Elliotte Friedman reports the Penguins are looking to make moves, with Sidney Crosby's future hanging over all of it.
Pittsburgh lost 5-2 in Anaheim last night, and the 6-10-2 record has the Penguins 28th in the NHL. A team that deep in the standings, with Dan Muse behind the bench, was always going to get to this point.
Friedman noted that Pittsburgh is out there looking to make moves, and that general manager Kyle Dubas needs to find out what his players want to do. A lot of them have no-move or no-trade clauses.
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That last part changes how any deal gets made. Dubas can't simply shop a name around. Each conversation starts in the player's room, and the player decides whether it goes anywhere.
Friedman wouldn't speculate on Crosby's future. The captain is 39, has 13 points in 18 games and played 23:08 last night. Earlier this week, we passed along Josh Yohe's report on the Penguins' approach to Sidney Crosby's next contract.
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | DIFF | |
| 1. Carolina Hurricanes | 19 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 30 | +33 |
| 2. New Jersey Devils | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 26 | +15 |
| 3. New York Rangers | 18 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 21 | +3 |
| 4. Washington Capitals | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 18 | +2 |
| 5. New York Islanders | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 17 | -2 |
| 6. Columbus Blue Jackets | 15 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 14 | -7 |
| 7. Pittsburgh Penguins | 18 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 14 | -7 |
| 8. Philadelphia Flyers | 19 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 13 | -23 |
Who can Kyle Dubas actually move?
Nobody is named in the reporting, so any list would be a guess. What the post does establish is that the roster is hard to move, and that Dubas is starting with conversations rather than offers.
The case for acting is plain. Pittsburgh is 3-6-1 over its last 10 and 2-7-1 on the road. Silovs allowed four goals on 24 shots last night, and Erik Karlsson put eight shots on net in a loss.
Dubas has players with leverage, and every week at this pace shrinks it. If the players who hold the clauses want to stay, this front office will have to get creative, because waiting won't make the standings any kinder.
Pittsburgh plays at San Jose on Wednesday, and the phone calls don't stop for the schedule.
Quick hits
VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Manny Malhotra confirmed that Filip Chytil and Tom Willander will sit out tonight's game against the Flyers. That thins the lineup for a team that can't afford many holes.
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UTAH MAMMOTH: The Mammoth recalled defenseman Zac Jones from Tucson, and Nate Schmidt's status is unclear. Worth watching on the back end.
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COLORADO AVALANCHE: Alex Gagne has been recalled from the Colorado Eagles, with Makar's status unclear. Avalanche fans will want an update soon.
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WINNIPEG JETS: Josh Morrissey was in a regular jersey again at Jets practice today, according to WiebesWorld and Mitchell Clinton. That's a good sign ahead of the Devils game.
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EDMONTON OILERS: Devon Levi gets the start tonight against the Rangers, RotoWire reports. The Binnington buzz has cooled for now.
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Should Kyle Dubas sell off the Penguins' veterans now??
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