Rumor: Dubas has told other teams "everyone is available, except 87."”

[TheFinalWord]

If Pittsburgh does the smart thing and blows it up, will Crosby consider leaving? I know he wants to stay there, but if Letang and Malkin go, would he still be dead set on staying? Would he consider a trade to a Colorado or Montreal (I think that was his team growing up)? Or perhaps a Boston?

 

[Empoleon8771]

If Pittsburgh does the smart thing and blows it up, will Crosby consider leaving? I know he wants to stay there, but if Letang and Malkin go, would he still be dead set on staying? Would he consider a trade to a Colorado or Montreal (I think that was his team growing up)? Or perhaps a Boston?

Crosby and Malkin are both dead set on staying with the Penguins and aren't going anywhere.

I bet Dubas would trade Letang if he could, though. Count me as skeptical about it.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

If Pittsburgh does the smart thing and blows it up, will Crosby consider leaving? I know he wants to stay there, but if Letang and Malkin go, would he still be dead set on staying? Would he consider a trade to a Colorado or Montreal (I think that was his team growing up)? Or perhaps a Boston?

The problem is it isn't up to Dubas. All three have full NMCs and seem pretty set to finish their careers together. Maybe another year of losing will change their minds but until that happens, Pittsburgh is basically stuck.

It sucks too because while I appreciate they want to stay loyal to the team they've had so much success with, being open to a trade would allow Pittsburgh to acquire assets they desperately need. At this point, all Crosby and Malkin are doing is ensuring the Pens are a bottom feeder for several years the moment they retire.

 

[ManofSteel55]

If Pittsburgh does the smart thing and blows it up, will Crosby consider leaving? I know he wants to stay there, but if Letang and Malkin go, would he still be dead set on staying? Would he consider a trade to a Colorado or Montreal (I think that was his team growing up)? Or perhaps a Boston?

Teams who blow it up completely tend to stay in purgatory for a long, long time. The Pens have a lot of decent trade bait to load up on youth, and that youth would benefit from having Crosby around to teach them the ropes. It seems that Sid is very much wanting to be a legacy player - someone who only played for one team. If that's what he wants, and he is okay with not winning any more cups and being there to mentor young guys into being stars, then that's a good thing for his legacy as well.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The problem is it isn't up to Dubas. All three have full NMCs and seem pretty set to finish their careers together. Maybe another year of losing will change their minds but until that happens, Pittsburgh is basically stuck.

It sucks too because while I appreciate they want to stay loyal to the team they've had so much success with, being open to a trade would allow Pittsburgh to acquire assets they desperately need. At this point, all Crosby and Malkin are doing is ensuring the Pens are a bottom feeder for several years the moment they retire.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with what you're saying, but I'm not sure I'd expect it to be any different if they traded Crosby or Malkin. For the same NMC reason you mentioned, I think these guys would bring back far less than most people on here think they would. I don't think you're getting franchise altering futures by trading any of those guys. Hell, I'm even iffy on Letang having positive value at this point.

In a hypothetical situation where these guys would be moved, I'd expect a 1st and 2nd in value for Malkin (comparable to the St. Louis to NYR and Iginla to Pittsburgh trades) and maybe a 3rd for Letang in value (comparable to the Burns to Carolina trade). Crosby is impossible to tell because there are simply no modern examples of someone of Crosby's caliber being moved, but it's probably not that much more than what Malkin would be bringing back.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Having Crosby, Letang, Malkin on reasonable deals is a fantastic thing to have. Trading them isnt necessarily gonna make your rebuild that much better. Dubas just needs to surround this proven core with good players and maybe have two/three years of playoff hockey. Its not too high of a expectation and hes failed massively.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Having Crosby, Letang, Malkin on reasonable deals is a fantastic thing to have. Trading them isnt necessarily gonna make your rebuild that much better. Dubas just needs to surround this proven core with good players and maybe have two/three years of playoff hockey. Its not too high of a expectation and hes failed massively.

I don't know that I necessarily agree with this side, either

The reality with the Penguins right now is pretty simple: they're an old and mediocre roster with a coach years past his expiration date. How they got to this point is more complicated. The situation Dubas inherited was not just as simple as "he just needs to surround the core with good players".

