3 Penguins Most Likely To Be Traded Early

The Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t exactly lighting the hockey world on fire to begin the 2024-25 season.

They sit one spot from the basement in the Metropolitan Division at 5-7-2, and although there is a lot of season left for them to turn things around – and only six points separate them and the first-place Carolina Hurricanes – they have an excess of players and a lot of youth waiting in the wings.

Some of the bigger pending unrestricted free agents, such as forward Lars Eller and defenseman Marcus Pettersson, may be worth keeping around until at least the trade deadline because of their high level of value to the NHL roster.

However, there are some other players who – although valuable to the Penguins – may be a bit more expendable and could still fetch a decent return. And they can also help free up some space on the roster for other players to get their shot.

Noel Acciari

The Penguins went into the 2024-25 regular season with a surplus of forwards, causing a bit of a logjam on the roster. In fact, the Penguins will have one too many forwards once both Matt Nieto and Bryan Rust are activated from injured reserve.

So, looking at some of the Penguins’ options, Acciari’s strong start to season warrants a spot on this list.

Make no mistake: Acciari is an important player for the Penguins. Head coach Mike Sullivan has stressed the Acciari does a lot of the “thankless” jobs by blocking a ton of shots, delivering and taking hits to make plays, playing on the penalty kill, and clogging up passing lanes in the defensive zone. He also has four points on the young season, putting him on pace for 24 points, which would be the second-highest total of his career.

He is the type of depth player any contending team wants on its roster during the playoffs, and deployed with the right players, he is capable of producing at a decent rate for a fourth-line player.

Look for teams such as the Boston…