Will the Penguins have fire sale after embarrassing loss?

The Pittsburgh Penguins, once a franchise with a history of winning, have fallen on hard times. They are not the team they once were, and general manager Kyle Dubas promised changes. In what could be a fire sale with more than one trade, big names are likely to stay.

Penguins look for answers in lineup

Dubas was beside himself after the Penguins' 7-1 loss against the Dallas Stars on Monday night, citing it was an "embarrassing" loss and changes were likely. The first domino has fallen as forward Lars Eller was traded to the Washington Capitals for a 2025 fifth-round pick and a third-round pick in 2027. He has four goals and three assists for seven points in 17 games this season. He returns to Washington, where he won the Stanley Cup in 2018.

Dubas is ready to make changes and bring in prospects and assets to help them win now. Pittsburgh, at times, has looked lifeless and unmotivated. Star center Sidney Crosby is the only reported player off the table.

Players who will be unrestricted free agents after the 2024-25 season are likely to move. Those players include Matt Nieto, Anthony Beauvillier, Drew O'Connor, Marcus Pettersson, Matt Grzelcyk, and Ryan Shea. Erik Karlsson, Tristian Jarry, and other high-profile players could be moved if Dubas can find a team willing to take on some high salaries. Pittsburgh has an estimated $19,403,907 in projected cap space for next season.

Pittsburgh is 6-9-3 and in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division. While the season is only a month old, the Penguins already have a hole to dig out of. They do not have the most talented roster in the league, but they have some pieces that could attract attention. A rebuild is almost certain, and maybe it was a long time coming. The organization does not have a noteworthy prospect pool and the prospects with the Wilkes/Barre-Scranton Penguins are not elite. Something has to give to make Pittsburgh great again, and it might take a total teardown to make that happen.