Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is looking to move a goaltender before the season and said Tuesday a market may be forming for a deal.

“We just couldn’t do anything in the summer,” Rutherford told The Athletic. “But in the last three or four days, things have changed. The market is really heating up, especially for goalies.”

Rutherford said during the off-season he was looking to move Tristan Jerry, but was unable to find a trade partner. Jarry would require waivers to be sent down to the AHL prior to the season, as would both of the team's projected goaltenders Matt Murray and Casey DeSmith.

“Conversations are going on,” Rutherford said. “If someone wants to make a trade, then there’s a good chance we will do that. Otherwise, we’re either going to keep all three on the roster or hope one of them clears waivers.”

Rutherford declined to say Tuesday whether DeSmith had earned the backup job behind Murray, despite the goaltender appearing in 36 games last season and signing a three-year contract extension in January.

“We have three really good goalies, I know that much,” Rutherford said. “That’s a good problem to have, but it’s still a problem. Those guys have all been great. So, is there going to be a trade coming up here? It’s certainly a possibility.”

DeSmith, 28, posted a 15-11-5 record last season with a .916 save percentage and a 2.75 goals-against average. Jarry, 24, appeared in just two games with the Penguins last season, going 0-1-1 while allowing seven goals on 62 shots (.887 save percentage). DeSmith carries a $1.25 million cap hit, while Jarry, scheduled to become a restricted free agent next summer, carries a cap hit of just $675,000.

The Athletic adds that Rutherford is open to moving forwards Bryan Rust and Nick Bjugstad in the right deal, as well as defenceman Jack Johnson. The Penguins are currently $300,000-$400,000 over the $81.5 million salary cap. 

“We can still find a way to make this roster compliant,” he said. “We can go with fewer than 23 players on the roster, but that’s not ideal. We’ll see. We could certainly move somebody.”