Penguins Shakeup Begins

I was ambling across the parking lot at the Crafton-Ingram Shopping Center this afternoon, taking in the unseasonably warm Pittsburgh weather before reporting to work at Wright’s Gym, when I bumped into one of our members, John Bigger.

“Think they’ll make a trade before the deadline?” John asked.

“Huh?” I responded. For a second I thought he was referring to the MLB meetings, which concluded a few days ago.

“The hockey holiday deadline,” he replied, jogging my memory.

“Nah,” I countered. “I think JR’ll wait until the New Year.”

Shows you what I know. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford, apparently anxious to shake up his struggling team, got in some last-minute holiday shopping, swinging two separate deals.

The first, I’ll admit, had me scratching my head. In exchange for speedy winger Josh Archibald, minor-league goalie Sean Maguire and a sixth-round pick in 2019, JR acquired 36-year-old goalie Michael Leighton and a fourth-round pick from Arizona.

Honestly, I thought Leighton had retired. A quick glance at his stats on hockeydb.com confirmed I was nearly right. Since emerging as Philly’s go-to goalie during the 2010 playoffs, Leighton’s played all of seven games in the NHL. For the most part, he’s plied his trade in the American Hockey League, were he’s put up decent to very good numbers.

We paid a pretty steep price, it seemed, for a guy who, in all likelihood, will serve as no more than a veteran mentor at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. And I really liked Archibald’s speed and grit, although he obviously didn’t fit into the Penguins’ plans. I’m sure he’ll get a chance to play under Rick Tocchet out west.

The deal did provide a little cap space, not to mention flexibility. Archibald was on a one-way, two-year deal with an AAV of $675K ($650 if he played with the Baby Pens). Maguire, a highly touted prospect who never panned out, was earning $62.5K in the minors. Leighton will make $200K in the minors…$650K in the unlikely event he plays for the Pens.

JR promptly flipped the newly acquired 4th round pick to Dallas for defenseman Jamie Oleksiak. The first thing that jumped out at me is his size. The kid’s a monster–6’7″ and 255 pounds. He’s also a former first-round pick (14th overall in 2011), so he must possess at least some pedigree. And he’s still young…two days short of his 25th birthday.

Here’s what The Hockey News has to say.

Assets Has tremendous size and reach for the blueline position, so he’s not easy to play against. Also skates well for his size and has good shutdown instincts.

Flaws Does not make good-enough use of his physical gifts and needs more work in his defensive-zone coverage. Isn’t a natural point producer, either. Lacks game-to-game consistency.

Career Potential Mammoth defenseman with a little upside.

I was curious about the kid’s toughness, so I checked his fight card on dropyourgloves.com. He can handle his dukes, with particularly impressive victories over Edmonton’s Patrick Maroon and Nicolas Deslauriers of Montreal. He’s held his own against the likes of Minnesota heavy Chris Stewart.

He’ll also hit (271 in 140 NHL games) and block shots (183). His career Corsi is 49.5—not great, but hardly horrible. While not a consistent offensive threat, he did tally five goals in 41 games last season.

Oleksiak’s spent most of his pro career as a fringe defenseman, splitting time between the Stars and their AHL affiliate. Actually, the newcomer’s career track closely resembles that of Ian Cole, who was in a similar place when Rutherford acquired him from St. Louis in 2015. Ironic in a way, since Ian’s the guy Oleksiak will most likely supplant, long term.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether the kid can help solidify an ultra-shaky defense, let alone contribute enough on offense to please coach Mike Sullivan. But, hopefully, it’s a step in the right direction.