The Penguins much anticipated off-season shake-up began in earnest yesterday.
Following weeks of speculation and a couple of false starts involving scoring ace Phil Kessel, general manager Jim Rutherford finally pulled the trigger on a deal, sending defenseman Olli Maatta to Chicago for versatile forward Dominik Kahun and a fifth-round pick in the upcoming Entry Draft.
Maatta, 24, was a mostly solid and perhaps undervalued contributor during his six-season stay in the ‘Burgh. A heady performer who sees the ice well, Olli made crisp, accurate passes and possessed a deceptively good shot. Although he wasn’t a banger by any stretch, the 6’2”, 206-pounder had decent size and effectively used his frame to impede opposing forwards.
However, skating and mobility…or a lack of…were definite issues. Maatta generally made intelligent reads, but heavy feet curtailed his ability to join the rush and made him vulnerable to being turned on quick counter strikes, a weakness that foes and Pens fans alike were quick to pounce on.
While the baby-faced Finn won two Stanley Cups and was a plus-61 with the black-and-gold, including an impressive plus-27 in 2015-16, he never quite lived up to the promise he flashed as an 18-year-old rookie in 2013-14, when he tallied career bests of nine goals and 29 points.
As for the newcomer? A native of the Czech Republic, the 23-year-old Kahun enjoyed a solid rookie season in the Windy City, tallying 13 goals and 37 points over a full 82-game slate, including a two-goal, three-point effort against Detroit on February 10.
However, after racking up eight points in his first 10 games, the first-year pro fell into a seven-game pointless funk and appears to be a bit streaky. Nor should the Pens expect much in the way of physical play (a paltry 13 hits) or face-off acumen (36.1 percent) from the 5’11” 175-pounder.
Still, Kahun’s a left-handed shot and provides the Pens with another legit option on their undermanned port side. And GMJR seems high on him.
“He had a good first year,” said Rutherford when describing his latest acquisition. “He can play all three forward positions. He’s an exceptional skater and has good hands, incredible skill. … If you get a player like that, and he can move up and down your lineup, it gives [us] some versatility that I think we need.”
There’s a cost saving factor, too. By paring Maatta and his $4.083 salary from a pricey blue line corps, JR carved out a little over $3 million in cap space. Kahun, who is signed through the coming season, earns $925,000.
Hi Rick!
I already wrote my comment for TOR’s article but I would like to add one more thing. Yes, trading Maatta was a sensible option but I didn’t like the way the Pens management (Sully in particular) treated him during the 2019 playoffs. He did play game 1 badly but it was not a reason to bench him for the rest of the series. The whole team delivered a poor performance. Maatta happened to be the scapegoat.
Instead of having Kahun, GMJR could have tried for Jordie Benn or Nick Leddy, they are both lefties. But Leddy earns a big salary ($5,500,000). Benn earns much less ($1,100,000) but he is looking for a 3-year contract and he is 31 years old.
As I mentioned to TOR, I don’t have great expectations for 2019-2020. If the Pens starts slow, changes might occur.
Rick, have a nice summer and see you next season!
Hey Mike,
Thanks for the heads-up about Simmonds.
Hmmmm…interesting. He’s a really tough cookie, and for years he was absolute poison against the Pens on the power play. A terrific net-front presence along the lines of Hornqvist. Great scoring touch around the net and hard to move.
Being old school, I love the idea of getting a guy with his toughness in the lineup. With Simmonds and Gudbranson riding shotgun, we’d have no worries physically.
My concerns. He’s not a great skater and had some lower body injuries last season. Given his rugged style of play and the toll it’s probably taken on his body, I’m guessing he’s an “old 30.”
He plays right wing…a position of strength for the Pens. He’s never been an especially good possession guy or defensive player. Along those lines, since so many of his points come on the power play, I can’t imagine his 5-on-5 numbers are very good. And I don’t know how well he’d fit into a bottom-six role.
Still, he might be worth the risk on a short-term deal…especially if the Pens part with Kessel at the Entry Draft. Another plus…I think he brings a lot of intangibles and leadership qualities.
Rick
PS-I just read that Simmonds won the Messier NHL Leadership Award. So I guess it’s safe to say that he, indeed, possesses leadership qualities…lol.
Rick
Rick
i like the trade – After the injuries and health scare Maata never returned
to form and it was noticeable with the loss of explosiveness and stop
start ability.
The kid from Chicago should fit in nicely and picking up a 5th round
pick gives JR a few options. Not the big winger I’m craving (lol) but
from the scouting reports he may be Hags with a scoring touch.
i’m keeping my fingers crossed that JR rebuilds the 3rd and 4th lines with
grit and “WIT” type players “Whatever it Takes”. Things are starting to get
interesting.
Good to see you back writing – It was killing me to go on Hooks Orpik’s blog
and listen to them manipulate the numbers to fit there argument.
Hope the book signing went well.
Thanks for the welcome back, Mike. Nice to read your comments, too, as always.
At this stage, I think Maatta could probably benefit from a change of scenery. As I mentioned, there was a lot to like about his game and a lot that he did well. But his utter lack of straight-ahead foot speed always left him vulnerable to quick counters and mitigated his positive attributes to an extent.
I’m all for adding speed back to the mix. And I do seem to remember Kahun was noticeable when we played the ‘Hawks last season, although we can’t expect much physicality from him. Hopefully, he’s not the second coming of Dominik Simon in that regard.
Still, we definitely need some new blood…and to open up some cap space. JR accomplished both with this move.
I hear ya about WIT type of players in the bottom six.
Rick
Rick
Totally agree on Maata. Today i heard rumblings regarding Wayne
Simmonds – I do think he’s lost a little but at the right price I would
take him asap for the 4th line – I also think he could be effective in
front of the net on the PP and creating space for Sid and Geno to
operate. “Your thoughts”?