A look at the Penguins' roster as the trade deadline approaches

Kevin Hayes is 11 years into his NHL career and has plenty of perspective through his 760 career games.

And the lens of that perspective has been sharpened by playing for five teams thanks, in part, to four separate trades.

One such transaction brought him to the Pittsburgh Penguins in June when he was jettisoned by the St. Louis Blues.

“You can look at it two ways,” Hayes said Feb. 18 in Cranberry. “One team doesn’t want you, one team wants you. It’s part of the business, man. Sometimes, you’re playing well and you get traded. Sometimes, you’re playing too well and the team can’t keep you. Sometimes, you’re playing bad and they don’t want you anymore.”

There will be no shortage of reasons for the gaggle of trades that likely will happen in the NHL before the league’s trade deadline at 3 p.m. Friday.

The Penguins figure to be busy in the sense they’ll be looking to add younger assets for the second consecutive season.

And frankly, no one on a team with a 24-30-10 record should feel secure in his station no matter the reason.

It’s anyone’s guess who will be leaving the Penguins by Friday afternoon (or if they will). But there is no shortage of potential trade candidates among the Penguins.

A look at every player currently on the roster in alphabetical order.

Noel Acciari — A prototypical fourth-line grinder who can take faceoffs, kill penalties and block shots, Acciari is a player many coaches love. He could very well attract attention from general managers looking to shore up their fourth line.

Anthony Beauvillier — The Penguins took a chance on Beauvillier this past offseason with a one-year contract, and he has largely met expectations as a speedster who can play either wing and offer a decent amount offense (13 goals in 63 games) and steady defense. As a pending unrestricted free agent, he may be the most likely member of the roster to be traded.

Emil Bemstrom — An All-Star in the American Hockey League, Bemstrom has largely struggled to translate that success to the NHL. It’s hard to see there being much demand for the pending restricted free agent.

Sidney Crosby — The only way Crosby changes teams is in the fan fiction clickbait that masquerades as journalism these days.

Cody Glass — A pending restricted free agent, Glass is getting a second chance with the Penguins (a third chance, really) to show he can live up to his billing as a one-time first-round pick. It’s difficult to see much demand to offer a fourth chance.

Ryan Graves — The market for defensemen who offer limited physicality and even less offense while also serving as a healthy scratch regularly is presumably limited. And the demand for those types of blue liners with four years remaining on their contracts that carry a salary cap hit of $4.5 million is likely nonexistent.

Matt Grzelcyk — Like Beauvillier, Grzelcyk signed a one-year “prove-it” contract and showed he is still a viable NHLer. He has even shown capabilities on the power play. There should be no shortage of suitors looking to shore up their back end, though the return will likely be limited.

Kevin Hayes — With another year on his contract with a salary-cap hit of $3,571,429, it’s hard to see a strong demand for Hayes. At 32, his best hockey is behind him. But given his guile and affable nature, he offers intangibles some teams may covet.

Danton Heinen — A steady middle-six winger, Heinen is a competent entity in any lineup. But at 29 and with another year remaining on his contract, there won’t be strong demand.

Boko Imama — Imama brings toughness and energy anytime he is on the ice. However, with only 22 NHL games in eight professional seasons, it’s safe to assume he isn’t going to draw much attention from front offices.

Tristan Jarry — The NHL’s 31 other teams passed on him when he was available for free through waivers Jan. 15. If the Penguins were to trade him, salary retention would likely need to be involved.

P.O Joseph — Penguins management brought him back via a trade with the St. Louis Blues in December, hoping he would recapture his strong play to finish the 2023-24 season. That hasn’t happened yet. Currently designated to injured reserve, Joseph has labored through an unremarkable season. It’s hard to see much demand.

Erik Karlsson — Any trade would depend on two things. First, Karlsson would need to waive his no-movement clause. And second, any team wanting to add Karlsson would need to clear out the equivalent of a small nation’s gross domestic product to make room for his salary cap hit of $10 million. Pragmatically, it just seems impossible to do in-season, even with salary retention. The offseason is another matter, however.

Vladislav Kolyachonok — The Penguins claimed him off waivers from the Utah Hockey Club on Feb. 9, and he has all of one game with the team. Management seems intrigued by his untapped potential and isn’t likely to be overly eager to shop him.

Kris Letang — Letang has a no-movement clause in his contract and likely isn’t interested in waiving it.

Blake Lizotte — A free-agent signing this past offseason, Lizotte has performed aptly as a fourth-line center primarily. The 27-year-old has a year left on a contract with a modest cap hit of $1.85 million. Like Acciari, he could fetch something from a team looking to boost the bottom end of the roster.

Evgeni Malkin — See Kris Letang.

Alex Nedeljkovic — This may be damning someone with faint praise, but Nedeljkovic has been the Penguins’ best goaltender the past two seasons. And with management presumably expecting to turn to a prospect like Joel Blomqvist or Sergei Murashov to ascend to the NHL roster in a full-time capacity next season, Nedeljkovic, who has another year left on his contract, is a good citizen to have around younger teammates.

Tommy Novak — The Penguins acquired Novak in a trade with the Nashville Predators on Wednesday. Management sees the 27-year-old center as part of the immediate future.

Rickard Rakell — In the midst of a career renaissance, Rakell could command a ton in the form of future assets with a potential trade. He could also continue to serve as Crosby’s trusted left winger going into next season. The Penguins will entertain offers for Rakell but only with the steepest of asking prices.

Bryan Rust — Other than Crosby, Letang and Malkin, no one has more security on this roster than Rust.

Luke Schenn — Also acquired from the Predators on Wednesday, Schenn might have been included in the deal just to get things to work on Nashville’s end. It’s not inconceivable for the Penguins to move the 35-year-old onto another team before Friday.

Ryan Shea — A pending unrestricted free agent, Shea has been steady as a prototypical spare defenseman, jumping into the lineup whenever injuries or absences to an incumbent dictate. A team looking for a seventh, eighth, ninth, etc. defenseman could do worse.

Philip Tomasino — After washing out as a first-round draft pick with the Predators, Tomasino seems to have finally gained some traction as an NHLer in Pittsburgh after arriving via trade Nov. 25. He is a pending restricted free agent and will likely be kept as a piece of the immediate future.