The Pittsburgh Penguins have been the subject of a plethora of trade speculation this summer, as big-name veterans like Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, and Bryan Rust have been in the rumor mill for quite some time.
While those players are – rightfully – commanding a lot of the attention on the market, there may be a few smaller moves in store for the Penguins, too.
As it stands, Pittsburgh currently has 13 forwards on its active roster, and that doesn't include any up-and-comers like Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty, or SHL Forward of the Year Filip Hallander. The reality is that, in order for those guys to crack the roster, the Penguins are likely going to have to free up some roster space prior to puck drop against the New York Rangers on Oct. 7.
While it's very possible that either Rust or Rakell will be on the move, there may be some other forwards to keep an eye on as well.
Noel Acciari
To be clear, the Penguins like Noel Acciari and what he brings to the table. He may have negative value offensively, but he does a lot of the "thankless jobs," as former head coach Mike Sullivan would often say: He blocks a lot of shots (finished third in the NHL among forwards with 100), hits a lot of guys (led the Penguins in hits with 180), and plays a lot of the tough minutes on the penalty kill and in defensive zone starts.
Honestly, Acciari, 33, would be a pretty good get for a contending team in need of not only a depth forward, but a player who is capable of manning some of those tough minutes on the fourth line. He wouldn’t even necessarily need to be an everyday player in the lineup, although he does have value, contrary to what some Penguins’ fans might think.
He’s only on the books for one more season at $2 million, which isn’t much, especially when considering the rising cap and the fact that a lot of fourth-liners will be making that kind of money. Also, Acciari would be an easy piece to throw in the mix as part of a bigger trade involving guys like Rust, Rakell, or Karlsson, depending on the destination and the cap situation.
Moving Acciari shouldn’t be otherworldly difficult. The Penguins wouldn’t get a lot in return, but it does help free up a roster spot for one of their younger players, which is more important right now.
Kevin Hayes
Kevin Hayes may still be owed $3.57 million next season by the Penguins in the final season if his contract – the Philadelphia Flyers originally retained half of Hayes’ full $7.14 million salary in a trade with the St. Louis Blues during the summer of 2023 – which is a bit hefty of a cap hit for a 33-year-old who is on the downswing of his career.
But, it’s not like Hayes’s numbers were poor last season. Despite being a healthy scratch for a chunk of the year mid-season, he ended up registering 13 goals and 23 points in 64 games. While it’s a far cry from the peak of his career with the Rangers and the Flyers, his game is still serviceable in a bottom-six role.
Even though his footspeed isn’t blazing by any means, Hayes thinks the game on a high level, and his playmaking smarts were on display at different times throughout 2024-25. He’s also a valuable presence in the locker room, and he would be a solid veteran mentor on an up-and-coming team.
Still, it would probably take an asset moving out with Hayes in order for him to land elsewhere next season, unless – as suggested with Acciari – he is part of a larger move (which is less likely because of his salary). Or, the Penguins could retain some salary to send Hayes elsewhere, which shouldn’t really hurt them for only this season.
All in all, moving out Hayes shouldn’t be all that difficult, and the Penguins should do it for the same reasons they would do it for Acciari – to give their young players a more legitimate shot at regular NHL ice.
Danton Heinen
Heinen, 30, was with the Penguins from 2021-23 and was dealt back to Pittsburgh as part of the Marcus Pettersson trade to the Vancouver Canucks last season. In his second stint, he put up just three goals and 11 points in 28 games with Pittsburgh and nine goals and 29 points total on the season.
In keeping true to the pattern of this exercise, it’s not that Heinen is useless in the Penguins’ lineup. The fact of the matter is that his presence could potentially block a younger player from seeing the lineup on a regular basis. He is also a forward who would be easy to put on the waiver wire following training camp, but if any kind of return is out there for him, it may be worth exploring a trade now to get even minimal value.
Heinen still has some lineup versatility, and he put up 17 goals and 36 points with the Boston Bruins just two seasons ago. He may be maddeningly inconsistent and disappear for large stretches, but he may be a worthwhile gamble as a depth piece for a team trying to throw darts at the board and hoping something lands.
His $2.25 million salary for one year isn’t huge by any means, but it’s just big enough that it could present some issues for teams close to the cap. The Penguins likely wouldn’t want to waste a retention slot on Heinen given the fact that guys like Karlsson, Tristan Jarry, and Hayes might be on the block at some point throughout the season as well.
This is one of those, “If it’s there, why not?” scenarios. Again, the value is in freeing up a roster spot, not necessarily in the return.
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Feature Image Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
