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From Mirror, online reports
Being one of the game's most recent dynasties, and housing one of the greatest players in NHL history, expectations are always high for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Not reaching the Conference Finals since their Stanley Cup victory in 2017, the Penguins are looking to squeeze out the last few seasons of their generational talents such as captain Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.
Dealing with the ramifications of contending for so long, the Penguins no longer have the pipeline of young players they can bring into the lineup. Surviving mostly on the supplementation of college signings, the Penguins have only drafted in the first round three times in the last decade.
With a tight cap situation, and a lack of young assets to dangle, GM Ron Hextall will have quite a lot of work to do in the coming days in Pittsburgh. Serving at the helm since 2021, many of Hextall's trades have come with mixed reviews. Acquiring players such as Jeff Carter, Jeff Petry, and Rickard Rakell, many of these trades were well received at the onset.
However, through injuries or simply underperformance, these players have not been the game-changers that the Penguins may have expected them to be. As things currently sit, the Penguins sit in fifth place in the Metropolitan Division, barely hanging on to the last wild card spot in the East. As their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, and several holes to fill in the lineup, the Penguins will have some hard decisions to make over the next few days.
Because their cap hits are relatively modest compared to other stars, Carter and Brock McGinn shouldn't need a world-changing offer to move. A former top-line center for the Flyers and Kings, Carter was acquired from the Kings during the trade deadline of 2021. Already having Crosby and Malkin in the mix, Carter was acquired to provide depth. However, only scoring 21 points this season Carter hasn't lived up to the 2-year, $6.25 million contract he signed prior to this year.