Penguins Deal Scuderi to Blackhawks for Daley

I remember smiling the day I learned that former GM Ray Shero had signed ex-Penguin Rob Scuderi to a free-agent deal back in the summer of 2013. Broadly.

What wasn’t to like? “Scuds” had served as the defensive anchor on another Cup winner—this time in Los Angeles—while mentoring talented young Drew Doughty. I figured Shero had found the perfect partner for our own mercurial star, Kris Letang.

Nor was I overly concerned with Scuderi’s age (34 at the time) or the length of his contract (four years). After all, mobility never was his strong suit. Letang could serve as his wheels while Scuds did the dirty work and heavy lifting in the defensive zone.

A match made in hockey heaven. Or so I thought.

What seemed good in theory never quite worked out on the ice. Hampered by the lingering effects of a fractured ankle suffered in only his 11th game back, the Long Island native morphed into something he’d never been during his glorious first tour of duty with the Pens.

A liability.

Indeed, the ’09 Cup hero quickly became a pariah to the Pens’ faithful. His $3.375M annual cap hit? A millstone weighing down the team’s coffers.

It was sad to see Scuderi devalued in such a way. Especially given his selfless, team-first nature.

To his credit, No. 4 bounced back in 2014-15. Teamed with puck-moving partner Simon Despres, Scuds regained a measure of his old effectiveness. Taking a knee to block a shot. Sweeping pucks from harm’s way with that educated stick. Banging opponents with an occasional hip check. In short, doing the unglamorous tasks he did best.

Scuderi enjoyed a similar degree of success this season when paired with Olli Maatta. However, with an increased emphasis on speed and puck movement from the defense, the one-time stalwart’s days in the ‘Burgh clearly were numbered.

At the very least, Trevor Daley figures to be an intriguing addition. According to a Hockey News profile, the Toronto native’s durable, mobile and athletic. A steady point producer throughout his 12-year-career, Daley struck for 16 goals last season with Dallas—fifth-best among National Hockey League defensemen. A left-handed shot, the 5’11” 195-pounder’s tallied 67 goals and 237 points in 785 NHL games.

“We like Trevor because he can skate,” Pens GM Jim Rutherford said. “He can move the puck, something that we’ve talked about in trying to improve. Improve our back end where we’ve got more puck movers and he can certainly do that.”

Scuderi? Hopefully he’ll find a home in Chicago…and some appreciation for his game. If properly insulated, he can still defend. His new coach, Joel Quenneville, played a similar style. The Hawks’ bench boss has a penchant for getting the most out of reclamation projects, such as former Pen Michal Rozsival. Perhaps he’ll do the same for Scuds.

Best of luck, Rob. And thanks for the memories.