When Dubas took over the Penguins, this was their fully healthy roster to end that season:

Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Zucker-Malkin-Rakell
Heinen-Granlund-Carter
Poehling-Bonino-Archibald
O'Connor

Dumoulin-Letang
Pettersson-Petry
Joseph-Rutta
Kulikov-Ruhwedel

Jarry-DeSmith

Their bottom-6 was a downright mess and the defense's puck moving wasn't nearly good enough to make Sullivan's system work. Zucker, Jarry and Dumoulin were pending UFAs while Petry ($6.25 million), Rutta ($2.75 million), Carter ($3.125 million) and Granlund ($5 million) were all duds and making a huge amount of money. They only young players they had pushing for NHL minutes were O'Connor, Joseph, Smith and Poulin, and Smith was a complete bust and Poulin missed significant time in 2023-2024 due to mental health issues.

Dubas came in and made things worse with the Jarry and Graves deal along with the Karlsson trade, but the situation he inherited was a downright terrible one. There was not an easy fix to that 2023 Penguins team because they had about $18 million in unmovable dead money, an aging core and no prospects coming up. I think saying "he failed this easy task" is being disingenuous about how bad their situation was when he came in.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

If Pittsburgh does the smart thing and blows it up, will Crosby consider leaving? I know he wants to stay there, but if Letang and Malkin go, would he still be dead set on staying? Would he consider a trade to a Colorado or Montreal (I think that was his team growing up)? Or perhaps a Boston?

Sid and Geno will retire Penguins, I don't see them leaving. It's like Jamie Benn being a Stars lifer and I know Seguin didn't start there but he's been a Stars player through and through. Penguins will do the same with Sid and Geno, hopefully with a new coach.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Not sure what Dubas is waiting for after getting booed on home ice last night. Start the rebuild and move some players.

 

[HabsAddict]

Pens fans may wsnt this or that but the players have NMCs and literally have all the power.

If Letang wants to go to Montreal and nowhere else, Habs can offer a plate of poutine and a 4th. That's IF...IF the Habs want him.

I can't see how the vets will bring in quality prospects.

From what i read, these are players who control their destiny...and the highest value.

• Sidney Crosby.
• Erik Karlsson.
• Kris Letang.
• Evgeni Malkin.
• Brian Rust

Good luck....

 

[Cogburn]

I'd take a flyer out on Malkin at half retained. It'll cost an arm and a leg, I'd imagine, though.

 

[Sabresruletheschool]

Yeah but Malkin is Malkin and Jake was Jake. He's a core piece on and on our Mt Rushmore. Why would they trade him unless there was a significant incentive?

Umm because he's 38 years old? You want teams to give up thier best young pieces for Malkins past accolades? Never going to happen. Nobody knows how much a 38 year old has left in the tank. Teams aren't going to pay because he's part of tour teams "Mt Rushmore".

 

[Stephen]

The idea that Dubas of all people could trade into contendership is also laughable. How many won trades would he need to make for that to happen? Like 4 at least? The dude didn’t win 4 roster trades in Toronto in 6 years. This smells of his ego running the team.

Ego and incompetence is a hell of a combination.

Washington's duct tape job has really exposed what a poor job Dubas has managed to do since arriving in Pittsburgh.

Seeing him turn Jake Guentzel into Michael Bunting and 2nd was such an object lesson in why he was so scared to move off the Big 4 in Toronto.

 

[HuGort]

Not sure what Dubas is waiting for after getting booed on home ice last night. Start the rebuild and move some players.

Bad time to make trades

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Penguins made the business decision to keep around their golden players to sell tickets. Obviously from a competitive standpoint, it was the absolute wrong move as we are seeing.

I don't think anyone believed they would have fallen off as a team this violently but probably for the best.

Weird to wonder what this team would have looked like without the Malkin, Letang, Graves, and Jarry deals.

Hindsight is 20/20 though

Not sure what Dubas is waiting for after getting booed on home ice last night. Start the rebuild and move some players.

The rebuild is in full flight. There isn't a chance a good percentage of what is capable of being traded will be.

