Kyle Dubas Acquired To Work With The Eller Commerce. What - And Who - Is Subsequent?

After an embarrassing 7-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday, it felt like a recreation that might find yourself being a season-altering loss for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Solely at some point later, that seems to be the case.

On Tuesday, the Penguins made simply the primary in what might be a number of strikes, trading veteran center Lars Eller to the Washington Capitals for a 2025 fifth-round decide and a 2027 third-round decide.

Eller, 35, is a pending unrestricted free agent, so this information is not all that surprising, even taking out the catastrophe of a displaying in opposition to the Stars. Eller had put up 4 objectives and 7 factors on the season for the Penguins and is a stable third or fourth-line heart for any contending group.

Provided that the Penguins are attempting to rebuild on-the-fly, promoting off expiring contracts – particularly precious ones, like Eller’s – ought to come as a shock to nobody.

However the place does GM and POHO Kyle Dubas go from right here?

Effectively, that might be a complete lot extra fascinating.

It is no secret that the Penguins are due for a shake-up. They’re staring down a 6-9-2 document and are simply two factors from the basement of the Metropolitan Division.

Nevertheless, they presently sit only one level out of the second Wild Card spot within the Japanese Convention, which – given how this season has gone – appears fully inconceivable.

Make no mistake: the Penguins will not be a playoff group of their present state, and lots must go proper for them this season to have an opportunity on the postseason, none of which has occurred to this point. However – as Taylor Haase of DK Pittsburgh Sports reported on Monday – the Penguins aren’t desirous about a full rebuild but.

And what this implies is that, sure, they are going to stockpile draft capital, as evidenced right here – however there’s a complete lot extra to the story than that.

What’s the corresponding transfer?

On the floor, the Eller commerce was a futures-oriented one. However, taking a look at it from a cap financial savings perspective, which may not be completely true.

When factoring in all gamers on long-term injured reserve and injured reserve (IR), the Penguins now have $1.78 million in additional cap house with Eller’s $2.45 million off the books. They presently don’t have an additional wholesome ahead on their roster and have one remaining roster spot open due to IR.

Until there’s a right away commerce to comply with since no participant apart from Matt Nieto – currently on an AHL conditioning stint – is eligible to be activated from IR but, this possible implies that one of many Penguins’ younger gamers from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) will get the decision.

Listed below are the highest candidates:

Emil Bemstrom
Bemstrom has been a point-per-game participant for WBS, registering two objectives and 11 factors on the season. He is the kind of participant who Dubas may need to name on to fill Eller’s function, as he’s undoubtedly one of many safer choices.

Vasily Ponomarev
Ponomarev is probably the closest Eller-type player in the Penguins’ organization. He is superb within the defensive zone, is a conscientous participant, and has a “motor,” as head coach Mike Sullivan has stated. The one snag is that he was just lately activated from IR, so he may have a bit extra time to get into recreation form.

Tristan Broz
Broz is off to an excellent begin in his first skilled season, main WBS in objectives with six and having eight complete factors on the season. He is not precisely a substitute for Eller, however he may present a scoring punch for the group.

Ville Koivunen
Like Sam Poulin, who was recalled on Sunday by the Penguins, Koivunen has put up three objectives and 9 factors for WBS. He is not precisely a defensive standout, however he’s a really gifted participant with an excellent shot. He or Broz may bump anyone else like Drew O’Connor down within the lineup to fill Eller’s spot on the third line.

Rutger McGroarty
Though McGroarty is not off to a blazing begin – he has only one aim and two factors in 9 AHL video games – he already has some NHL video games beneath his belt and will profit from seeing extra time in a defensive function – with room to grow – on Pittsburgh’s NHL roster.

May the Penguins commerce for an NHL participant?

Sure, completely. With the cap flexibility the Penguins now have, it looks like a professional risk that the Penguins could also be releasing up some cap for a much bigger transfer for a younger participant.

As Haase suggested in her report, Dubas is on the lookout for NHL gamers to assist reshape the roster. This can be a good indication that the Eller commerce is only the start, and that, maybe, releasing up cap house is among the largest priorities.

There are a number of groups across the league trying to make strikes proper now. One in all them is the Buffalo Sabres, who’re in a bizarre center floor of getting each younger gamers and gamers of their prime but falling wanting expectations. As well as, the health of star forward Tage Thompson is unclear, as he was injured on Monday.

Dubas, Jason Spezza, and Amanda Kessel all attended the Buffalo-Montreal recreation on Monday, and Dubas is presently attending GM conferences in Toronto.

Do not be shocked to see a subsequent transfer of some sort within the coming days, even when it is not a commerce involving Buffalo.

Who’s the subsequent Penguin to go?

In case it bears repeating, no, the Penguins are definitely not achieved. Not solely have they got a number of pending UFAs, however in addition they have another gamers who’ve each some worth and a bit extra time period on their contracts.

There are some gamers like Anthony Beauvillier, Rickard Rakell, and Tristan Jarry who could also be traded in a while. However who’s almost certainly to be dealt subsequent?

Marcus Pettersson
Though Pettersson is a pending UFA, he can nonetheless fetch an honest return – and it might definitely be a shake-up commerce for the locker room. He hasn’t had a operating begin to the season, however primarily based on advantage alone, he ought to nonetheless command an honest asking worth.

Noel Acciari
Acciari is the type of participant any contending group want to have of their bottom-six come playoff time. He has another season remaining on a deal that pays him $2 million per yr, so he comes comparatively low cost. If he is moved, it will probably be a lot like the Eller trade, with the aim being to clear extra cap house for a much bigger transfer later.

Alex Nedeljkovic
The Penguins currently have one too many goaltenders on their roster. If the urgency to make strikes is as, effectively, pressing because it sounds, Nedeljkovic can be a lot simpler to commerce than Tristan Jarry. A group in want of goaltending assist would take him in a heartbeat, and, once more, this clears extra cap house.

One in all Jesse Puljujarvi or Drew O’Connor
These are depth gamers who Dubas may deal in a participant swap of kinds – suppose Los Angeles’s Arthur Kaliyev, Toronto’s Nicholas Robertson, or Chicago’s Philipp Kurashev.

Kris Letang
Yeah, this may be a game-breaker. A room-breaker, back-breaker, no matter you need to name it. But there were rumors over the summer, although mostly shot down, that Letang requested a trade to Montreal. Of the legacy gamers on this roster, he could take advantage of sense to maneuver.

He is having a down yr, however he’d present a precious veteran presence on a younger Canadiens roster, assuming he’d waive his no-movement clause in that situation.