"No one is safe”: NHL insider issues shocking statement as Penguins eye ‘multiple trades’ ahead of deadline 

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a team in transition. The dynasty (2007 to 2022) that saw three Stanley Cup championships and 16 consecutive playoff appearances is a thing of the past. The Pens are on track to miss the postseason for the third straight season and the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang is another year older.

General manager Kyle Dubas has begun re-shaping his roster by moving out veterans while adding younger players, prospects, and draft picks following an inconsistent season. Josh Yohe of The Athletic wrote about Dubas' plans for the upcoming 2025 trade deadline.

“Make no mistake, trades are coming," Yohe wrote on Wednesday. "The Penguins have played at a 100-point pace since Thanksgiving and have put themselves in playoff contention. The improved results have not changed Dubas’ mindset. He’s going to sell. League sources expect the Penguins to make multiple deals."

Yohe added that defenseman Marcus Pettersson is likely to be shipped out. He also mentioned sources are telling him that "no one is safe" on the Penguins other than those with a full-no-movement clause, specifically Crosby and Malkin.

Rickard Rakell has drawn lots of interest, though it sounds as if Dubas wants to keep him for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. He's been phenomenal thus far, having already racked up 22 goals.

Penguins are falling out of the playoff race

After a 9-3-1 stretch that catapulted the Penguins (18-20-8) up to a playoff position heading into the Christmas break, it's all gone downhill from that point.

Pittsburgh has gone 2-5-3 to fall five points out of the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. They also have five other teams that stand between them in the race, which is why there's just a 2.4% chance of playoff hockey in Pittsburgh this spring, according to MoneyPuck.com.

Despite strong production from top players including Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust, they can't keep the puck out of their own net. They've allowed 173 goals against this season, the worst in the NHL, and have the third-worst goal differential in the league at -36.

The Pens will look to claw their way back up the standings starting tonight in Buffalo against the Sabres. The puck drops at 7 p.m. EST at KeyBank Center.