You are also looking at a top 5 pick and with the way they are currently playing, would be surprised if its not top 3.

Get another year or two of top 3 picks with the amount of money that will come off their cap in a couple years…. Team will look drastically different. Whether that's for the good or bad.. Scary to think the Penguins FO will allow Dubas and Sullivan to make that decision in the next 2-3 years that will impact this team for a decade.

 

[Gurglesons]

Penguins made the business decision to keep around their golden players to sell tickets. Obviously from a competitive standpoint, it was the absolute wrong move as we are seeing.

I don't think anyone believed they would have fallen off as a team this violently but probably for the best.

Weird to wonder what this team would have looked like without the Malkin, Letang, Graves, and Jarry deals.

Hindsight is 20/20 though


The rebuild is in full flight. There isn't a chance a good percentage of what is capable of being traded will be.

You are also looking at a top 5 pick and with the way they are currently playing, would be surprised if its not top 3.

Get another year or two of top 3 picks with the amount of money that will come off their cap in a couple years…. Team will look drastically different. Whether that's for the good or bad.. Scary to think the Penguins FO will allow Dubas and Sullivan to make that decision in the next 2-3 years that will impact this team for a decade.

Malkin and Letang deals are fine tbh.

 

[Hierso]

Why would Crosby be not available if malkin, letang, karlssom are on market and being dealt?

The Pens without those three will be even worse offensively and Crosby would have no one to play with.

Crosby should be on the market and give 3-5 teams he would be okay to play for and go finish his career of there

The only reason a player with such a stellar record as Crosby would ever want a trade would be to chase that one stanley cup ring he never got. Crosby should retire as a pengiun since he has actually won.

 

[Sideline]

Malkin and Letang deals are fine tbh.

The idea that the Penguins need to pay to get rid of them is ridiculous. The Penguins are a bad team. They aren't going to fix that with cap space in 2025. They will fix it by sucking for the next 3 to 5 years and building through the draft.

There isn't a single player currently under contract that would interfere with building around the next core because the next core isn't even on the roster yet.

 

[Hookslide]

I'd take a flyer out on Malkin at half retained. It'll cost an arm and a leg, I'd imagine, though.

Elias Lindholm, and a add if needed for Malkin

 

[Shark Finn]

Elias Lindholm, and a add if needed for Malkin

So not even half a year into the new 7 year contract he's traded for Malkin?

This isn't a video game.

 

[Zbynek]

Elias Lindholm, and a add if needed for Malkin

NO dude lmao.

 

[SEALBound]

Umm because he's 38 years old? You want teams to give up thier best young pieces for Malkins past accolades? Never going to happen. Nobody knows how much a 38 year old has left in the tank. Teams aren't going to pay because he's part of tour teams "Mt Rushmore".

That's fine. Penguins keep Malkin then.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Does O'Connor play center or is he not suited for that

 

[SEALBound]

Pens fans may wsnt this or that but the players have NMCs and literally have all the power.

If Letang wants to go to Montreal and nowhere else, Habs can offer a plate of poutine and a 4th. That's IF...IF the Habs want him.

I can't see how the vets will bring in quality prospects.

From what i read, these are players who control their destiny...and the highest value.

• Sidney Crosby.
• Erik Karlsson.
• Kris Letang.
• Evgeni Malkin.
• Brian Rust

Good luck....

Rust's drops off either this year or next so there will be more flexibility there soon. The other four, I doubt Dubas is interested in moving them unless they ask out in which case the NMC wouldn't matter anyway.

Does O'Connor play center or is he not suited for that

He's been at 3C between Puljujarvi and Poulin and doing well enough. So, yes he CAN play center but I would suggest he's a better wing than a center.

 

[Zbynek]

Umm because he's 38 years old? You want teams to give up thier best young pieces for Malkins past accolades? Never going to happen. Nobody knows how much a 38 year old has left in the tank. Teams aren't going to pay because he's part of tour teams "Mt Rushmore".

"Yea so basically... just take this absolute dogshit value for your Hall of Fame top 40 all time player, franchise legend, Hart/Art Ross/Conn Smythe winning center"