We’ve reached the quarter-mark of the 2024-25 NHL season, and for the Pittsburgh Penguins, it has not gone as many had hoped it would across Pennsylvania sports betting.
Coach Mike Sullivan’s team is currently in last in the Metropolitan Division and is likely to miss out on the playoffs for a third straight year. You have to go back to the 2005-06 season, which was Sidney Crosby’s rookie year and Mario Lemieux’s last, to find a similar streak in futility for the Penguins.
Evgeni Malkin would join the Penguins the following season, and he and Crosby would lead the team through a 16-season stretch where they never missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs and raised the vaunted cup three times.
As it stands now, a large-scale rebuild is more likely this season than a playoff push, as bet365 Sportsbook PA gives Pittsburgh odds of +500 to make them this season. With that in mind, PennStakes is offering the following odds on players the Penguins will likely trade this season.
A reminder, these odds are for infotainment purposes only. You will not find them at any licensed Pennsylvania sports betting app, like Caesars Sportsbook or FanDuel.
Player | Odds | Percent Chance |
D Marcus Pettersson | +175 | 36.4% |
W Anthony Beauvillier | +400 | 20.0% |
W Drew O’Connor | +600 | 14.3% |
D Matt Grzelcyk | +1000 | 9.1% |
W Jesse Puljujarvi | +1500 | 6.3% |
W Rickard Rakell | +2000 | 4.8% |
W Michael Bunting | +2000 | 4.8% |
The Field | +1500 | 6.3% |
Disclaimer: These odds were developed by and are exclusive to PennStakes.com, but regulated operators offering top Pennsylvania sportsbook promo codes will offer wagers on each NHL game, plus futures betting and more.
We’re not expecting Crosby or Malkin to be traded for several reasons, including that they’ve won Stanley Cups and that they deserve to end their careers in Penguins sweaters. With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the top players we consider to be trade candidates.
Marcus Pettersson (+175): An eight-year vet, the 28-year-old Swede will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. As a defenseman, Pettersson has yet to finish a season with a minus rating. He was plus-28 last season for a Pittsburgh team that had just a plus-four goal differential. He also has some offensive value, finishing last season with 26 assists and 30 points, both career highs.
Anthony Beauvillier (+400): The left winger had moments with the New York Islanders earlier in his career, but he never fulfilled expectations that may have been a little lofty. After scoring 21 goals in his second season, he hasn’t hit 20 since. Since Jan. 30, 2023, when the Isles traded him to Vancouver, Beauvillier has also played for Chicago, Nashville and now Pittsburgh. Still, he’s just 27, and a cap-friendly $1.25 million, one-year contract makes him an attractive trade candidate for playoff-contending teams needing a bottom-six forward.
Drew O’Connor (+600): The 26-year-old enjoyed a breakout 23-24 campaign, his first full season in the NHL. He scored 16 goals, registered 33 points and finished with a plus-14 rating. Like Beauvillier and Pettersson, O’Connor is also an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, and at $925,000, he likely would be easy to move as the March 7 trade deadline approaches.
USA Today photo by Charles LeClaire.
Author
Thomas Leary is a news editor and writer for PennStakes.com. He previously spent six years at Sports Business Journal, where he helped identify emerging sectors across sports business, such as legalized gambling, and helped launch a digital newsletter division. Thomas lives in Charlotte, N.C.
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