3 more Penguins who should be moved by trade deadline following Lars Eller deal

Is there a team that has gotten off to more of a disappointing start than the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2024-25 season? They entered Monday's action against the Dallas Stars with a record of 6-8-2, in dire need of a win on home ice. Not only did the Penguins fall, they were completely outclassed. They allowed six first period goals in a 7-1 loss.

Penguins fans could only hope that a loss as embarrassing as that one would serve as a wake-up call of sorts to the organization and sure enough, it did. Lars Eller was traded to their Metropolitan Division rivals, the Washington Capitals, in exchange for draft pick compensation.

Opening up playing time for younger forwards in the organization is partially why the Penguins did this, but ensuring that they got a solid return in exchange for an older veteran on an expiring contract is also why the deal was made when it was. By trading a productive veteran like Eller, it's pretty clear that the Penguins know where they are team-wise. They know they're not going to be in Stanley Cup contention, which is the last thing that Sidney Crosby wants to hear.

With that in mind, more moves will be made. They probably won't be coming in the coming days, but once the March trade deadline rolls around, more Penguins players will be gone. These three in particular stick out as the most likely to get dealt.

3 Penguins who should be traded ahead of deadline

3) Alex Nedeljkovic should be traded to open up playing time for Joel Blomqvist

Part of why the Penguins are where they are right now is because goaltending has not been where it needs to be. Tristan Jarry struggled so mightily in his three appearances to open the season to the point where he was sent to the AHL for a conditioning stint. He did not play in Monday's game, but is back in the NHL.

If there was a goalie that Pittsburgh would love to trade, it'd be Jarry. He has a $5.375 million cap hit through the 2027-28 season, which for a goaltender who looked as bad as he did earlier this season is an albatross. It'll be very hard to move him, thus the need to trade Alex Nedeljkovic.

Nedeljkovic is a decent backup who is under contract for a $2.5 million cap hit through 2025-26, but 22-year-old Joel Blomqvist looks a whole lot better. Sure, Blomqvist has only appeared in eight NHL games - all coming this season - but Blomqvist's .904 save percentage is the best mark on the team by far. Nedeljkovic is at .882 also through eight appearances.

With this season looking lost, the Penguins would benefit from seeing what they really have in Blomqvist instead of using him at the AHL level, which is where he is now with Jarry back up in the NHL. Jarry is going to have to play some, but splitting time with him and a 22-year-old sounds more enticing than Nedeljkovic, a player everyone knows about.

Nedeljkovic is fine, but the Penguins should want to play Blomqvist. The only real way to do that consistently is by trading Nedeljkovic knowing that Jarry's contract would be really tough to move.

2) Michael Bunting would benefit from a change of scenery

Michael Bunting was part of the trade from last year's trade deadline that sent Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. His first stint with Pittsburgh couldn't have gone much better, as he racked up six goals and 19 points in 21 games. Unfortunately, this season hasn't gone nearly as well for Bunting.

In the 16 games he has played thus far, the 29-year-old has just two goals and one assist. He's recording a point in one of around every five games shortly after averaging nearly one point per game. His playing time has seen a dramatic dip as well, going from averaging 17:19 last season to 14:26 thus far this season.

Bunting has had lots of NHL success in spurts. He even had back-to-back 23-goal seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs before joining the Hurricanes in the 2022-23 offseason. The Penguins have seen the best of Bunting. They've also seen his inconsistency.

Selling low is never ideal, but it just isn't working out right now. If he's placed on the block, the Penguins should be able to find a suitor even if the return isn't great. Clearing his $4.5 million cap hit is enough of a win considering the player he's been this season.

1) Marcus Pettersson can net the Penguins a strong return

The Penguins have several big-name defensemen on their roster including Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang so Marcus Pettersson flies under the radar. With that being said, though, he is rock solid on defense. The 22:08 time on ice he receives per game is on par with the likes of Karlsson and Letang proving how valuable he can be.

With that being said, though, contracts can lead to moves being made. Eller was set to hit unrestricted free agency after the year, and Pettersson is in the same boat. Sure, the Penguins can extend him, but with Karlsson, Letang, and Ryan Graves all making big money for the foreseeable future, how willing should they be to give the 28-year-old Pettersson the big deal he's going to want?

The 30 points Pettersson scored last season might not appear to be impressive, but he did so without any power play time and while being on a team with the likes of Karlsson and Letang - two offensive-minded big-name defensemen. He has seven points in 17 games this season, on pace to eclipse the 30 points he had last season.

With his cap hit being just over $4 million and with him being only 28 years old, the Penguins can net a decent return here. He'd be a top-four defenseman just about anywhere and his cap hit is small enough for most contenders to absorb rather comfortably, especially if the Penguins eat a chunk of the contract.

Most importantly, if the Penguins aren't going to extend him, trading him is a must. This team cannot afford to risk letting Pettersson walk for nothing, especially in a season that will likely result in no playoffs.