Insider Elliotte Friedman Reveals Which Pittsburgh Penguin Is On The Way Out Next
The Pittsburgh Penguins have already become sellers this year, and now it appears Drew O'Connor is the next name on the way out.
While a 6-9-3 record may not be the end of the world for some teams, for the Pittsburgh Penguins it's simply not good enough, and with their veteran talent, the belief is that they should be doing much better.
Following a 7-1 loss to the Dallas Stars, the team abruptly moved veteran Lars Eller, and for the most part, the expectation is that it will be the first in a long line of moves from General Manager Kyle Dubas, who has revealed who his untouchables are in trade talks.
With those names off the board, speculation has begun about the remaining players, and in his latest piece, top NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman has made note of who he believes is next to go:
In 79 games a year ago, O'Connor posted a career high of 16 goals and 33 points, and while he has just three goals and 4 points this year, he could still be a very capable middle-six forward at the NHL level.
With a smaller cap hit, he would be a very easy move for the Penguins, and after getting a 5th and 3rd round pick in return for 35-year old Eller, a 26-year old with potential could net them a very solid return.
At this point in time, it's tough to tell whether or not Dubas will begin the selling process immediately or whether he will wait to see how things shake out in the coming weeks and months, but with players like O'Connor, Michael Bunting and Marcus Pettersson potentially having value, it makes plenty of sense to explore that.
