The speculation isn\u2019t going away. The retooling Pittsburgh Penguins have three desirable, tradeable players in Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson. The Detroit Red Wings need offense, and those players could help. Detroit has $12 million in cap space.<\/p>\n
Connecting the dots just keeps bringing us back to a possible Penguins-Red Wings trade.<\/p>\n
This morning\u2019s NHL Rumors headline trumpets that the Penguins need to make moves<\/a> \u201csooner rather than later.\u201d<\/p>\n A move for Rust or Rakell makes the most sense. The Red Wings were frustrated in their efforts to land a top six forward in July and August. Both Rust and Rakell are coming off 30-plus goal seasons. However, Kyle Dubas has told everyone that he is asking for both the moon and stars for those two players.<\/p>\n The general consensus is Rust and Rakell will be with the Penguins when the season starts. The player the Penguins need to move most is Karlsson who has two seasons left at a $11.5 million salary cap hit.<\/p>\n The argument for Karlsson centers the fact that even at 35, Karlsson\u2019s offensive ability would upgrade the Red Wings\u2019 offense. Provided the Penguins will retain a significant amount of salary, this deal can get done. Justin Holl ($3.8 million salary) could go to Pittsburgh in the deal, plus some form of compensation. But is it what the Red Wings need to do? Karlsson has not been able to help the Penguins qualify for the playoffs, and the Red Wings are looking to avoid a 10th consecutive season out of the postseason.<\/p>\n While they need offense, the Red Wings also want to be harder to play against defensively. That\u2019s not Karlsson\u2019s strength. Plus, it\u2019s time to expand Simon Edvinsson\u2019s role. Bringing in Karlsson would restrict Edvinsson\u2019s power play time.<\/p>\n Red Wings In Case You Missed It<\/p>\n Czech player Jakub Rychlovsky<\/a> feels like he has \u201cnothing to lose\u201d in his second attempt to prove he is on an NHL track. He was undermined by injury last season.<\/p>\n Former Detroit player Teemu Pulkkinen<\/a> is hearing the boos every time he touches the puck in Finnish league games.<\/p>\n Gerard Gallant<\/a> launches his KHL coaching career with a convincing win over Igor Larionov\u2019s team.<\/p>\n Red Wings Extra<\/p>\n The New York Rangers promoted former Detroit Assistant General Manager Ryan Martin to the title of associate GM. He will keep his role as the team\u2019s AHL GM (for the Hartford Wolfpack). Martin is in his fifth season with the Rangers. He has a strong reputation around the NHL, and with USA Hockey.<\/p>\n Hockey Now Network<\/p>\n Boston: Andrew Fantucchio offers a list of the most underappreciated Bruins over the past 20 years. Boston Bruins.<\/a><\/p>\n Colorado: Does Cale Makar have a shot at becoming the first defenseman to win the Hart Trophy in 26 years? Aarif Deen takes a deep dive into that question. Colorado Avalanche.<\/a><\/p>\n Montreal: Marc Dumont tells us which prospects to watch in the Canadiens\u2019 Rookie Camp. Montreal Canadiens.<\/a><\/p>\n