It is early season, but the NHL trade market has been stuck in quicksand for months. The big trades that were supposed to happen over the summer were instead quiet days filled with waiting instead of movement.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are the one team that is a confirmed seller on the market. With that exclusive designation, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas set what her termed as “sky high” prices on his talented veterans.

Time sped past, and the season started with Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Erik Karlsson on the roster.

Now, with a 5-2-0 record, the Penguins are in an even more powerful position, and a few teams with Stanley Cup aspirations are again hunting for what the Penguins have to offer.

The Penguins’ trade chips are not in question, but via new reports, a few buyers have emerged.

Potential Penguins Trade Partners

1. Vancouver Canucks

A bit more than a week ago, the Athletic’s Chris Johnston reported that the Vancouver front office, led by former Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford as president of hockey operations and Patrik Allvin as the GM, was on the prowl.

“They’re a front office that understands they probably need to add another impact forward.”

Injuries have beset Vancouver, and they could quite possibly lose center Filip Chytil permanently after Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson delivered a hard open ice hit on Sunday. It appeared Chytil suffered his fifth concussion.

With the hope that Vancouver could slot Chytil as a middle-six center diminished, Vancouver badly needs a pivot, but is also still on the market for an impact forward.

Could the Penguins take less for a player such as Rakell if Vancouver wants to take a chance on a $3.5 million center such as Kevin Hayes? Or would Vancouver like a package that includes Tommy Novak, too?

Vancouver has $1.2 million in salary cap space but has not yet placed Chytil on long-term injured reserve. The Penguins would also need to take back some salary to make any trade work, but it could be one of the most beneficial.

Vancouver still has its 2026 first-round picks.

2. Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes are shopping. On the TSN Insiders, Pierre LeBrun reported that Carolina wants a big name.

“They tried to trade for Mitch Marner, and yes, last month, when (Kirill) Kaprizov turned down the first offer from the Minnesota Wild, I can confirm that the Hurricanes picked up the phone and checked in with Minnesota because they would have swung big for him, but of course, that was not a trade opportunity for them.”

Early in the NHL-trade season, more than a few pondered if Carolina could be interested in Erik Karlsson, as they were the other finalist when the Penguins and Dubas eventually won the sweepstakes on Aug. 6.

Now, Carolina is white whale hunting, but there are few, if any, available. Instead, would Carolina opt for a talented winger who can score 30 goals, play 200 feet, and cost one-third of the current superstars?

The Penguins have two. Carolina owns Dallas’ first-round pick in the 2026 draft but does not have their own. Carolina also has a deep prospect pool.

A late one and a prospect would be an appropriate return for either winger, but that would not meet the “sky-high” requirement.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto. Trade rumors. Gee, what are the odds?

Toronto is auditioning top-line wingers from Easton Cowan to Nick Robertson and Max Domi, and the talent pool is at best untested and probably not up to the necessary production standards (but Cowan may get there) of a Stanley Cup contender.

Enter the Penguins?

The problem with any Penguins-Maple Leafs trade is the Leafs’ lack of first-round picks until 2028, and they do not have a deep prospect pool. Toronto probably would not part with Cowan, especially after dealing former top prospect Fraser Minton to the Boston Bruins at the 2025 NHL trade deadline.

Where there’s a will, there is a way, but it would be difficult to impossible to make it work. Also, Toronto has a whopping $23,141 in salary cap space, which isn’t enough to afford a free lunch in the salary cap world.

So, it’s not hard to see why the trade market has stalled since May.

Tags: Bryan Rust Carolina Hurricanes nhl trade NHL Trade Rumors Penguins Trade Pittsburgh Penguins Rickard Rakell toronto maple leafs Vancouver Canucks

Categorized: Penguins Trade Talk