‘We’re only human’: Trade anxiety is creeping in in the wake of Penguins’ slow start

Losing is not fun for any team in the National Hockey League.

But it’s especially taxing on a team like the 2024-25 Pittsburgh Penguins, who may have some major roster and organizational changes ahead.

As it stands now, the Penguins are 9-12-4, last place in the Metropolitan Division. They are just five off the bottom of the league in terms of points percentage (.440), ahead of only Chicago, Nashville, San Jose and Montreal.

GM and POHO Kyle Dubas has been busy, attending other games (last spotted in Detroit) and making some moves so far. A few weeks ago he dealt Lars Eller to the Capitals for two draft picks, and most recently traded for a young forward in Philip Tomasino.

Changes are already happening. And despite two straight wins this week — the Penguins lost three games against Vancouver on Wednesday and won again in Boston on Friday — the frustration on the ice and in the locker room was otherwise evident for most of the season.

Although they try to take things day by day, they are well aware of the possible consequences if they cannot continue to steer the ship in the right direction.

“Yes, that’s all part of it,” said defender Marcus Pettersson, who has often been the subject of rumors this season. “That’s all our responsibility. No one wants to be in a position where the team is talked about a lot. So I think everyone understands what the company is about and everyone knows what we’re getting into. To be honest, it’s not talked about much “I think it can creep in, but we have to do our best to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

What often gets lost in trade talks and speculation – especially among struggling teams – is that these players are human. At the end of the day, they have lives, families and personal matters to manage outside the rink.

Even though they try their best to drown out the sound, they hear it. They know what is said about them. They’re familiar with the kind of talk that arises when a team struggles to string together wins and establish an identity.

And therefore – even though they continue to concentrate on this every day – a certain amount of fear creeps in about possible changes.

“I think there is a little bit,” goalkeeper Alex Nedeljkovic said. “We are only human. You hear it, and you try not to listen to it, you try not to look at it, and you try to avoid it. But of course it comes with the territory of not being in the position you want to be in, when you’re near the bottom of the table people start asking questions or saying things.”

Nedeljkovic said they are often also aware of the nature of that conversation. In a way, it’s easy for fans and media – just like the players – to treat everything like a business.

However, when that happens from the other side – and not from the side of the players actually going through it – that ‘human’ element is sometimes lost. In fact, in a sense, the players live in a very different world than that speculation.

And unfortunately, some people – whether fans, reporters, writers or broadcast personalities – don’t always recognize that there’s a person on the other end of a tweet, a podcast, an article or a comment.

“Sometimes the things that are said are just clickbait, or people just say things because it makes sense in this unreal fantasy world that we sometimes like to live in,” Nedeljkovic said. “As much as it makes sense that, at home, sitting in your chair, you’re looking up stuff about lineups and stuff, and, ‘Ah, this makes sense if this team wanted to do this,’ like… that’s not how the world works , you know? And if for some reason things turn out a certain way, then that’s out of our control.

He continued, “So we just have to worry about ourselves, take care of ourselves, take care of our own business, and it will work itself out.”

Pettersson – who was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks on December 3, 2018 – recalled when he was traded to Pittsburgh. Having “no idea” it was coming, he returned from a road trip with his team to find he had been given a deal.

As someone who was just finding his feet in the league at the time, it was shocking but exciting as he made his way to a contending team. But Pettersson acknowledged that things are a little different now that he is more of an experienced player.

“I think as you get older you think about those things more and you understand how everything works a little better,” Pettersson said. “But I’ve experienced it here too. A few years ago, when I was having a hard time, there was a lot of talk. And you can’t really control that. What you can control is what you put on the ice. heavy, and, as Ned said, it’s a human element. We all understand what happens when you go through difficult times.”

Again, it’s worth noting that the Penguins have won two games in a row. They have a lead against the Calgary Flames on Saturday and have a chance to win three games in a row for the first time this season. More and more statements like that can go a long way to instilling faith in a locker room that is sometimes looking for answers.

But make no mistake: whatever happens, that belief lies with the boys who occupy the locker room in the here and now. So regardless of whether outside noise and speculation prevails or not, each player will continue to focus on what they can achieve together.

“It certainly exists, but we can’t do anything about it,” said Noel Acciari. “It’s a business. But we can win with these guys in the room. Once we realize that and get into a rhythm a little bit, I think we’ll be in a good place. It’s up to us to dig ourselves out. We put ourselves here, and it’s up to us to get out.”