Could Marcus Pettersson be the Pittsburgh Penguins top pair defenseman next season? With the Pittsburgh Penguins early offseason in full swing, the managerial search continues to be the focus. Whenever a new general manager is appointed, they'll have to hit the ground running to revamp this roster and try to undo two years of terror suffered under Ron Hextall. The Penguins have a large group of free agents to make tough decisions on, but there are also several likely, and unlikely, trade candidates to make decisions on as well. Here are five Penguins trade candidates this offseason. Mikael Granlund The nail in the coffin of Ron Hextall's dismissal was acquiring forward Mikael Granlund from the Nashville Predators. At the time of his acquisition, Hextall claimed that there was a bidding war for Granlund's services. After watching him play 20 games and only register one goal, it's clear Hextall was taken for a ride on the trade. To make matters worse, Granlund has two more seasons of a $5 million cap hit. The new GM must find a way to shed this contract, regardless of the return. Jeff Petry Similar to Granlund, the experiment with Jeff Petry should be ended. The trade was a poor one to acquire Petry, parting ways with a much quicker and younger Mike Matheson to make that happen. While Ryan Poehling being the other player joining the Penguins in the deal kept the trade from being a total dud, there's simply nothing Petry brings that is essential for Pittsburgh to compete again. He makes $6.25 million against the salary cap, and moving his contract could prove too difficult. However, if the new general manager can find a way to trade Petry, the Pens will be much better off for it. P.O. Joseph The young defensemen finally broke through on a full time basis this season, playing in 75 games. P.O. Joseph scored five goals and added 16 assists, while earning his way onto the second pairing for a good chunk of the season. There were times where Joseph continued to look outmuscled and beaten up from the season's rigor, but those are the growing pains with a gifted 23-year-old defenseman. The Penguins would be wise to not part ways with another young defenseman (John Marino, anyone?), but perhaps the new management won't value Joseph in the same way the past regime did. The Pens also continue to have a log jam on the left side of their defense, with Ty Smith set to return to a full-time NHL role next season and Marcus Pettersson still locked up long term. Marcus Pettersson Speaking of the Swedish defenseman, there are truly defensive spots guaranteed next season aside from Kris Letang. Brian Dumoulin will most likely walk in free agency, along with Dmitry Kulikov. The left side of the defense currently projects to be Pettersson, Joseph, and Smith. If the new management doesn't view either of them as the ideal partner to Letang, where does that leave them? As it stands, those three lefties all appear to be second-pairing defensemen and Pettersson makes the most money. If the Pens want to give themselves more cap flexibility while pursuing a better fit next to Letang, Pettersson makes the most sense to move on from. Bryan Rust Bryan Rust was the biggest surprise return last offseason. With the extensions for Letang and Evgeni Malkin taking priority and Rust poised for a big pay day, many thought Rust would move on. Instead, he took a hometown discount to return to Pittsburgh. Rust had a rough first season after the extension, however, putting up his worst goal scoring season since 2018-19. He registered only 20 goals and 26 points in 81 games, a 12 point drop off from last campaign. The Penguins top-six is the best part of their roster, so moving on from Rust could possibly weaken their roster even more. It could also be a catalyst for restructuring the roster, and bringing in some players that are younger and hungrier. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Jason Zucker May Have Priced Himself Off of the Penguins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/jason-zucker-priced-himself-off-pittsburgh-penguins] Penguins Coaching Staff May See Changes [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-coaching-staff-see-changes] Eric Tulsky Has the Perfect Combination for Penguins Next GM [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/eric-tulsky-perfect-combination-pittsburgh-penguins-general-manager] Penguins' Jan Rutta Undergoes Successful Core Muscle Surgery [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-jan-rutta-undergoes-core-muscle-surgery] Brad Treliving Is Unexpected, but Viable Option for Penguins GM [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/brad-treliving-unexpected-viable-pittsburgh-penguins-general-manager] * undefined * undefined
