The Pittsburgh Penguins missed the postseason for the first time in the Sidney Crosby era in 2022-23 — and the roster was completely transformed because of it. After former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas was brought to Pennsylvania earlier this summer, he immediately got to work revamping the team to avoid back-to-back postseason misses.

That was obviously highlighted by the blockbuster trade that brought superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson to Pittsburgh. It also included the additions of Reilly Smith, Ryan Graves, and Lars Eller, among others, as the franchise makes it clear that they are going all-in while Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are still upper-echelon NHL players.

But with an upgraded roster comes salary cap concerns, and the Penguins have very little room to work with, even with Jake Guentzel's $6 million cap hit on LTIR to start the season. For that reason, Dubas could be looking to offload some salary as the season goes along. That really depends on how the first few months of the 2023-24 campaign go, but after one of the busiest summers in the NHL, the Pens could continue to be active throughout the year. Here are the most tradable players on Pittsburgh's roster heading into training camp.

Jeff Carter, C/W

Jeff Carter has nothing else to prove in the National Hockey League. He's a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Los Angeles Kings (2012, 2014) and has achieved multiple gold medals with Team Canada over the years. It's clear that the 38-year-old is well past his prime after he scored just 13 goals and 29 points across 79 games with the Penguins last season.

Carter enters the season with a $3.125 million cap hit in 2023-24, which isn't cheap considering the production he's been giving the team. With one year left on his deal and a potential for salary cap relief, Carter could be the next name shipped out of Pittsburgh by Dubas. That is especially true with the rumors that the Pens are looking to sign free-agent winger Tomas Tatar.

The decorated Canadian is in a tricky situation, as his full no-movement clause means he could veto any potential deal. If he were to retire, the team also wouldn't get immediate cap space relief due to the 35-plus contract rule. The Penguins are an aging team, but they might be better off trading Carter and giving one of the new signings a longer leash in the bottom-six. Still, Dubas has to weigh cap constraints with individual preferences and the franchise's long-term goals, making the situation complicated.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph or Marcus Pettersson, D

The Penguins' back end will look a ton different next season after longtime blueliner Brian Dumoulin signed with the Seattle Kraken, Jeff Petry was shipped out in the trade that brought Karlsson to Pittsburgh, and Ryan Graves was signed to a six-year deal. The top-three of Letang, Karlsson and Graves is excellent, and it'll be interesting to see who ends up joining the second pairing on opening night.

Considering their salary cap constraints, there could be another D-man on the move. Ty Smith will almost certainly be back on the team after a stint in the American Hockey League, and that could make one of Pierre-Olivier Joseph or Marcus Pettersson expendable. Joseph scored five goals and 16 assists in 2022-23, earning his way onto the second pairing for a good chunk of the season. The 23-year-old will likely stick around for at least another season, as he's only making $825,000 before he becomes a restricted free agent. But the Pens have a logjam on the left side of the defense, with Smith set to return to a full-time NHL role and Pettersson locked up for another two seasons.

If the cap situation continues to hinder the team, it could be Pettersson who ends up being traded. The Swedish D-man projects as a second-pairing player, and you can't be paying a third pairing guy the $4 million AAV he will command over the next two seasons. If Dubas decides that the 27-year-old will be Letang or Karlsson's partner on the second pairing, he could be safe. But $4 million is a lot of money for a player who scored 24 points in 68 games last season.

It will be very intriguing to see who Letang and Karlsson end up playing with, and which of them will be on the top pairing with Ryan Graves (presumably). Dubas and the Penguins have done a great job revamping the roster after a disappointing playoff miss, and there could be a few more moves made as the franchise eyes a return to the dance next April.