NHL Rumor Mill – March 20, 2025
The latest on the Penguins and some potential offer sheet targets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
LATEST PENGUINS SPECULATION
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski is on record suggesting the possibility of Penguins general manager (and former Toronto Maple Leafs GM) Kyle Dubas pursuing Mitch Marner if the latter goes to free agency this summer.
He believes it depends on how far and fast Dubas thinks his team hits rock bottom and bounces back. If the Penguins GM flips some draft picks for younger players and feels good about the direction, pursuing Marner could be on the table.
However, Kingerski doubted that Dubas could sell his picks as quickly or easily as he might hope. The rising salary cap means more teams will have cap space, making it difficult to weaponize the Penguins’ cap room.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Anything can happen, but Marner to the Penguins seems like a long shot. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe recently cited team sources claiming Dubas intends to wait until the 2026 offseason to take a swing at landing a big-ticket player.
Kingerski thinks Dubas could use his cap space and depth in draft picks to pursue a restricted free agent with an offer sheet. He considers Buffalo Sabres forward JJ Peterka a prime target.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images)
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres have almost as much projected cap space for next season ($24.1 million) as the Penguins ($26.3), with Peterka and Bowen Byram as their notable RFAs. Nevertheless, they’re in a good position to match any offer sheet for Peterka unless it’s ridiculously expensive (over $10 million annually). Dubas will have to target clubs with much less cap room to make an offer sheet worthwhile.
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Jason Mackey believes the Penguins should attempt to trade Erik Karlsson and Tristan Jarry this summer to free up as much salary-cap space as possible and recalibrate.
Mackey doesn’t see them trading Kris Letang if next season is the last one for center Evgeni Malkin. Karlsson, however, is a different story.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Letang and Malkin have spent their entire NHL careers with the Penguins and want to finish their careers in Pittsburgh. Some observers aren’t sure Letang wouldn’t accept a trade, but that’s unlikely to happen with Malkin heading into his final season. And with Sidney Crosby signed for two more seasons, Letang could ride things out until his captain hangs up his skates.
Karlsson hasn’t worked out as the Penguins hoped when they acquired him two years ago. However, his puck-moving abilities and solid performance for Sweden during last month’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament saw him emerge in the rumor mill leading up to the recent trade deadline. Dubas could find a trade partner for the 34-year-old defenseman this summer if the Penguins are willing to retain some of his salary.
POTENTIAL OFFER SHEET TARGETS
THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston was asked which players he felt were viable offer-sheet targets this summer.
Johnston believes mid-tier or emerging players to be the most vulnerable because contending teams are most worried about not overpaying those types of players. He cited the St. Louis Blues signing away Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg from the Edmonton Oilers last summer as examples.
Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque could be a target. The Stars have already made some significant investments for next season.
Florida Panthers forward Mackie Samoskevich could be another. Johnston’s colleague Peter Baugh suggested Will Cuylle and K’Andre Miller of the New York Rangers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dallas has $5.33 million in cap space with Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund eligible for unrestricted free-agent status. Florida has $19 million in cap space but must re-sign or replace pending UFAs Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad. That could make Bourque or Samoskevich prime options for offer sheets.
The Rangers have $10.6 million available with Cuylle and Miller as their notable free agents. However, management is expected to attempt to shake up its roster via trades and free agency, which could make one or both players potential free-agent targets.
I didn’t realize that the Stars would have so little cap space heading into next season…I guess signing Rantannen to 12 million/year eats into your cap rather quickly…
Granlund is a pure rental at this point, and I don’t know how Benn and Duschene both come back? Which really sucks, because we all know at Benn will resign with the Stars at probable 3-4 million, but that leaves nothing for Duschene.
There will be a couple cap casualties! Such as Dumba, the rest will be harder to take such as maybe Marchment, Bourque, and maybe Harley.
Dubas’ big plan is Peterka?
Sabres will easily match.
Toronto you maybe right..but it’s rumored he wants out and he is available?
Love him in Pittsburgh..LOL
thoughts ?
Brian Rust a prospect,a1st and a 2nd to Buffalo
J.J Peterka or Ryan McLeod and Bowen Byrum to Pittsburgh
can’t see how the Stars can keep Duchesne
He’s taken a discount in Dallas in recent seasons. He may taken another one to stay.
