For the first time in years, the Pittsburgh Penguins will enter training camp with a large number of centers.
Earlier this summer, they acquired veteran Kevin Hayes from the St. Louis Blues. They signed Blake Lizotte, formerly of the Los Angeles Kings, to a two-year contract after the start of free agency. Then, in early August, they acquired Cody Glass, a former first-round draft pick in 2017, from the Nashville Predators.
The Penguins’ top two centers – as they have been for the past 18 years – are set. So where does that leave the other two centers – Lars Eller and Noel Acciari – on the list?
Acciari has played much of the 2023-24 season injured, and in the games he has played, he has been solid defensively but subpar offensively. He has two years left on a three-year, $6 million contract he signed with the Penguins last summer and — at this point — it is unlikely that Pittsburgh would get a favorable return for him.
Then there’s Eller. There are reasons for him to go, and just as many reasons for him to stay.
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Why he should be traded
The main reason to do business with Eller is quite simple: it’s simply good business.
Next to top-four defenseman Marcus Pettersson — another UFA set to arrive next season — Eller is the team’s most valuable trade asset. At 35 years old and having put up a respectable 15 goals and 31 points as the Penguins’ third-line center, he’s an attractive and useful veteran center option for teams looking to bolster their bottom six.
As the season progresses — even if he puts up numbers similar to last season — his trade value will diminish as he gets closer to becoming an unrestricted free agent. Plus, at 35, it’s hard to say whether his numbers and health will hold up. So there may be no better time to trade Eller than now, when they can almost certainly get a decent pick (and maybe a mid-late rounder) for him.
Furthermore, as has been said many times, the Penguins now have more than enough center depth. They have a few youngsters like Rutger McGroarty, Valtteri Puustinen and Vasily Ponomarev (another center prospect) who will be fighting hard for roster spots.
Although it would be nice to keep Eller, we think it would be wise to trade him now.
Why he should stay
While trading Eller seems logical — especially given GM and POHO Kyle Dubas’s desire to raise draft capital — it largely depends on whether the organization believes it has assembled an NHL roster that can compete this season.
Before the McGroarty trade, that seemed like wishful thinking to some. But given that the Penguins will likely have one of the best hockey prospects on their NHL roster at some point this season — and given all of their other moves — it makes sense that they believe they’re in a position to challenge for a playoff spot.
If that’s the case, having a guy like Eller centering the fourth line is a great insurance policy, and it’s a testament to the fact that the bottom six is ​​actually deeper than it’s been in several years. Between him and Hayes, they can center younger forwards with energy and some offensive potential, and the Penguins could end up with a decent forward lineup along the lines of:
Drew O’Connor – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Michael Bunting – Evgeni Malkin – Rickard Rakell
Rutger McGroarty – Kevin Hayes – Cody Glass
Blake Lizotte-Lars Eller-Noel Acciari
Additional attackers: Valtteri Puustinen, Anthony Beauvillier
That lineup looks a lot better with Eller in it, so if the Penguins feel like they can compete this season, they could always — as they likely are doing with the Pettersson situation — wait for an Eller trade to see how the season goes.
There is no right answer to this scenario, but it will be interesting to see how things unfold over the next few weeks.
Related: Where Does Rutger McGroarty Fit Into The Penguins Lineup?
Related: Three Penguins Likely to Be Traded Before Opening Night
Related: Five Reasons to Be Optimistic About the Penguins in 2024-25
