It's a tough job for Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas. He's put himself into a tough situation as he attempts to get younger while making the top stars on his roster happy. With a bumpy start to the schedule in the rearview, it seems that Dubas is open for business. TSN's Darren Dreger said some eye-opening things during his recent segment on Insider Trading.
"You could see a bigger selloff by Kyle Dubas, the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins." Dreger continued, "What I can tell you is this. The focus remains on getting younger."
Any sort of losing season will force the Penguins into some tough trade chatter as the campaign gets closer to the deadline this winter. Although Dreger didn't admit to anything new regarding the team trying to get younger, he points to a potential selloff of their stars if the opportunity presents itself.
This could get ugly with some fan favorites being sent out of town if the team doesn't start stacking wins in the near future.
Don't be shocked if Kris Letang becomes one of the names who populates on the rumor mill. He has been a terrific soldier for the team throughout his tenure in Pittsburgh, but if another team was willing to acquire his heinous contract, Dubas would be foolish for not considering it. Moving Letang would send a brutal message to the locker room, but it might be one they are overdue to see come true.
Pittsburgh Penguins struggles this season has forced many stars onto the trade block
Moving on from Kris Letang will get those worried about Sidney Crosby leaving town after the season more concerned. Although losing Letang at any point this season would be a bitter pill to swallow, even Crosby should be able to see the vision of getting younger despite losing his long-time teammate. Dreger's report was chilling as it could spark the long feared rebuild in Pittsburgh.
Dreger hinted at those available, "Even though Dubas is listening to players like Letang, Karlsson, Rust and Rakell."
Not only could the Penguins be willing to move Kris Letang, but other franchise cornerstones like Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell could be on the move. That might only be the tip of the iceberg if Dubas and the Penguins get aggressive by selling off countless assets if their season continues to spiral. This roster could be filled with new faces if Dreger's report rings true.
Although we have heard the whispers of Rust, Rakell, and Karlsson all before, it's still hard to fathom. Now with Kris Letang in the rumor mill, it only shows where the Penguins truly are as a team at this moment in time. The biggest blockades when it comes to moving the talented defenseman are his contract length and his full no trade clause.
Letang would dictate where he landed if a deal was struck.
At the end of the day, Kris Letang would decide if he would be traded from Pittsburgh, not the other way around. That alone could make him nearly untouchable on the trade market, and his poorly aging contract only makes matters worse. Don't be shocked if a trade return for Letang wouldn't be something spectacular as the difficult circumstances would make any sort of deal tough to solve.
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