Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic commends his teammates for defensive performance against the Minnesota Wild. The Pittsburgh Penguins have obviously been struggling through 30 games of the 2023-24 NHL season, and with the midpoint just around the corner, the discussions of buying or selling at the trade deadline are picking up steam. Considering the unusual position the Penguins are in, it makes sense that some key figures would appear in these discussions. While the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang are likely locked in for life, the team’s current leader in point might catch the most attention. According to Chris Johnston of the Athletic, [https://theathletic.com/5147274/2023/12/20/nhl-trade-board-gibson-guentzel-kuzmenko/] Penguins forward Jake Guentzel could be one of the most valuable trade chips in the NHL. Guentzel is on an expiring deal, in the prime of his career, and playing some of the best hockey possible despite not having a preseason. In 30 games played, Guentzel has scored 14 goals and 20 assists for a team leading 34 points and is pacing for 38 total goals on the year. All of that comes off of no preseason thanks to an offseason ankle surgery that he came back faster than expected from. Dubas stated before that he planned on waiting for Guentzel to return to health before beginning discussions of a new contract, but the Penguins volatility may have pushed those talks even further down the road. In his most recent meeting with the media, Dubas said he’s essentially giving the penguins until the All-Star break to really see where they stand. If the Penguins are still out of the race by quite a bit, Dubas won’t have much choice but to work the market with Guentzel and maybe even another high-profile name. The Penguins have until the first week of February to make a move in the standings and establish themselves, or the March 8 trade deadline could be a dark day. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Penguins Have Chance to Establish Themselves in Metro Division [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/pittsburgh-penguins-chance-establish-metropolitan-division] Penguins Re-Assign Ryan Shea, Vinnie Hinostroza to AHL [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-defenseman-ryan-shea-clears-waivers] Key Pieces Returned to Penguins Lineup Against Wild [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/podcasts/key-pieces-returned-pittsburgh-penguins-lineup-against-wild] Valtteri Puustinen Should Stick in Penguins Lineup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/valtteri-puustinen-stick-pittsburgh-penguins-lineup] Sidney Crosby Continues to Climb All-Time Charts [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-climb-all-time-charts] * undefined * undefined
