Trade Talk Increasing for Penguins Forward
Jake Guentzel isn't the only Pittsburgh Penguins forward finding his way onto trade lists.
As the trade deadline approaches, time is getting short for Pittsburgh Penguins President and general manager Kyle Dubas to make a decision regarding his team.
Jake Guentzel's potential trade has been widely discussed throughout hockey circles, but steam has picked up around another Penguins forward, Reilly Smith.
Smith's first season with the Penguins has not gone the way many, including the team, had hoped it would.
He began the season red-hot alongside Evgeni Malkin, scoring 11 points (6G-5A) in his first ten games with the Penguins. Smith's production fell off drastically since, collecting ten points (3G-7A) in 33 games since then.
It would typically feel a bit early to pull the plug on a player who has historically hovered around 0.27 goals per game over the last decade and can contribute on both special teams units. However, the Penguins are in a position where patience is becoming increasingly difficult to justify.
Smith is one of several players, including Rickard Rakell and Ryan Graves, failing to meet expectations and carrying a large salary cap number. But considering the term remaining on Rakell and Graves' contracts, Smith is likely the easiest to move out at the deadline.
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