Penguins star Erik Karlsson addressed a potential trade away from the team if a Stanley Cup does not appear likely.

As it stands, the Penguins are in fourth-to-last place in the Eastern Conference and carry a goal differential of minus-36. It's a Penguins season that is on pace to be the worst since Sidney Crosby's rookie year in 2005-06.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have one of the oldest teams in the National Hockey League. Their most important players — guys like Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson — generally are their oldest.

Understandably, Jarry’s talent seduced the Penguins for a long time. He’s a top 10 NHL goalie in terms of physical gifts. He’s big, athletic and handles the puck beautifully. There’s nothing he can’t do physically, which is why the Penguins have been so patient. Jarry hasn’t been some sensational bust. He made two NHL All-Star games.

Alex Nedeljkovic became the first goalie in NHL history to have a goal and an assist, and made 40 saves as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2.

Nedeljkovic became the first goalie in NHL history to have a goal and an assist in a game during the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 5-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres.

Pittsburgh Penguins superstar forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin had been in the lineup for each of the team’s 164 games over the previous two seasons. And both campaigns ended with the Penguins failing to qualify for the postseason.

The Pittsburgh Penguins locker room was a mixture of sullen and encouraged. From coach Mike Sullivan to Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell, the internal reaction to their 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals was an expansive mixture of emotions.

Let's take a look at what big decisions face Kyle Dubas, Mike Sullivan and the Penguins over the next couple of weeks.

A weekly gauge of the players who are controlling substantial buzz around the league. When a player is included on this list it may not be a good thing -- it means that they are capturing a large amount of the hockey world's attention.

The Penguins (44 points) are 18-20-8, ranking sixth in the Metropolitan Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference wild-card race. They trail the Columbus Blue Jackets, owners of the second wild-card berth, by four points in the standings.

For GM Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins, a new organizational direction is clear - if you've been paying attention