Penguins Trade Deadline Update: The Morning After

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.