Penguins Need To Find a Way Out of Mikael Granlund

Among the many changes that are on the horizon for the Pittsburgh Penguins, finding a way to shed Mikael Granlund needs to be among them.

The front office of Ron Hextall, Brian Burke, and Chris Pryor are responsible for the Penguins’ acquisition of Grandlund, and they’re all without jobs.

Fenway Sports Group (FSG) decided to relieve those three of their duties and are already on the hunt for a new front office staff.

Whoever FSG decides to put in power will have a lot on their plate in terms of free agents and roster decisions, but Granlund shouldn’t be a part of the plans.

In 21 games with the Penguins, Granlund scored a single goal in the closing seconds of a blowout victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Granlund also picked up four assists but was far from where anyone wanted or expected him to be.

The Penguins have some options regarding Granlund this summer; the first is the easiest, but likely the least ideal.

Just stand strong with Granlund into the 2023-24 season and hope he finds a spark and starts playing closer to his potential.

Since Granlund is a product of the Hextall/Burke era, the new regime will likely look into their other options.

Its likely teams won’t be interested in adding $5 million against the cap annually for little to no return, so the Penguins will have to get creative.

The Penguins have a first round pick at their disposal and it wouldn’t be totally wrong to strap it and Granlund together in a package deal.

The return wouldn’t be much for the Penguins, but gaining that $5 million in cap relief could do wonders.

Then there’s the least likely outcome, the Penguins buying out the last two years of Granlund’s contract.

According to CapFriendly, a buyout for Granlund would span four years at a ratio of 2/3; Granlund’s cap hit would hit $833,333 for the first year, but increase an extra $1 million for the final three.

The Penguins are still in the process of the Jack Johnson buyout, but are about to gain $1 million in space this offseason.

Buying out Granlund is unlikely, but a viable option with the cap hit staying fairly low.

No matter what way you look at things, Granlund’s time in Pittsburgh has been anything but worth while; He cost too much and produced too little.