 68 games of his age-17 season, then exploded to a fantastic 35 goals and 99 points in 65 games this year.

Kindel managed that scoring outbreak on the back of very flashy and controlled stickhandling. He was among the best in his age group at creating chances off of the boards – using either a snappy wrist-shot or quick deke to beat defenders at the tops of the circles. He wielded play well all year long, though got the benefit of playing alongside the all-out-feist style of Oliver Tulk. That helped Kindel avoid physical situations along the boards that he may be forced into more at the next level. But even in the face of stronger opponents, Kindel should manage to develop his flashy skillset and 5-foot-10 frame into a high end talent.

That was clearly the impression he left with the Penguins brass after the team’s development camp ended on Monday. Kindel will notably forgo his NCAA eligibility by signing this contract, restricting his options for next season to either the Penguins roster or a return to Calgary. If he does return, he’ll be looking to shatter the century-mark in scoring, after being narrowly beaten out for the Hitmen’s lead in scoring by Tulk’s 100 points.

Hurricanes Had Interest In Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell

at CDT | by 7 Comments

According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, before inking Nikolaj Ehlers to a new six-year contract, the Carolina Hurricanes were interested in a pair of veteran wingers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Hurricanes reportedly called on the availability of Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, and league sources believe one of the two will be dealt this summer.

Neither player has indicated a desire to leave the Penguins organization, but neither has the necessary protection to block a trade outright. If Carolina reconsiders in the offseason, they would likely target Rust for a middle-six role, adding more physicality and playoff experience to a high-skill lineup.

[SOURCE LINK]

Penguins Showed Interest In Blumel, Ilyin To Stay In KHL Next Season

at CDT | by 1 Comment

  • Winger Matej Blumel told Hokej.cz’s Dominik Dubovchi that the Penguins were the other finalist to sign him in free agency earlier this week. The 25-year-old was the top goal-getter in the AHL last season, notching 39 in 67 games with AHL Texas but that only earned him seven games with Dallas where he scored once.  Blumel was eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency and ultimately signed a one-year, one-way contract worth $875K with Boston.
  • Still with the Penguins, prospect Mikhail Ilyin will stay in the KHL for next season, assistant GM Jason Spezza told reporters including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). However, the hope is that the winger will come to North America for the 2026-27 campaign.  Ilyin, a fifth-round pick back in 2023, had 30 points in 64 games with Severstal Cherepovets last season, finishing third on the team in scoring.

Examining The Penguins’ Road Back To Competitiveness

at CDT | by 13 Comments

The Penguins have been identified as the one true seller in the NHL this summer and for good reason. They have an aging core that can no longer carry a team, depth that is underwhelming (to say the least), and have arguably been the easiest team to play against from a physical standpoint.

All of that has led general manager Kyle Dubas to pivot into a rebuild that many have forecasted for quite some time. The Penguins made the playoffs for 16 straight seasons but haven’t qualified since 2021-22 and look destined to finish near the bottom of the standings next season.

This has led many to speculate that Sidney Crosby would look to play elsewhere; however, those claims have been disputed by many outlets. For his part, Crosby has balked at these rumours, going so far as to sign a two-year extension to remain in Pittsburgh through what will likely be some painful seasons.

All of this begs the question: When will the Penguins be a competitive team again?

According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, Pittsburgh has set its sights on next summer as the time to be aggressive buyers. Currently, 2026 looks like a great year to have cap space, with players like Connor McDavid and Cale Makar slated as of right now to become UFAs.

That list of free agents will likely shrink, but there could still be high-end talent under 30 available, which might help the Penguins move beyond their rebuild. As of now, Pittsburgh has over $52MM of available cap space next summer (according to PuckPedia). While this number will decrease over the year, the point remains that they can choose to be major buyers if they wish.

The more likely scenario for the Penguins is that they spend the summer of 2026 adding to their prospect pool with their eight 2026 draft picks (and any additional picks they gain over the next year) or perhaps using those picks and other assets to acquire NHL players. Dubas has made it clear that he’s targeting young, NHL-ready players, and it’s hard to see that approach changing between now and summer 2026.

Two major wild cards will determine how long it takes the Penguins to become a Stanley Cup contender again. The first is where they fall in the 2026 draft order.

