{"id":577332,"date":"2026-05-17T18:24:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T18:24:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/577332\/"},"modified":"2026-05-17T18:24:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T18:24:10","slug":"more-penguins-qa-ufas-trades-letang-and-zonnon-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/577332\/","title":{"rendered":"More Penguins Q&A: UFAs, Trades, Letang, and Zonnon Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

The list of questions was so voluminous that one wasn\u2019t enough, and Day 2 will dig into more Pittsburgh Penguins trade<\/a> targets, a couple of who are RFAs, real talk about a few more Penguins prospects and their NHL readiness, and more on Kris Letang\u2019s<\/a> future.<\/p>\n

In addition to questions about Letang, we\u2019re now six days into the official Saga de Malkin<\/a> and there hasn\u2019t been a whisper of news. This reporter thinks the next thing we hear will be a conclusion, one way or another. <\/p>\n

However, the Penguins\u2019 trade chatter and potential targets are going to sustain us through the summer as Dubas has a few years of work ahead, but you have wisely picked up on the parameters of the hybrid transition, or perhaps Dubas\u2019s parameters are far more fan friendly. After all, he too is looking at some of the big names on the trade market. <\/p>\n

Yesterday was a gourmet buffet hockey questions. You can start there. <\/p>\n

So, pitter patter, let\u2019s get at \u2018er for part II. <\/p>\n

Penguins Penguins Q&A<\/p>\n

**Is Mason Marchment a possibility in UFA? Dubas has mentioned him in previous interviews as a player he mishandled and shouldn\u2019t have moved from Toronto \u2014 Matthew Ribblett.<\/p>\n

Good memory, Matthew. On at least two podcasts, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas<\/a> has answered the \u201cbiggest regret\u201d question by citing trading away Mason Marchment, and we got several Marchment inquiries.<\/p>\n

The tale of the tape makes Marchment a prime acquisition for a lot of teams, especially Stanley Cup contenders, but also for his current employer, the Columbus Blue Jackets. The CBJ already splashed the cash on Charlie Coyle<\/a> (6 years, $42 million), and the guess here is that Marchment doesn\u2019t get to free agency. He has 32 points, including 15 goals in just 39 games with Columbus. However, if Marchment makes it to July 1, the 6-foot-5, 217-pound speedy and physical forward will be in high demand.<\/p>\n

Seattle traded Marchment at mid-season to Columbus for merely a 2027 second rounder, perhaps indicating the player wants to hit free agency, or was one of the many players who don\u2019t enjoy Seattle. If Dubas wants him, it would be very possible to sign him.<\/p>\n

The problem is fit. Marchment is already 30 years old and doesn\u2019t really ally with any of Dubas\u2019s stated criteria. Of course, Dubas could waffle and take a run at the useful player with whom he won an AHL Calder Cup while GM\u2019ing the Toronto Marlies, but Marchment\u2019s career arc and the Penguins\u2019 arc don\u2019t appear to align, at least as the Penguins are currently set up.<\/p>\n

**Should Letang be a 3rd pairing defender or possibly the 7th defenseman to limit his games\/minutes? \u2013 Jim Stripsky<\/p>\n

I understand the widespread angst over Letang. He\u2019s not getting younger, and for significant stretches this season, he looked old, or at least limited by injury. The turnovers and struggles were a lot to digest without a counterbalance of offensive contributions. <\/p>\n

However, assigning him a role before the roster is set is premature. He might be the second best right-handed defenseman on the roster. He might also be the best, or the worst, when the final roster is set.<\/p>\n

Dubas\u2019s own words regarding his willingness to make fans unhappy don\u2019t just apply to Malkin, they also apply to Letang, but Dubas also praised Letang\u2019s physical condition. The odds are that Letang is top-six next season, but after that, it\u2019s about who else is in camp.<\/p>\n

As for the camp battles on the right side, I\u2019ve really \u2026 REALLY liked what I\u2019ve seen from Harrison Brunicke in the AHL playoffs. Dubas has previously unearthed Ryan Shea and Parker Wotherspoon on the free agent market, so maybe he has a few more hidden gems he\u2019s been watching. And I think the team likes what Jack St. Ivany can bring.<\/p>\n

The right side could look much different next season, and in that case, there would be nothing wrong with dropping Letang in the pairings or resting him from time to time. <\/p>\n

Also, it would be justifiable to proactively limit Letang to one more year, and in the absence of a trade partner, give him the choice of retirement or buyout (the cap cost to the Penguins would be the same, but the player could sign elsewhere after a buyout). <\/p>\n

