Will the Penguins enter the backup goalie market?
Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Pittsburgh Penguins backup goaltender Casey DeSmith has allowed four or more goals in seven in his past nine starts. The Penguins start looking to see what goaltenders are on the trade market?
Sources say that during the offseason the Penguins were looking at the goalie market for an experienced goaltender. Brian Burke downplayed that last month.
The Penguins have Filip Lindberg (October AHL goalie of the month) and Louis Domingue in the AHL and playing well.
Goalies who could be on the block.
The Penguins don’t have the salary cap room to add Marc-Andre Fleury unless the Chicago Blackhawks retain salary, and it’s hard to see the Blackhawks wanting to do that.
Dallas Stars will soon have three NHL goalies and Braden Holtby at $2 million may be worth a call.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have pending UFA Joonas Korpisalo making $2.8 million.
Could the Toronto Maple Leafs back peddle on Petr Mrazek after giving him a three-year, $3.8 million per deal with past offseason.
The Penguins could send DeSmith to the AHL at only a $200,000 cost to their cap situation.
Top 30 pending Unrestricted 2022 free agents
Matt Larkin of The Hockey News: A look at the top 30 NHL unrestricted free agents that could be available next July.
- Patrice Bergeron – Boston Bruins – Center – $6,875,000
- Johnny Gaudreau – Calgary Flames – Left Wing – $6,750,000
- Evgeni Malkin – Pittsburgh Penguins – Center – $9,500,000
- Tomas Hertl – San Jose Sharks – Center – $5,625,000
- John Klingberg – Dallas Stars – Defense – $4,250,000
- Filip Forsberg – Nashville Predators – Left Wing – $6,000,000
- Kris Letang – Pittsburgh Penguins – Defenseman – $7,250,000
- Marc-Andre Fleury – Chicago Blackhawks – Goaltender – $7,000,000
- Tuukka Rask – UFA – Goaltender
- Claude Giroux – Philadelphia Flyers – Left Wing – $8,275,000
- Vincent Trocheck – Carolina Hurricanes – Center – $4,750,000
- Ondrej Palat – Tampa Bay Lightning – Left Wing – $5,300,000
- Hampus Lindholm – Anaheim Ducks – Defenseman – $5,205,556
- David Perron – St. Louis Blues – Right Wing – $4,000,000
- Nazem Kadri – Colorado Avalanche – Center – $4,500,000
- Darcy Kuemper – Colorado Avalanche – Goaltender – $4,500,000
- Rickard Rakell – Anaheim Ducks – Left Wing – $3,789,444
- Andre Burakovsky – St. Louis Blues – Right Wing – $4,900,000
- Ryan Strome – New York Rangers – Center – $4,500,000
- Joe Pavelski – Dallas Stars – Right Wing – $7 million
- Nino Niederreiter – Carolina Hurricanes – Left Wing – $5,250,000
- Josh Manson – Anaheim Ducks – Defenseman – $4,100,000
- Mark Giordano – Seattle Kraken – Defenseman – $6,750,000
- Alexander Radulov – Dallas Stars – Right Wing – $6,250,000
- Jack Campbell – Toronto Maple Leafs – Goaltender – $1,650,000
- Valeri Nichushkin – Colorado Avalanche – Right Wing – $2,500,000
- Paul Stastny – Winnipeg Jets – Center – $3,750,000
- Max Domi – Columbus Blue Jackets – Center – $5,300,000
- Phil Kessel – Arizona Coyotes – Right Wing – $8 million
- Reilly Smith – Vegas Golden Knights – Right Wing – $5,000,000
