Penguins Won't Waive Trade Clauses at Deadline
The Pittsburgh Penguins are going to respect the contracts and clauses as the trade deadline looms.
PITTSBURGH – There has been plenty to discuss regarding the Pittsburgh Penguins these last few weeks, but as a couple of wins stack up, they aren’t entirely out of the race yet. However, heading to Western Canada won’t be easy, and a few losses there could spell disaster for the season.
It seems likely that the Penguins are ready to reconstruct their roster, with almost everyone outside of the core possibly available for a trade. As insider Elliotte Friedman pointed out, there might be some limitations.
Any time a player has a no-move or modified no-trade clause in their contract, they are automatically a little trickier to deal. According to Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Kyle Dubas and the Penguins don’t plan to ask guys to waive those clauses.
“The cornerstone players are not available,” Friedman said. “I’ve heard that they are going to try and respect trade protection as much as they can.”
The Penguins have quite a few players with clauses in their contracts. Having a clause doesn’t quite mean you’re safe; the Penguins can still find teams to trade with, but the list of teams is slimmer.
Trade protection is in good hands with guys like Marcus Pettersson and Bryan Rust, who are likely not going anywhere. Clauses for names frequented on trade boards, like Reilly Smtih and Rickard Rakell, make them more challenging to move.
“Unless you’re going to blow them away for someone who has a no-trade or no-move, who’s not a cornerstone player,” Friedman said. “For example, one of those guys is Bryan Rust. I’ve heard Pittsburgh told teams, ‘We’re going to try and respect the protection.’”
Rust is in the second season of a six-year deal, where the first three feature an entire no-move clause. Despite unfortunately getting injured against the Philadelphia Flyers, Rust will likely be in Pittsburgh through next season.
Smith and Rakell have been hot topics, but their no-trade clauses have created obstacles. Smith carries a 10-team no-trade list, while Rakell holds an eight-team no-trade list. For what it’s worth, Jake Guentzel carries a 12-team no-trade list.
Before Friedman made his point, Dubas told Pittsburgh media he hadn’t asked any players to waive any clauses.
“I have not asked any player to waive their no-move or no-trade,” Dubas said. “It’s a gigantic game of poker.”
Dubas may try to respect trade protection, but plenty of options remain open for moves. Most of the roster is still up for grabs, but only specific teams are available for certain players.
However, Guys like P.O. Joseph, Lars Eller, and Alex Nedeljkovic don’t have clauses and are free to be traded to any of the 31 other teams in the NHL.
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