...And today, Rutherford pounced.
The Penguins announced this morning that they have acquired center Nick Bonino, defenseman Adam Clendening and a 2016 second round draft choice from Vancouver for center Brandon Sutter and a 2016 3rd rounder.
Wow... Talk about coming out of left field.
This is a move I did not see the Penguins moving, but leave it to GMJR to leave us with our jaws on the floor for a second time in a month. Let's take a closer look at the deal.
Goodbye to Flat Stanley
Sutter has had productive years in Pittsburgh. Was he Jordan Staal? No. Did he live up to the expectations set? He came close. Sutter produced twenty goals this past season, and was great in the Penguins playoff run in 2014 against Columbus and New York. He was a good third line center, especially considering he had a revolving door of wingers thanks in large part to injury over his tenure here.
That being said, I saw the writing on the walls. I did not expect him to be on the roster come training camp because of his contract situation. Sutter was slated to make 3.3 million dollars again this year. That's pretty much for a third line center who would go through cold streaks. On the flip side, the newly acquired Bonino will make just under 2 million. That's a win, win right there.
I enjoyed Brandon Sutter. I loved his "Flat Stanley" nickname and all the countless chuckles everyone got when the world saw his dangle. That being said, I am about the logo, and this deal makes the Pittsburgh Penguins a better team. So thank you Sutsy, it's been a fun run.
Helloooooo Nick Bonino!
Is he Jordan Staal? Like Sutter, no he is not. But is he better than Brandon Sutter? I think he will be.
On July 1, 2014 he was the centerpiece of the deal that sent Ryan Kesler to the Anaheim Ducks. Today, he is the centerpiece that sends Brandon Sutter to Vancouver. Or is Brandon Sutter the centerpiece that sends Nick Bonino to Pittsburgh?
This is a great deal for Pittsburgh. Here are my three huge likes for this deal:
- Bonino may not be younger than Sutter, but he is more productive. Bonino had a solid year as the second line center for Vancouver, putting up 15 goals and 39 points. He was about level with Sutter last year. However, more importantly, Bonino was more consistent. That's big for the Penguins. Also, those numbers were with average wingers in my opinion. I think he will benefit greatly playing alongside guys like Dupuis, Kunitz and Perron.
- The Pens will control him until 2017-18. Brandon Sutter was a UFA after this upcoming season. The Penguins flipped him for a third-line center they will control for three more seasons! If Bonino can be as consistent as he's been for the next three years, that alone will be a huge boost to the Penguins.
- The salary hit. Bonino has a 1.9 AAV. Brandon Sutter's was 3.3 AAV. I like Sutter, but I'll take Bonino's contract every day. The shedding of Sutter's salary for Bonino's not only gave the Pens more cap room, but allowed them to also sign Eric Fehr (more on that in a future post).
So what do you need to know about the Penguins newest center?
The 27-year-old Connecticut native has predominantly played in the NHL the last four seasons. He is a left handed center, who is a product of the prestigious Boston University program that has produced countless NHLers over the past few decades. He has also represented Team USA at World Championships.
Bonino had a breakout year in 2013-14 for Anaheim when he produced 22 goals and 49 points in 77 games. He was rewarded by being traded to Vancouver for Ryan Kesler last summer. Again, Bonino posted 15 goals and 39 points last season for Vancouver. Also, in 30 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, Bonino has eight goals and 15 points, so he can produce in the big time too.
He projects to be more of a third-line center than the second he played in Vancouver, but he does have the scoring touch and consistency that Sutter was often missing. He is not as good defensively as Sutter, but even Sutter struggled in that area in 2014-15. Bonino is a solid upgrade for Pittsburgh, period.
Clendening, the Pick and Placing Them All
Defenseman Adam Clendening was also part of this deal for Bonino. The 22-year-old Clendening split the 2014-15 season between Chicago and Vancouver. He appeared in 21 games between both teams and posting a goal and four points. More of an offensive defenseman, Clendening was also part of the Utica team lost to Manchester in the Calder Cup Finals.
The 2nd round pick acquired is huge for the Penguins as well. The Pens have given up a lot of picks the last few years, and give Rutherford credit for trying to get some of them back. He traded his first rounder in 2016 for Kessel, but got his 2nd rounder back in that deal and now get this 2nd rounder. That's big for the future of the organization.
Now, where do Bonino and Clendening fit into the Penguins roster?
Bonino slides into the third line center role vacated by Sutter. He has good speed, which should mesh well with Pascal Dupuis and either Chris Kunitz or David Perron and has the scoring touch and playmaking sense to make produce more points than Sutter did. I also see him centering the second power-play unit as well.
Adam Clendening will likely be fighting for a roster spot come camp. He is still young, and could probably profit from a little more time in Wilkes-Barre. Reports state that his defensive skills need considerable work. I think he will have to have an unbelievable camp to get a roster spot, so Wilkes-Barre is his more likely landing spot.
It was another jaw dropping deal made by Jim Rutherford. He has once again left us speechless. Anyone still think he's no good?... I didn't think so.