The Pittsburgh Penguins have started to right the ship this season after a really slow start, but are they Cup contenders like they've been in the past? My money is on no. There have been big changes in the front office but the mantra from the team hasn't changed; it appears to be in full "win now" mode rather than "plan for the future" mode. Former GM Jim Rutherford recently stepped down and rumours followed that he had attempted to trade core defenceman Kris Letang, a move ownership (which includes legend Mario Lemieux) didn't like and stopped him from pulling it off. Rutherford has deied that rumour on a couple of occasions but that doesn't mean the team isn't at least tempted to see what they can get for the 33-year-old.

Josh Yohe, who covers the Pens for The Athletic, points out that Letang's production has dropped, despite a turnaround over the last couple of weeks, and he believes there has at least been some conversation about moving him.

"So, what to do with him? My guess is that the Penguins will keep him this season. Oh, I bet they're tempted to move him. He's been really bad for his standards, which are extremely high. But how much would the Penguins reasonably get in a trade for him? Other teams are watching how he's playing, too. He's going to be 34 in April. He's had many health issues. And he's a free agent in 18 months anyway."

"Trading him would be reasonable given how he has played, but would it make the Penguins better? And before you say it's addition by subtraction, do you want Ceci or Ruhwedel playing top-four minutes? Because that's what would happen if Letang is traded.The best bet is for him to start playing better. To his credit, he's been good during the past two weeks. Then, come this summer, things get really interesting, when the Penguins can give him a new deal, trade him or do nothing."

As for all the rumours that Pittsburgh may look into trading star Sidney Crosby, Yohe believes it will never happen.

"I've read some recent trade speculation revolving around Crosby. For many reasons, please, just stop. Not happening."

After leaving the Penguins, Rutherford stated that he has always believed that Letang, Crosby and Evgeni Malkin should finish their careers in Pittsburgh. He added that he'd include Marc-Andre Fleury on that list, but says cap issues forced the team to make a move he really didn't want to make.

GMs and reporters will always name the "untouchables" when it comes to players. But, let's face it, anyone can be traded for the right price. Pittsburgh can continue telling people that Crosby and Malkin will never be traded, but all it takes is the right deal and the thumbs-up from one of these players for that to change dramatically. It's possible that new GM Ron Hextall and his co-hort Brian Burke can build a winner around the core again, but time is definitely a factor right now.

Source: The Athletic