Re; Edmonton Oilers
Not signing Dylan Holloway and Phil Broberg probably the worst move in the last 25 yearsJust brutal❗️
For a second round pick in a second and third there future second peeling
No one is offer sheeting plus 10m unless the guy is a top talent like Bedard. The sneaky ones are what Armstrong did, the middle bet at low pick cost
The playoffs are going to be great this year, imo
All the Canadian teams have a shot to make them & a couple look like big contenders for Lord Stanley
Toronto you maybe right..but it’s rumored he wants out and he is available?
Love him in Pittsburgh..LOL
thoughts ?
Brian Rust a prospect,a1st and a 2nd to Buffalo
J.J Peterka or Ryan McLeod and Bowen Byrum to Pittsburgh
Dubas, under no circumstance , sign Marner
To get him your going to have to pay $13.5 M * 7 AND front end load it, likely $35M (of the$94.5 M) over the first 2 years
Crosby in those 2 years is getting only $17.4 M!
Absolutely wrong move to sign Marner
Dubas SHOULD do an offer sheet (or2 [like Blues]); Pens own their own picks in ‘26
Dubas SHOULD (read that as what he NEEDS to do and not as the likelihood that he will) do all f the following:
-Re-up all 5 RFAs
-Sign Katchouk to an NHL contract , and make sure he plays up with the big club
-Under no circumstance re-up Grzylcyck or Nieto
-Use some later round draft picks to Jettison Accairi
-Sweeten a trade with Lizotte and a mid rounder to move Hayes
– Trade Nedjelkovic; with a 2nd and McGroarty for a much better back up
– after July 1st (after SB paid); retain 50% (on top of current) on Karllsson; trade for young (early20’s ) NHLer (on the rise; and Prospect who is NHL ready for this fall
-Do same as above for Rust (@ 50%)
-Trade Rackell as is for same return as above
Those trades net 3 young NHLers and 3 on the cusp of making the NHL
-make an offer sheet or 2 (akin to what Blues did this year). Pens have their own picks in ‘26
-no drafting any player less than 5’11”, and less than 185 (that’s now at 18; NOT what they expect to top out as)
-Sign no UFA that will be 29 or older as at December 31st, 2025
-bring up and play: Pickering; Brunicke; Koivenan;
If he does the above; Pens make playoffs next year
Dubas should really go for it
Call Chevy
Offer Ranger’s 1st (‘25); Jet’s own 2nd (in 26); Wild AND Blues’ 2nd rounders from ‘25
For Valardi
If Chevy says no
Then Offer sheet Valardi , 5 @ $9.15 M (that compensation is just a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
Oops
That’s Blues 2nd in ‘26; and Wild 3rd (‘25)
8787 And Sidney is signing off on this right?
In a heartbeat
He wants to play again in the playoffs
Keeping the likes of , Hayes, Grzylck , Accari are true detriments to achieving that
Moving Karllsson to get a young up and coming NHLer plus a prospect who will start in NHL next year; of course Crosby would be on board with that
Getting bigger, faster, younger, and better as a team; absolutely 100% Crosby is on board with that
The only 2 (currently positive ) takeaways from the sbovf proposal are the suggested exits of Rackell and Rust
Note: Replaced directly in trade by 2 up and coming NHLers and 2 prospects who will play in the NHL
In addition, the exit of Rackell is definitely compensated by the addition (indirectly via offer sheet) of Valardi
Upgrading Nedjelkovic adds a few more W’s through the year
Absolutely those moves make the Pens playoff bound next year; and 100 % Crosby would sign off on that as it guarantees playoff hockey
Would Dubas do this?
Unfortunately, setting aside the assets that he got at TDL; Dubas’ overall moves have been costly; and he has lost most trades and has been brutal with UFA signings ; so unfortunately there is a higher likelihood that he signs Marner to 7 @ $13.5 M than taking the much better route I’ve suggested
We’ll know the direction this team goes in soon enough
If Dubas brain farts and re-ups Grzylcyck; the end is nigh
If Pens start next year with all of Karllsson, Hayes, Accari, Grzylcyck, and Nedjelkovic; Crosby never plays another playoff game as a Pen AND odds climb substantially that Crosby considers a trade come TDL next year
He extended solely on the promise from Dubas that he’d make the team better and playoff bound in first year of Crosby’s extension
Big changes (and they MUST be immediately positive ones) are needed
Without seriously big positive changes; Dubas will have ruined the twilight years of two first ballot HHoFers and a third HHoFer