Penguins’ Slow Start Could Force Decisions on Veteran Stars

Pittsburgh’s slow start has raised the prospect that general manager Kyle Dubas could consider major roster moves if the team remains near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Penguins are three games below .500 and sit 15th in the conference, more than a month into the season.

Several prominent players have contracts that are expiring or nearing their final year, including Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson. Crosby and Malkin each have one year remaining, while Karlsson’s one-year contract carries a $10 million salary. Rickard Rakell, who has two years left on his deal, is another possible trade candidate, as is Karlsson.

A broad sell-off would raise the question of whether Dubas might consider moving Crosby, a franchise icon. The season is still young, however, and Pittsburgh’s five-on-five performance has been better than its results suggest. Crosby could also rebound from his slow start.

If the Penguins do not turn things around, their veterans’ contracts and potential appeal to other teams could put Dubas in a difficult position. The report identifies Karlsson and Rakell as obvious trade possibilities but does not say that the Penguins have decided to move either player.