Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse…
Rumors are flying hot and heavy that Penguins GM Jim Rutherford is attempting to trade right wing Patric Hornqvist to Florida for defenseman Mike Matheson.
As much as it pains me to part with Hornqvist, I’m not totally averse to dealing him. If the Pens are to make any serious changes over the off-season they’ve got to shed salary. But to trade their emotional and spiritual power plant for a mistake and turnover prone 26-year-old defenseman who has an onerous $4.875 annual cap hit that stretches through the 2025-26 season?
It smacks of the type of trade Rutherford routinely made with Carolina during that five-season stretch when the ‘Canes failed to qualify for the postseason. Which led to JR being booted upstairs before joining the Pens.
The downside of GMJR’s aggressive, gambling style.
As of this posting, the deal has hit a snag. Apparently, the team has been unable to contact Hornqvist in order to approve the deal…he has a no-trade clause in his contract. Insurance issues are rumored to be a sticking point as well.
Matheson, 26, does possess some positive attributes. He can skate and he’s got a hard shot that he puts to good use, netting 33 goals over his four NHL seasons. He’s got size (6’2” 188), at least by black-and-gold standards.
He’s reputed to be good at offensive-zone entries and d-zone exits, areas of weakness for the Pens. However, he’s not so hot with 5-vs-5 shot attempts…minus-168 for his career and his Corsi’s nothing to write home about (48.9) either.
Did I mention the turnovers? A league-leading 135 giveaways in 2018-19 (to go with a minus-24) and 92 the season before. To put that in perspective, Kris Letang totaled 165 giveaways over the same stretch.
Plus, the Quebec native’s a left-hand shot. The Pens’ need is on the right side.
A headscratcher.
Personally, I hope the deal gets killed.
Hey all,
Just to put an exclamation point on my post. Alex Baumgartner wrote this about Matheson for Prose…a Fansided blog about a month ago.
“Since entering the NHL’s Toronto playoff bubble, Florida Panthers defenseman Mike Matheson hasn’t been much help to his team. His play since the NHL season resumed has been noticeably bad. Matheson has been a liability to his team and is jeopardizing their chances of moving on in the postseason.
“Before the playoffs got underway, Florida took on their in-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning in an exhibition game. Matheson was a -4 in the 5-0 Panthers loss. Normally known for his skating abilities, Matheson couldn’t keep up with Tampa’s Brayden Point. Point blew by Matheson multiple times on the wing and it led to two Tampa goals.
“Matheson was on the ice for all five of Tampa’s goals. This was only an exhibition game yet many Panthers fans were already calling for Matheson to be dropped from the lineup.”
Again, what in God’s name is Rutherford trying to do, tying us into this guy long-term? It’s like Justin Schultz on steroids.
There’s got to be better options somewhere…anywhere.
Rick
Hey Rick,
Good stuff.
I started a reply that got too long so I just posted it as a full article.