A few jumbled thoughts in the aftermath of yesterday’s NHL trade deadline.
I confess to being as surprised as anyone that our Penguins weren’t more active. I even posted a trade tracker on PP to keep track of deals as they hit the wire and kept checking the trade tracker on NHL.com and other sources every few minutes for updates.
Crickets.
Guess you can blame it on me. Anything I anticipate never seems to happen…and vice versa. The reverse PenguinPoop curse is alive and well…lol.
Among the anticipated transactions, I fully expected us to move a goalie. At the risk of writing with a forked pen, I was kind of hoping we’d deal Tristan Jarry (who I like), figuring his trade value might never be higher. Considering how many teams are in desperate need of goaltending, I thought we might even be able to wrangle a first-round pick for Tristan, which would then pave the way for POHO/GM Kyle Dubas to sign Alex Nedeljkovic to, say, a three-year deal at $3 million per. In the process setting up a classic 1-1A tandem with Ned and up-and-comer Joel Blomqvist.
Realistically? Given that our Pens seem committed to Jarry financially and otherwise, I thought for sure Nedeljkovic would be on the move. Rumor had it the Avs were kicking the tires on Ned, but nothing came of it.
Instead we dealt Magnus Hellberg. The return for the hulking Swede, an established No. 3 goalie, may provide a hint as to why Dubas and the Pens weren’t more active. All we got in return was an obscure European netminder named Ludovic Waeber, who has about as much a chance of backstopping the Pens as I do.
Indeed, the return for established players around the league was ridiculously low. The Coyotes could fetch no better than a sixth-round pick from the Preds for former Pens sparkplug Jason Zucker, still an inspirational and viable player. New Jersey winger Tyler Toffoli, an established scorer, cost the Jets no more than a second and third rounder, and that was with 50 percent salary retention by the Devils.
Which perhaps provides some perspective on the return for Jake Guentzel. More on that in a moment.
My guess is, Dubas chose to hang onto moveable players like Nedeljkovic, Reilly Smith, Lars Eller…heck, maybe even Marcus Pettersson…because the return was too light and/or he was asked to retain salary by his cash-strapped contemporaries.
Operating under those assumed conditions, it was best for Dubas to exercise patience and prudence with his trade chips. At this stage, our Pens are what they are. Nothing Dubas does in the short run is going to alter our immediate downward trajectory. There will be plenty of opportunities to strike a deal or two (and perhaps glean more value) in the months ahead, especially with the salary cap increasing.
No need to rush things.
That clearly wasn’t the case with Guentzel, slated to become a UFA this summer. If Dubas wasn’t going to sign Jake to an extension, and from my admittedly distant perch that never seemed to be a serious consideration, then by all means he had to move the plucky winger. He simply couldn’t allow Jake to walk without getting anything in return.
If the return was less than what we were hoping for?
I’m sure Dubas did his utmost to get the very best package he could for the two-time 40-goal scorer. Other GMs, including our beloved JR out west, weren’t willing to pony up the top prospects and/or picks we were rumored to be seeking.
It stinks, I know. But, at least at this year’s deadline, it was the way of things. And keep in mind…Jake’s a rental. There’s no guarantee he’ll sign with the ‘Canes when the time comes.
All things considered, I think Dubas did pretty well.
Looking ahead, I implore Pens fans not to be hard on Michael Bunting, Jake’s immediate replacement. While he’s admittedly no Guentzel, Bunting’s a gritty, aggressive, self-made player with a proven track record. In some ways they’re a lot alike…both came out of nowhere to carve out a career in the bigs.
Perhaps Bunting will provide the adrenalin boost and shot in the arse this group so desperately needs.
Rick
I know the trade is hard for a lot of people to digest. Guentzel, aside from the core of players was
no doubt the Pen’s best player. This was strictly a business deal, one that had to me made to
ensure that the organization didn’t go down the same sentimental path that locked them up
with two aging veterans in Malkin and Letang. I give Dubas credit for making the tough decisions
that those before him didn’t have the “ROCKS” to make. He was willing to take on the criticism of
fans and media to do what was best for the organization long term.