The Penguins have been shopping for a top-six winger for a while now, but the supply is low and, from all indications, the prices are high.
General manager Jim Rutherford, however, isn’t showing up at trade talks with empty pockets.
He seems willing, though hardly eager, to at least consider parting with third-line center Brandon Sutter, even though that could create another hole in his lineup.
The Penguins also have some promising young defensemen, although personnel turnover likely will open NHL roster spots for a few of those in 2015-16.
And there is at least one other possible asset, a relative long shot, Rutherford might be able to exploit, whether as a sweetener in a deal for the winger he covets or in a separate transaction: Exclusive negotiating rights to Penguins players who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents at noon July 1.