Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas was very busy ahead of the NHL trade deadline. For the past year, he's been stacking up draft picks and freeing up cap space. He made a total of eight trades during the 2024-25 season. The Penguins now have 18 draft picks in the first three rounds of the next three NHL drafts, more than any other team in the NHL.
Dubas will continue to retool this struggling team this summer. He wants to get the Penguins back to the playoffs sooner rather than later. Post-deadline, Dubas expressed that they’ll “begin to shift to the execution” of the next phase.
Although the focus of the next phase will be draft selections, acquiring players in free agency, using cap space and perhaps flipping some of the draft picks to acquire players, Dubas still has some trade chips on the team as well as players who won’t be re-signed. Here are three players who survived the trade deadline but aren’t likely to be back next season.
3. Noel Acciari
Noel Acciari is someone who may not be back with the Penguins next season. Moving forward, the Penguins are looking to get younger and faster. Acciari is neither of those things. But a playoff-caliber team looking to bolster their bottom six forward depth with a gritty, defensively responsible veteran would love to acquire him. He can play center and wing and is a solid penalty killer.
There was some buzz throughout the season about Acciari potentially being traded. Elliotte Friedman mentioned Acciari as a top potential trade candidate back in November. Nothing ever materialized, though. He wasn’t talked about much around the trade deadline but expect his name to come up again this summer. Acciari has one year left on his contract, so the Penguins could look to move him this summer to get a return instead of him walking the following summer.
2. Matt Grzelcyk
Matt Grzelcyk was among the many Penguins available on the trade market ahead of the trade deadline. Grzelcyk spent eight seasons with the Boston Bruins and then signed with the Penguins in free agency in 2024 on a one-year prove-it deal. The puck-moving defenseman is a pending unrestricted free agent. He’s turned things around after a tough season last year.
Grzelcyk survived the deadline and remains in Pittsburgh for now, but there haven’t been any talks of an extension. Not being moved before the deadline doesn’t necessarily mean the Penguins are interested in keeping him around long-term. After the deadline, Dubas indicated other teams had interest but they were “kicking tires.” In other words, there was no offer worth taking. There was no mention of a new contract or a desire to keep Grzelcyk.
1. Erik Karlsson
Erik Karlsson has not worked out for the Penguins, and he still has two years left on his contract. The organization would certainly like to move him, but there are some roadblocks that have kept him around. His no-movement clause means Karlsson has full say in if and where he goes. The offensive defenseman has a hefty contract, but the rising salary cap will be helpful. Given his age and lack of a Stanley Cup win, Karlsson would be motivated to agree to a trade to a team that’s closer to winning a championship than the Penguins.
Dubas and the organization don't seem to think Karlsson fits into their long-term plans. It’s expected that the Penguins will try to move him this summer. If they’re willing to retain salary and Karlsson is willing to waive his no-movement clause, it can happen. Despite his struggles in Pittsburgh, there’s a belief in him throughout the NHL, so he still has a lot of value. This is a move that should happen this summer.
Don’t expect to see these three players in Pittsburgh next season.