Maybe this was the plan all along for Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas. The season has started to go off the rail in the worst way possible, and it points to his roster building from this past offseason being a key cog in their failures.
With a playoff berth far from their grasp now into November, the Penguins might have no other choice but to make some trades and force their way into the long awaited rebuild many fans have been dreading.
If this was Dubas' plan the entire time, then it certainly puts the team into a position where they have few avenues. It seems like they have no other choice but to sell off veteran players this season to gain back prospects and draft picks in return. This will at least give them future hope in their develop system and have young skaters hit the ice this year. It will lead to immediate pain right now though.
The bottom six is a mess with a logjam of forwards on the roster trying to squeeze their way into the lineup. The defensive unit is even worse, and they continue to leave their goaltenders out to dry on a nightly occurrence. This roster was poorly assembled to start the season, and that might've been by design by Kyle Dubas. If it wasn't his intentions, then this club needs to take a look in the mirror.
Pittsburgh Penguins disastrous start to the season will force trades and play younger players
With the likes of Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, Erik Karlsson, and others in the rumor mill, there could be many trades in the near future. It's safe to assume that Pittsburgh could move all three of those high-profile veterans before the deadline passes on March 1. Don't be shocked if moves come much sooner than that. Moving on from the aging veterans will open the door for new opportunities.
Moving out players from the top six via trade should net Pittsburgh fairly good value in return.
In the meantime, it will also allow many of their younger skaters in the AHL to finally get a strong chance to show their worth in the NHL. It's time for the Penguins to finally figure out if Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes, and others are legit big leaguers or not. This is the year for them to finally get answers.
Tanking is not something any professional team should be aiming to do, but with the low chance of the Penguins bouncing back this year, they shouldn't be afraid to get younger this season, even if it means they might not be as good. They are better off in the long run to get younger and have those players gain NHL experience. This is the path the club should be aiming for after trades happen.
There is a scenario where the younger players provide a spark to the Penguins down the stretch of the season. That would be the ideal scenario to watch happen as it would allow younger pieces to take over the lineup, and for some of the veterans to help them along the way. That way they could go into the offseason full of prospects and draft picks to hopefully take this team to the next level.
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