Penguins Swap Maatta for Kahun

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.