The trade deadline has come and gone, and once again the Penguins made some headlines. The Pens have been busy on the trade market since the calendar turned to 2015 and today was no different. Since the season began on October 9th, the Penguins have made six trades. In the following, I will discuss the the moves as they've happened and the impact it will have on the Pens going forward.
David Perron Makes His Mark
There were two trades that make up the Pens acquisition of winger David Perron. In November, the Pens traded away defenseman Philip Samuelsson for Rob Kinkhammer and a conditional 2016 draft pick. Klinkhammer had a fortnight with the Pens before he was shipped north of the border along with the 2015 first round pick for Mr. Perron.
Perron has been phenomenal since joining the team. He has doubled his goal total from Edmonton in just 24 games in black and gold. Overall, Perron has put up 10 goals and 16 points for the Pens. Though he is a -3 rating, he has had 4 PP points and averaged 18 and a half minutes a night.
More important than the numbers, Perron has fit in seamlessly on this team and its top line. He and Sidney Crosby have created outstanding chemistry and Patric Hornqvist has also thrived on that line.
My only complaint on Perron is the penalties he takes. I like his grit and his "trash talking," but he finds himself in the box more than Id like. However, keep scoring goals at this pace and I'll accept the penalties.
The Perron deal is a win for the Pens. The price was incredibly low and he's been an instant impact. Even better, we will have him next season as well.
The French Infusion
The Pens made headlines on July 1st by signing the three Germans (Ehrhoff, Greiss and Goc). Since then, the Pens have traded Goc and acquired more French Canadians. Marcel Goc was traded for one of them, Maxim Lapierre.
A straight up trade in late-January, Lapierre was brought in to provide more snarl on the 4th line and help the PK. He has done that well since coming. He only has one point in 15 games with the Pens, but his play on the PK and as a pest have benefited the team in my opinion. I think his play is well suited for playoff hockey and that he will thrive come spring.
Lapierre for Goc has been a draw so far, but I like the style he brings while I was often bored by Goc. The Pens must make good use of his services though, he is a UFA come July.
In It To Winnik
It is a deal that made Pens nation rejoice, for it rid them of Zach Sill. I had nothing against Sill, but it is a move that will greatly improve the Pens bottom six. Last Wednesday, Sill, the 2015 4th rounder and a 2nd rounder in 2016 were sent to Toronto for upcoming UFA Daniel Winnik.
Winnik is Paul Bunyan in hockey form. He is a big, bearded hulk of a man who is talented at both ends of the ice. He currently leads the NHL in shorthanded ice time with 3:27 per game. His 50 blocked shots heading into the last game of February led the Pens forwards.
Winnik has produced 56 goals and 176 points in 549 career games. He has played in 28 playoff games and has the ability to kill penalties and win battles along the boards.
He made a great impression in his first game. Though he only played 13:29, Winnik assisted on Steve Downie's 3rd period goal as he adjusted to his new team. He skated predominantly with Downie and Sutter, where I expect to see him come the playoffs.
I think the 2nd rounder next year is too steep for this rental player, but if it is the cost of a STANLEY Cup I'll take it. Winnik played well in his debut and should look ebb better by April.
Deadline Deals
Pittsburgh wanted to add defensive help at the deadline for the final push. Ehrhoff is coming off a concussion, Despres may have one and Derrick Pouliot is still a rookie. A little extra help would be nice.
The first move the Penguins made on deadline day was shipping defenseman Robert Bortuzzo to St. Louis for defenseman Ian Cole. Bortuzzo had lost favor with the administration change of the summer, a notion proven by him sitting in favor of Derrick Pouliot. He has been a defensive liability; getting out of position and allowing a lot of odd man chances. He was physical and would fight, but other than that, he was not much help.
Ian Cole will not likely play over Pouliot either. That being said, he fits Johnston's style of play much better than Bortuzzo did. A good puck-moving defenseman with good skating ability and offensive upside, Cole is an improvement over Bortuzzo as the 6th or 7th defenseman.
Cole's stats this year are as follows: 54 games played, 4 goals, 5 assists, +16 rating while averaging 15 minutes per night. He is miles better statistically than Bortuzzo.
The only downside to the deal is losing Borts in the room. Multiple media outlets reported it would be a blow to morale, as the room really liked Bortuzzo and kept things light.
I think overall, it's a good move. I wouldn't be comfortable with Bortuzzo in the playoffs again, and though Cole doesn't have the pedigree of a Martin or Scuderi, he's still an upgrade. The biggest thing, a change of scenery for both, and maybe both sides catch a spark.
The other deadline deal saw a former Penguin return. Ben Lovejoy, traded two years ago to Anaheim for a 5th round pick is back in black and gold. The piece moving the other way, Simon Despres.
Wow...
I was ecstatic when I heard Lovejoy and disappointed when I heard Despres. I admit, I was often hard on Despres over the years but he has really played well this year. I liked the way he and Scuderi played together and I was comfortable with them in a tight game late. He has shown he was worth of that first round choice, but he is now a Duck.
I really like Ben Lovejoy. I was sad to see him move two years ago, but that allowed him to actually play. Since then, Lovejoy has developed into a very good two-way defenseman. He is also a right handed shot that the Pens were looking for.
Look at the numbers for Lovejoy. In his 3 years in Anaheim, Lovejoy played in 150 games, put up 6 goals and 39 points. He was a +30 in that time and averaged nearly 19 minutes a game. To make things better, in the 20 playoff games with the Ducks, he was played top 4 minutes, scored 2 goals and 4 points and was a +5. Sounds like the experience we could use come spring.
Lovejoy missed some time this year with a broken hand, but other than that has played well. He is averaging 18:30 minutes per game and has 11 points in the 40 games played. Plus, he has another year on his deal which will allow the Pens to lose Ehrhoff without catastrophe.
I'm 70/30 in favor of the trade. I really like Lovejoy and think he will be big for us in top-4 minutes down the stretch and in the playoffs. My only problem is the return, it just feels a little light. But, it is what it is and in the short term, I think the Pens got better.
Moving Forward
The Pens are a better team today than they were when the took the ice for the season opener against Anaheim. If Sutter could find better form down the stretch, the Pens will really have four solid lines heading into the playoffs; and yes, I think Sutter will rebound. The defense has lost its two biggest hitters, but it has gained a very good two-way defender in Lovejoy and Pouliot is only getting better. If Fleury can keep playing as he has, and the team plays as well as they have the last few games, then this is a Cup contender.
For those of you wondering, here are my lines and pairs going forward:
Perron - Crosby - Hornqvist
Kunitz - Malkin - Comeau
Winnik - Sutter - Downie
Spaling - Lapierre - Adams/Bennett
Letang - Martin
Ehrhoff - Lovejoy
Scuderi - Pouliot
The trade deadline is over. Now, the real fun begins. Should be a wild ride for the rest of the season. Sit back and enjoy Pens fans.