I suppose like many of you, I’m still trying to process my feelings about the Penguins’ trade deadline moves…or lack of…depending on your perspective.
Compared to MassMutual East rivals Boston (Taylor Hall, Curtis Lazar, Mike Reilly), Washington (Anthony Mantha, Michael Raffl) and the Islanders (Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac) we were pikers.
Maybe that’s not a bad thing. It isn’t always about landing the biggest fish, but rather the right fish.
I admit I was surprised by the Jeff Carter deal, which apparently had been in the works for a month. I would’ve preferred Calgary’s Sam Bennett, who was dished to Florida for a second-round pick. Perhaps too high a price to pay for a player who’s been trending downward.
Back to Carter. Still not really sure how I feel about this.
On one hand, we acquired a proven veteran and one-time elite scorer who can play center or right wing, two areas of need. As recently as 2019-20, he was still sniping at a 20-goal clip over a full season. And, at 6’3” and 219 pounds, he’s a horse.
Carter kills penalties and can slot in on the power-play. He has a shoot-first mentality and is capable of serving as a net-front presence. Oh, and he’s won two Stanley Cups. So he knows what it takes to succeed in the playoffs.
On the other hand, he hasn’t been the same player since a severe ankle injury suffered in 2017. Age may be a factor as well.
I’m hopeful Carter works out the same way Ron Hainsey did for us back in 2017. The big defenseman, ironically the same age (36) as Carter when we acquired him, proved to be a solid under-the-radar addition who helped stabilize our defense in Kris Letang’s notable absence.
Then-GM Jim Rutherford was most familiar with Hainsey. In fact, JR signed him as a free agent in Carolina. Current Pens GM Ron Hextall has a similar connection to Carter from his time with the Kings. And hopefully, a similar feel for what he might have left in the tank.
One thing is certain. With so many forwards out, our newest acquisition will see some prime ice time. Let’s hope he seizes the opportunity and produces for us. (Last season’s Patrick Marleau fiasco is still fresh in my mind.)
Should Hextall have done more? That’s a tough question. It sounds like he had ample opportunity to move some bodies. But he likes the makeup of our team.
So do I. There’s a wonderful synergy and esprit de corps that runs through the entire lineup, including the kids and veteran call-ups from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton who’ve so ably plugged gaps in the wake of a Biblical plague of injuries. Everyone plays a part. Everyone contributes. Even guys who’re put on waivers.
It reminds me very much of 2016.
The one move I wish Hextall had made but didn’t? The all-but-announced trade for Anaheim’s battleship forward Nicolas Deslauriers. Following Saturday’s teaser, I kept checking the NHL Trade Tracker today, hoping it would slip in under the wire. No such luck.
Yeah, I know. I’m a dinosaur when it comes to physical play. But I’d love to have Deslauriers, one tough hombre, riding shotgun against the likes of Boston’s Trent Frederic and Washington’s Tom Wilson, especially over the course of a seven-game playoff series. He’s a spirited, aggressive forechecker to boot.
Whether the 6’1”, 221-pounder would’ve received any significant ice time from coach Mike Sullivan, no lover of tough guys, is debatable. Still, I think Deslauriers might’ve filled a glaring enforcement void while providing an energy boost with Brandon Tanev sidelined till the playoffs.
Long pants hockey.
Perhaps our brain trust feels Anthony Angello and Sam Lafferty provide enough of a physical presence. While I like them both, I beg to differ.
Water under the bridge. As the marriage vows say, for better or worse.
We’ve got our team.
Hey all,
Just a quick injury update. Frederick Gaudreau is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury sustained on Sunday night against the Devils.
Really a shame. Freddy was playing so well.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team as beset by injuries as this one. Fortunately, Jankowski’s been playing better of late.
On a positive note, Kasperi Kapanen has resumed skating.
Rick
PS–Regarding Jankowski comment, I guess I should mention that Carter’s in the mix as well. Duh…
Hey Rick,
What was it that Forrest Gump said “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what your gonna get.” At least until you bite into it. Who knows how any of the trades will pan out; not just the Penguins but the other teams as well.
Boston did need scoring, but Taylor Hall? As much of a talent as he is, his teams don’t really ever do anything. Things change, as you mentioned Ron Hainsey in your article; he went years (over a decade) never winning anything but at 35 he finally got to the dance and hoisted the Cup. Maybe Hall will be Hainsey, or maybe he will just write his name along side Sittler, Oates, Mark Howe, Peter Stastny, Bure, Salming, Gilbert Perreault, Dionne, and Park, stars that never got their name engraved on the Grail.
As for Carter, his name is on the Cup. Will he provide the leadership Cullen did (Mike I also wondered about the similarities to Cullen – a veteran C who hoisted the Cup coming here)? We will see.
