NHL writer reveals important update on Penguins' Marcus Pettersson and Rickard Rakell's trade situations

Because of the Penguins' horrible start to this season, it's felt inevitable Kyle Dubas could hold a fire sale ahead of the NHL trade deadline as the President of Hockey Ops and GM. Some deals will go down, but the fire sale will not.

Rickard Rakell is a name continually in the mix, and rightly so, as many teams would covet him.

He's having a season, doesn't have a no-trade clause, and will carry a cap hit of $5 million for two more seasons, a price that's both reasonable for acquiring teams and worth removing for the Pens. But Kyle Dubas isn't in any rush to deal him off.

Barring an offer too good to resist, Rickard Rakell's position as one of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin's go-to wingers is too crucial for a still playoff-hopeful team to give up on. It's possible Rakell gets moved in the summer when the cap goes up.

Marcus Pettersson, on an expiring deal, is a whole other story. He has been a bit less consistent this year, yet remains a solid enough asset, and with squads like Edmonton and Vancouver sniffing, his chances of getting traded ahead of the deadline are high.

Elsewhere, the Penguins are high on young defenseman Owen Pickering, who's already impressing teammates and coaches with his maturity.

Goalie prospect Sergei Murashov is also turning heads with great performances at lower levels, fueling hopes he could be the franchise's future netminder.

Jesse Puljujarvi, meanwhile, remains in the infirmary owing to perpetual mental lapses, which have grown frustrating to the coaching staff. His trip to waivers didn't raise eyebrows, so his destination in this respect remains uncertain.

Lastly, Pittsburgh native J.T. Miller remains the subject of rumors, with teams such as the Rangers interested in him, but deals so far are nil.

Dubas seems set on a path of balancing near-term competitiveness with longer-term building and seems willing to avoid the dramatic rebuilds that have set back their opposition franchises.

His prudence may define the Penguins' course for this season and beyond.