If Pittsburgh performs as poorly as many expect, they could win the draft lottery and get the chance to select Gavin McKenna. NHL conspiracy theorists would surely love to dissect that scenario if it were to happen, given that Pittsburgh has had several generational players come through the city via the draft.

The chances of Pittsburgh pulling that off, of course, are nowhere close to a given. That said, there are plenty of solid alternative options with forwards Ivar Stenberg or Ryan Roobroeck.

Neither of these players would have the immediate impact of a McKenna, but they would help the Penguins keep their rebuild on track. Pittsburgh can’t count on winning a lottery to speed up their rebuild, but if they did, it would accelerate the process.

The second major wild card for the Penguins’ rebuild is what happens this summer with the veterans whose names have come up in trade rumors – forwards Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and defenceman Erik Karlsson. Rust has reportedly been a hot commodity, and if Pittsburgh can trigger a bidding war, he could bring back a return that accelerates the team’s journey back to relevance.

The Penguins have made several short-term signings already this summer, including forward Anthony Mantha, who could play in Pittsburgh’s top six should they move on from a winger like Rust. Pittsburgh also has Rakell available, and if they can negotiate a first-round pick for the 32-year-old winger, it would provide another top-tier lottery ticket to help try and draft a future star in Pittsburgh.

Rakell is a difficult trade to forecast, as he is on a bargain contract and capable of scoring 30+ goals. He could be a key piece for a team looking for a winger but missing out on impact players in free agency.

Finally, with Karlsson, the Penguins have a piece that could be very desirable if his cap hit were to fall under $7MM, and less attractive if it exceeds that. Karlsson has long been a polarizing player, but as we recently saw with defenseman Seth Jones, sometimes a player who is overpaid can be more appealing when their cap hit better aligns with their level of play.

Karlsson is no longer a $10MM player, but he can still be very impactful with less responsibility. He maintains his offensive flair, posting 50+ point seasons in both years with the Penguins, and remains excellent at zone exits and transitional play.

If Pittsburgh is willing to retain a significant portion of his cap hit, they could acquire some solid young pieces that will help push them forward in their rebuild. However, if they retain Karlsson, they might struggle to trade him for anything of value, which won’t benefit them long term.

Just like with any rebuild, the Penguins will need a lot of luck for it to go as planned. Having lottery ball luck next year, as well as succeeding with moves to shed veterans, will speed up their rebuild.

If they don’t, it could lead to a rebuild that lasts half a decade or more. As the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers have shown over the past 15 years, top-end draft picks and finishing at the bottom of the standings do not guarantee success, and even when you get lucky with some picks and trades, those players you had high hopes for can fall apart.

The truth is that no one can predict how long the Penguins’ rebuild will take. Still, much of the groundwork for a successful rebuild will be laid over the next 12 months, and the rest will depend on how well the players already in the system develop moving forward.

At this year’s draft, Pittsburgh identified a specific type of player they were seeking and went out of their designated slot for almost the entire draft to acquire players that fit their vision. That strategy went against the consensus and could backfire on Dubas, but it was a brave and gutsy approach, perhaps one of the most unorthodox displays in recent memory.

However, that is what Dubas and the Penguins will need to do if they want to become relevant sooner rather than later – think outside the box, take big chances, and trust that their pro and amateur scouting is accurate about the players they are targeting. 2026 might be the target to turn the corner on the rebuild, but it probably isn’t the year they expect to contend.

Given the time it takes for prospects to adjust to the professional game, a safer bet is for the Penguins to become playoff hopefuls in the 2027-28 season. At that point, it’s hard to say whether Crosby will still be around, but if he is, the Penguins’ young players will have perhaps the best mentor a young NHLer could ever ask for.

Photo by Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Penguins Sign Alexander Alexeyev To One-Year Contract

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Free agent defenseman Alexander Alexeyev is staying in the Metropolitan Division after being non-tendered by the Capitals. PuckPedia reports he’s landed a one-year, one-way, league-minimum commitment from the Penguins.

Alexeyev is the third defenseman Pittsburgh has signed to a one-way contract in free agency, joining Caleb Jones and Parker Wotherspoon. They also swapped righties with the Sabres in a draft-day trade, parting ways with Conor Timmins and acquiring Connor Clifton. He’ll compete with all of them for jobs on a Pittsburgh blue line that has perhaps the most roster spots up for grabs of any team in the league entering 2025-26.

