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3 early Penguins trade targets after 1st-round loss to Flyers
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- 3 early Penguins trade targets after 1st-round loss to Flyers
3 early Penguins trade targets after 1st-round loss to Flyers appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The 2025-26 season for the Pittsburgh Penguins , while coming to a disappointing close in the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers , would be considered a success by most measures.
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The Penguins entered the season tabbed by most insiders and fans as nowhere close to a Stanley Cup Playoff team, given they hadn’t advanced past the 82nd game of the regular season since 2022 and hired a brand new head coach in Dan Muse following the dismissal of Mike Sullivan. Additionally, longtime franchise mainstays Sidney Crosby , Evgeni Malkin , Kris Letang , and Bryan Rust were all a year older.
However, the Penguins got solid contributions from up and down their lineup, including a 30-goal season from first-year Pittsburgh forward Anthony Mantha . In the postseason, the Penguins fell behind three games to none before making life extremely uncomfortable for the Flyers by winning twice in a row, and coming within a single goal of forcing Game 7.
Cam York ’s seeing-eye shot in overtime of Game 6 somehow eluded goaltender Arturs Silovs , who had replaced the struggling Stuart Skinner following Game 3.
There will be plenty of attention given to the situation with Malkin, considering he just completed the final year of his contract and, despite saying he has no interest in playing for another team aside from the Penguins, could very well either retire or play one more year with a different organization.
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That being said, who are a few names that Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas could consider targeting on the trade market in the coming weeks and months?
Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault needs a fresh start elsewhere
Once considered the goaltender of the future for the Montreal Canadiens , Sam Montembeault instead has been replaced by Jakub Dobes , who not only earned his first Stanley Cup Playoff action last spring but was named Montreal’s starter this season in the postseason. Dobes led the Canadiens to a seven-game series upset over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal and has his sights set on leading his team to the third round for what would be the first time since 2021.
Meanwhile, Montembeault has had to watch this all from the bench, knowing that Dobes is the new starter in town. He has a single year left on his contract with a reasonable $3.15 million salary cap hit, and a trade to the Penguins would enable him to battle for the starting position with Silovs.
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There is expected to be an opening in the Pittsburgh net this summer, as Dubas is not expected to bring back Skinner, a pending unrestricted free agent. Skinner had been acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in mid-December in a blockbuster deal involving Tristan Jarry , who, like Skinner, struggled.
Filip Gustavsson is another goalie needing a fresh start
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Despite signing a lengthy extension to stay with the Wild, goaltender Filip Gustavsson has found himself supplanted by teammate Jesper Wallstedt , who was named the starter for Minnesota for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Not only did Wallstedt help his team to a first-round victory over the Dallas Stars , but he has since rebounded from what was a tough outing in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinal series against the Colorado Avalanche to win Game 3 in Minnesota, helping his club cut Colorado’s series lead in half and breathe new life into the team.
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Gustavsson was clearly bothered by the fact that he isn’t starting for the Wild in the playoffs (aside from Game 2 against the Avalanche, a loss). When approached for an interview during the opening round, he wasn’t interested in talking .
“Talk to the players who are playing,” Gustavsson said via The Athletic.
Wallstedt is viewed as the long-term goaltender of the future for the Wild, and despite Gustavsson’s extension that kicked in this season, he could be looking to be moved already.
Could Yegor Sharangovich replace the offense lost by the potential departure of Evgeni Malkin ?
The Penguins will have to act quickly if the verdict on Malkin’s future is that he’s not brought back, and if that happens, they’ll naturally have to replace the offense that he provided.
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Enter current Calgary Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich, who is only two seasons removed from a 31-goal campaign but has seen his numbers drop in recent years. He was one of many Flames players who were heavily involved in trade rumors in the weeks and days leading up to the trade deadline in March and, and while Nazem Kadri was ultimately traded, Sharangovich remained with the team.
Sharangovich could thrive in new surroundings, help to replace offensive numbers in the event of a departure from Malkin, and has a $5.75 million cap hit with four years left on his contract.
Related: Penguins rumors: Pittsburgh won’t re-sign Anthony Mantha this summer
