Farewell Hags: Penguins Peddle Popular Winger to Kings for Tanner Pearson

One-by-one, members of the special supporting cast that contributed so mightily to the Penguins’ back-to-back Stanley Cups are moving on to other pastures…or ice surfaces as the case may be.

Over the past 16 months, veteran mainstays Nick Bonino, Ian Cole, Trevor Daley, Marc-Andre Fleury and Chris Kunitz have left the ‘Burgh through trades or free agency. So have kids Tom Kuhnhackl, Conor Sheary and Scott Wilson.

That’s a lot of turnover, both on the ice and inside the locker room.

Add Carl Hagelin to the list of the dearly…and recently…departed. In an effort to shake up his slumping troops–our guys are in the throes of a dismal 1-5-1 slide–general manager Jim Rutherford swapped the supersonic Swede to Los Angeles for left wing Tanner Pearson.

“The way things have gone here in the first part of the season, it’s obvious that we had to make a change,” said the Pens’ GM. “I feel bad. Carl Hagelin is a popular guy. I like him a lot personally. He was part of winning the Cup. But at the same time, we’re not tracking toward winning a Stanley Cup right now, and changes are necessary.”

Save for a decent second half in 2017-18, Hagelin was mostly absent from the score sheet over the past couple of seasons. Nor was he burning up the track this year (a goal and two assists in 16 games).

Although the former “HBK Line” standout contributed in other ways–most notably with his world-class speed, defensive acumen and penalty killing–his paucity of production was a nagging issue, especially when you consider No. 62 spent the majority of his 5-on-5 time skating alongside mega-talents Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel.

Coupled with the fact that “Hags” earned a healthy $4 million a year and was due to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season? You could say the skids were greased.

Although he’s off to a disastrous start (a lone assist in 17 games), Pearson’s been productive in the past. Following a breakout campaign in 2016-17 (a career-high 24 goals), the 26-year-old portsider sagged to 15 goals and 40 points last season. But the pedigree is there (he’s a former first-round pick), along with decent size (6’1″, 201) and an inclination to use it (over 100 hits in each of the past three seasons).

When on his game, Pearson’s effective in traffic and has a knack for cashing in on rebounds and second-chance opportunities. With garbage goals and scoring from the paint at a premium in today’s NHL, the Pens can certainly use another player who excels around the net. While hardly a Hagelin-esque burner, he possesses good speed and plays a solid all-around game.

“He’ll be a good fit for us,” Rutherford said. “He’s a little younger than Carl. He’s locked into a contract for a couple more years that we like ($3.75 AAV through 2021). He’s a good all-around player, and I believe that he’ll help us.”

The downside? Finding the proper fit could be an issue, especially given coach Mike Sullivan’s pronounced penchant for line juggling. Pearson enjoyed most of his success on the left coast while skating on a set line with Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli.

While stunned and disappointed to see their friend depart–none more so than best buddy Patric Hornqvist–the Pens for the most part acknowledged the need for change.

“I don’t think we’re playing the way we want right now,” Kris Letang said. “I don’t think we’re happy about results. And I think these things happen in those circumstances.”

Rutherford Gets Extension

In other noteworthy news, the Penguins extended Rutherford’s contract, which was set to expire at the end of this season. The new three-year deal runs through 2021-22.

“I knew in November of 2015, that we wanted to extend him,” said president and CEO David Morehouse of the plucky 69-year-old exec. “We knew he was the right guy from the day he stepped into the office.”