Alexeyev spent his first four NHL seasons in Washington, which drafted him with their first-round pick after winning the Stanley Cup in 2018. The stay-at-home lefty has panned out as a big No. 7 option but not much more. He was also the most frequently-scratched player in the league last season, only making eight appearances despite never sustaining a long-term injury or receiving a full-time AHL assignment.

The 6’4″, 229-lb rearguard was a more frequent name in the Caps’ lineup in the prior two seasons. All in all, he’s recorded a goal and seven assists for eight points in 80 NHL games, posting a minus-eight rating while recording 121 blocks and 91 hits and averaging 15 minutes per game.

The Pens’ right side is essentially locked in with Clifton, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson, barring a trade for the latter. It’s the left side where virtually every spot is a battle amid a list of candidates that includes Alexeyev, Jones, Wotherspoon, Ryan Graves, Ryan Shea, and 2022 first-round pick Owen Pickering. One or two of those names won’t be on the opening night roster in a few months.

Penguins Sign Rafael Harvey-Pinard To Two-Way Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Penguins have signed free agent winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard to a two-way contract, the team confirmed in a press release. They also officially finalized previously reported contracts for Anthony Mantha and Philip Kemp. Harvey-Pinard will earn $775K in the NHL and $450K in the AHL with a $525K guarantee, per PuckPedia.

Harvey-Pinard first popped up on the NHL radar as an overage selection out of QMJHL Rouyn-Noranda, going to the Canadiens in the seventh round of the 2019 draft. He turned pro with the Laval Rocket, Montreal’s AHL affiliate, in 2020-21 before making his NHL debut the following season on a four-game call-up.

After producing well in Laval to begin his pro career, Harvey-Pinard got an extended NHL look later in the 2022-23 campaign after Cole Caufield went down with a shoulder injury. He got reps in top-six duties alongside Nick Suzuki and produced quite well, scoring 14 goals and six assists for 20 points in 34 games.

Injuries have since derailed the 26-year-old’s career, and he never found that spark again. Last season, he wasn’t cleared to play until late November after sustaining a broken leg during the offseason and cleared waivers upon his return. In addition to only getting one NHL appearance in 2024-25, his minor-league production was also dreadful. After consistently producing around a 0.80 points per game clip earlier in his career with Laval, he had just five goals and 14 assists for 19 points in 40 games for them last year.

The 5’9″ winger will now try to jumpstart his production in the Penguins organization. It’s a no-risk signing for Pittsburgh, who might even have a spot on their opening night roster for Harvey-Pinard if he impresses in camp, if they shop forwards like Noel Acciari, Kevin Hayes, and Danton Heinen this summer as speculated. He likely wraps up Pittsburgh’s depth signings with 46 out of a possible 50 contracts now on the books for this season.

Image courtesy of Sergei Belski-Imagn Images.

Penguins Sign Philip Kemp To Two-Way Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Group VI free agent defenseman Philip Kemp has signed a two-way contract with the Penguins, according to the league’s media site (via Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). PuckPedia reports it’s a two-year commitment with an NHL salary of $775K and a $350K AHL salary in both seasons. He has a $375K guarantee in 2025-26 and a $400K guarantee in 2026-27.

Kemp, a Yale product, was a seventh-round pick by the Oilers in the 2017 draft and has been in the Edmonton organization since then, primarily with AHL Bakersfield. He’s played five seasons for the Condors, the last two as an alternate captain.

The 26-year-old righty only has one NHL game to his name, recording just three shifts for 2:03 of ice time in an overtime win over the Canadiens in January 2024. Checking in at 6’3″ and 202 lbs, he scored seven goals, five assists, and 12 points with 39 PIMs and a plus-five rating in 56 games for Bakersfield last season. He has 18 goals, 40 assists, and 58 points with a +38 rating in 258 career games with Bakersfield.

Kemp likely won’t be in consideration for a roster spot in Pittsburgh, even with their lack of NHL-quality defensemen. He doesn’t offer much future upside and isn’t the type of player they’re targeting for NHL minutes as they continue to retool/rebuild their roster. He will, however, likely have more call-up opportunities in Pittsburgh if injuries strike, given their lack of organizational depth.

Pittsburgh only has five contract slots remaining for 2025-26 after signing Kemp.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top