With the regular season winding down and the Pittsburgh Penguins most likely not making the playoffs, thanks in part to some underperforming players, there are plenty on the roster who could find themselves in a different jersey come the start of the 2024-25 season.
Jeff Carter
As the oldest player on the Penguins roster, Jeff Carter has seen a production drop off this season. While he has been a consummate professional in his career and time with the organization, it may be time that the two sides part ways. It will be easier to do so, thanks to Carter being an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the season.
The Penguins may not have the deepest farm system in the NHL, but there are a few prospects and younger players in the organization who should be able to take on the role production-wise that Carter has been in the last couple of seasons. General manager Kyle Dubas may also continue to look to go younger as he tries to help keep the Penguins competitive.
Alex Nedeljkovic
After a down season with the Detroit Red Wings, Alex Nedeljkovic found his way to the Penguins in the offseason on a one-year deal. He has been solid in the net for the Penguins while being called upon quite a bit, with Tristan Jarry having an up-and-down season at times.
Related: Penguins’ Best Goaltending Option Was Always Tristan Jarry
But with being another player who will be a UFA this offseason, Nedeljkovic may end up having to find another team to latch onto. His play this season should help him earn a longer-term contract than one year elsewhere, and the Penguins also have Joel Blomqvist waiting in the wings and is in the midst of a strong season in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Rickard Rakell
After being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in 2022, Rickard Rakell made a solid impact for the Penguins up to this season but has been one of the team’s underperforming players this season. While they made him available at the trade deadline this season, they ultimately decided to hang on to the 30-year-old forward. But once the offseason rolls around, Dubas may revisit the trade market for Rakell and move on from him.
With a partial no-trade clause (eight-team), Rakell can have a say in where he ends up, but a team looking for a middle-to-bottom-six player with the potential to rebound from a down season could take a shot on him and the Penguins could look to get out of at least part of his $5 million cap hit for next season.
Reilly Smith
After being acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in the offseason, the hope was that Reilly Smith could slot into the Penguins lineup and provide some offense for the team, but he has not been able to replicate his play from his Golden Knights days. It seems that he has struggled to fit in 100 percent with the Penguins and is another player that the team had placed on the trade block around the deadline.
Smith could be of interest to a contending team looking for some added depth to their lineup while also not being a long-term burden salary-wise, as his contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 season. If the Penguins can move on from the 30-year-old forward in the upcoming offseason and get some value back in a trade, Smith may find himself elsewhere come the start of next season.
Penguins Trying to Stay Competitive
With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson all getting older, Dubas is looking to keep the Penguins in a good spot to compete and be in a playoff hunt while not trying to “waste” the rest of Crosby’s time in a Penguins jersey. This offseason will be crucial to doing just that, and he may look to move some players while opting not to bring back some of his pending free agents as well.