Like Marleau last season we didn’t give up a whole lot. It wasn’t trading for Marleau that was the problem, it was the insistence on using him when it was painfully apparent to everyone but Sullivan that he wasn’t working out that was the problem.
My thoughts on Carter are; (Positive) we didn’t give up a great deal, he actually has put up better offensive numbers during the twilight of his career than some of the veterans Sullivan keeps plugging in there during the afternoon of their careers. (Negative) his +/- has been a concern over the last 3 seasons, however LA has the 5th worst 5 on 5 goal differential over that span (329 – 391). Only Detroit, Ottawa, New Jersey, and Buffalo are worse. It may not have been him.
We will have to wait until we open up the box to see. Rick, you keep insisting that Sully has matured as a coach. If Carter doesn’t work out, we may see if you are right. (Will he act like last year with Marleau and keep trotting him out there?)
On a side note. I have gotten to see a lot of Leafs games this season and have started to feel for them. They haven’t won anything since the days of Armstrong, Horton, and Keon, the season before the Penguins came into existence. Therefore, I was following what they did and I can’t help but wonder if their trade for Foligno will screw up their chemistry the way Bressard or Iginla (years before) screwed up the Pens.
Sometimes the best move is to not move.
Rick
I’m right there with you on the element of physicality. I do like the addition
of Carter it reminds me in a lot of ways of the Cullen signing. I was
hoping Hextall could find a way to squeeze out a little toughness but I
know he was behind the eight-ball in regards to assets.
GO PENS
Hey Mike,
We won’t know how anything works out. Maybe Was getting Mantha and Raffl will hurt their chemistry but I can’t help but worry that the Caps already heavy forecheck just got heavier. I was sort of hoping the team would stand pat and not give up anything or if they did trade; a salary dump or trade off spare parts rather than picks. And what I was hoping for if they did trade was some size and grit, mainly on “D” but any would be appreciated – just to get out of the Divisional playoffs.
Hey Mike,
Honestly, I don’t know how much Sullivan would’ve played Deslauriers…if at all. And if we could find a way to roll out a line featuring Angello and Zohorna, it would at least give foes a difficult match-up, size-wise. Probably ain’t gonna’ happen…Part II.
I do worry about how we’ll hold up physically against Boston…dirty and chippy…and the Caps…just plain huge (and dirty).
Rick
Hey Mike,
I just watched clips of a couple of Caps-Bruins games. Wow…lots of rough stuff…Frederic, Ritchie and Tinordi for the Bruins…Wilson, Hathaway, Dillon, Chara…for the Caps. Not to mention Marchand running around squirting gasoline on fires.
Suddenly, I feel very vulnerable going into a series with either one of those teams without a Deslauriers-type physical presence…
Rick
I was very surprised by the acquisition of Carter… I also am not sure how he will work out here..
Will the chemistry be messed up? Hope not.
Maybe he should have traded for a Vet. defenseman? I think yes, Hutton .
I am glad Hextall didn’t go crazy on deadline day though. I was hoping for a salary dump of either Zucker or Marcus .
But with the returns (hopefully) of Geno and Kappy , maybe our boys will make some noise come playoffs.
Anyone with ideas for lines?
Carter will get to play his old team on Thursday….and I won’t be able to watch it.
Hearing Kasperi is 10 -14 days away.. Malkin longer possibly start of playoffs. Tanev gone even longer.
Hey Pens4ever,
Like you I was hoping for salary dump. I do think that Zucker is a good player but he is the new Perron. Once out of the ‘burgh (especially if he goes back to the west) he should get back to being himself. Pettersson may not be that bad (considering his age) but he is definitely over paid. Hopefully, things will change in the off season and those trades will be made. Or maybe Seattle can take one of them off our hands.
Hey Pens4ever,
Good to hear from you.
Like you, I’m glad Hextall didn’t go crazy. This team really does have great chemistry…remarkably so. Again, we have to give Rutherford credit for pulling in so many divergent pieces and having them meld into a team. These guys really seem to like and play for each other. Sullivan, too, for pulling them together and keeping them on course in the wake of all the injuries.
Zucker doesn’t seem to fit. But at $5.5 mil AAV and facing a flat cap, I don’t know if we’re going to find too many takers unless we take on salary coming back…probably in the form of another pricey player who hasn’t panned out for his present team. The Perron-for-Hagelin trade a perfect example.
I’m going to sound like I’m talking (writing) out of two sides of my mouth because I recently proposed using him as trade bait, but I’ve been watching Pettersson a little more closely.
Even though his shot couldn’t dent a grape, he makes a very nice first pass out of our zone, and that’s critical to the transition game. And while he doesn’t look especially impressive a lot of the time, he does seem to get the job done.
Rick