**Assuming Pavel Dorofeyev will command a significant raise with his season, and the Golden Knights having only $4 million in cap space and wanting to keep him, do you see any players the Pens may be interested in that helps Vegas shed salary? I\u2019m not greedy enough to think we get Dorofeyev. \u2014 Ryan.<\/p>\n

Stick tap, Ryan. We received several questions via social media and comments on the website about going after Dorofeyev because the Vegas Golden Knights are always in salary cap hell. However, there is almost no chance that Vegas lets go of Dorofeyev, who will be a restricted free agent.<\/p>\n

But first, Vegas probably has more than $4 million in cap space. They\u2019ll also get the $8.8 million long-term injured reserve money from Alex Pietrangelo (assuming he remains away from the game due to his hip injury), but that won\u2019t be nearly enough to round out their roster, which will have 11 open spots. <\/p>\n

Yes, Vegas must fill 11 spots with about $14 million. So, it\u2019s natural to salivate over the team sacrificing Dorofeyev, but not very likely to happen.<\/p>\n

Dorofeyev is just 25 years old and has 72 goals over the last two seasons. Vegas will trade plenty of others before they let him go and Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon views prospects as pawns to trade, so he\u2019s not buying what the Penguins are selling. <\/p>\n

Quite frankly, Vegas doesn\u2019t have any players with whom they\u2019d part who fit the Penguins\u2019 wants. They will part with players such as 33-year-old William Karlsson or 30-year-old Ivan Barbashev to bolster their cap space before letting a young sniper go.<\/p>\n

**Any thoughts on a Ryan Graves-Darnell Nurse type of trade? Edmonton frees up some cap space and still gets a player going back. Pens can keep or trade\/retain to a team needing a D-man for some picks\/prospects. Not sure how to evaluate this type of move.<\/p>\n

I, too, have looked at Darnell Nurse as a player the Penguins could take on, revitalize, and flip for an asset profit. However, at 31 years old, Nurse probably won\u2019t get any better, only worse, so the deal has to make sense for the Penguins over the long term. <\/p>\n

Nurse has four more years on a contract that carries a $9.25 million cap hit. That\u2019s a big hit, and while his struggles in the defensive zone come and go, they often stay too long. On the positive side of that, he is also a big defender (6-foot-4, 216 pounds), who skates very well, which makes him Dubas\u2019s type of D-man. <\/p>\n

There is a nice base for that type of trade, but it\u2019s hard to know if Edmonton GM Stan Bowman shares the frustrations over Nurse, or that\u2019s merely a lot of public noise. <\/p>\n

**Will Bill Zonnon make the team next season? \u2014 JP<\/p>\n

Zonnon is the prospect that PHN touted after Development Camp last July as a threat to make the 2025-26 roster. In fact, we liked him more than Ben Kindel because he could develop into a rare power center. He\u2019s done nothing in two AHL games to dispel our initial observations that his big-man\u2019s game with speed is already close to the show.<\/p>\n

Since NHL teams will be able to stash a 19-year-old in the AHL next season (and he has already played four seasons of junior hockey), there is almost no danger of him going back to junior hockey. The biggest determining factor to where he is stationed is the amount of opportunity available on the Penguins\u2019 roster.<\/p>\n

Overall, yes, I think he\u2019s got an excellent chance, and I would bet on him making it to the show in camp, or at least by mid-season. <\/p>\n

**Is Horcoff gonna sign or will he be another Cruz Lucius? \u2014 Greg<\/p>\n

The Penguins and Horcoff have a good relationship, they are invested in his development, and there are absolutely no signs of discord that could cause Horcoff to withhold his signature to opt for free agency.<\/p>\n

In fact, Horcoff and the other Penguins prospects got along quite well last July at camp. <\/p>\n

To correct my initial social media post, despite this being his first full season in the NCAA, Horcoff was a sophomore because he joined Michigan midway through last season and played 18 games. So, he\u2019s barely 19 but going to be a junior. He has a lot more work to do, especially on his skating, but it\u2019s all a work in progress. <\/p>\n

I have some thoughts on Lucius, but none would intersect with Horcoff\u2019s situation. There\u2019s no reason to yet worry about losing the prospect.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTags: bill zonnon<\/a> Kris Letang<\/a> Penguins Prospects<\/a> penguins rumors<\/a> Penguins Trade<\/a> <\/p>\n

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