Insider Convinced Two Penguins Players Will Get Traded

GMs Bill Guerin and Don Waddell set the early tone with the board ablaze, securing one of those seldom-seen types of trades with prospect David Jiricek. The decisiveness might just set the table for others in the coming months.

Names tossed around so far include Marcus Pettersson and Drew O'Connor, two of the more intriguing trade chips for a poorly performing Pittsburgh Penguins team boasting the league's worst goal differential at minus-30.

The Penguins really have little choice but to be sellers rather than cling to a failing core with their playoff hopes slipping away, and NHL insider Nick Kypreos believes two of their players will be highly coveted.

Marcus Pettersson is a top-four defenceman, and there's going to be a number of suitors. Still, he's averaged 19:25 in even-strength ice time while the team's been a mess and has anchored Pittsburgh's penalty kill.

He's a stalwart on the back end. But his underlying numbers have suffered given the circumstances, and he's been on the ice for more 5-on-5 goals against than any other NHL player.

On a better team, he could be a real star. At a more-than-reasonable $4 million cap hit, and with only one salary retention slot remaining, the Penguins and Pettersson are the ultimate rental candidate for contenders.

Drew O'Connor, of course, brings value in a different way. The towering 6-foot-4, 209-pound forward, at 26, was a breakout 16-goal scorer this past season, a physical presence who can score, and has taken on increasing penalty-kill responsibilities.

His $925,000 cap hit this season sets up a situation in which he's an inexpensive asset that can be added to a team in need of depth.

A pending unrestricted free agent this summer, O'Connor's combination of size, skill, and affordability has made him a legitimate trade target.

The Penguins will likely play both Pettersson and O'Connor with an eye toward the future, and these two could be popular pieces among the contenders looking to supplement their lineups.