Pittsburgh Penguins Trade Deadline Rumor Mill
With the 2012 NHL Trade Deadline approximately five days away to the hour (February 27, 3PM ET), I’ve realized I haven’t given my readers anything to chew on or consider regarding potential targets for the Penguins.
Most of this is due to the uncertainty surrounding the deadline (Will Sidney Crosby miss the rest of the regular season putting his $8.7 million cap hit in play, etc) and the lack of full-on sellers at the year’s deadline (Columbus, Montreal, Carolina among only a few others).
If Crosby plans on returning before the end of the regular season, the Penguins can only add a cap hit of about $1.22 million without sending some salary the other way. If Crosby doesn’t return before the playoffs, the team can add about $9.92 million worth of salary. Crosby could then play in the playoffs with no repercussions, as there is simply no salary cap in the postseason.
That being said, the Penguins have been connected with a few names around the NHL as potential deadline day landing spots. The team reportedly considers adding a scoring winger and a depth center their top priorities this season, but would like to add a depth defenseman at a low cost as well.
Below you’ll find a few names being thrown around, along with my takes.
Paul Gaustad, Buffalo Sabres – Gaustad is in the final year of a four-year contract with the Sabres with a cap hit of $2.3 million and will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. In 54 games with the underachieving Sabres this season, Gaustad has seven goals and 17 points, with 94 hits and 65 PIM. At 6’4″, he is a gritty, physical center who wins faceoffs at an extremely high rate (56.2% this season, more than any Penguin), though he lacks the skating ability to add much to a team’s offense.
The 30-year-old would make a nice third center for the rest of season and a Matt Cooke – Paul Gaustad - Arron Asham line would rival the toughest line to play against in the entire league.
Travis Moen, Montreal Canadiens - Moen is in the final year of a three-year deal with the Canadiens and carries a cap hit of $1.5 million. The future UFA has nine goals and 16 points in 48 games this season, matching his total offensive output in 79 games last year. He is currently on injured reserve and expected to be out for “a while longer,” which may prevent the winger from being traded at all.
If he is traded, though, the Penguins would be a likely landing spot for the 29-year-old. Moen’s physical style and solid two-way game would likely fit Dan Bylsma’s system well, though he is by no means the scoring winger the Penguins seem to be searching for.
Andrei Kostitsyn, Montreal Canadiens – The once-touted winger has fallen out of favor in Montreal and has been deemed available by the Canadiens. He is a pending UFA and carries a $3.25 million cap hit. In 51 games this season, Kostitsyn has just 12 goals and 24 points, but has been stuck playing on the team’s fourth line alongside Scott “Two Goal” Gomez.
I don’t see Kostitsyn as a fit on Jordan Staal’s wing and the Chris Kunitz – Evgeni Malkin – James Neal line obviously won’t be (purposely) broken up any team soon, but the thought of the 27-year-old playing alongside Sidney Crosby in the near future is intriguing due to Andrei’s ability to play the game at a high pace, like Crosby.
Kostitsyn’s work ethic and defensive ability are often called into question, though, and that won’t fly in Dan Bylsma’s system. Note this one as unlikely, but not impossible.
Bryan Allen, Carolina Hurricanes - The 31-year-old Allen will be a UFA this offseason and carries a $2.9 million cap hit. The defenseman’s plus-two rating on a poor Hurricanes squad speaks for his defensive play. He is by no means a threat to score or break the puck out as evidenced by his zero goals and 13 assists in his last 79 games, but a team can never have enough defensive depth.
It would be interesting to see where Allen would play among the Penguins’ top six defensemen assuming no rostered defensemen are sent away in a deal. Kris Letang and Brooks Orpik would obviously be safe. Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek have been playing poorly as of late (aside from Tuesday night against the New York Rangers), but I can’t see either of them being scratched for more than a wakeup call, and the play of both Matt Niskanen and Deryk Engelland has earned each of those two a spot in the lineup I would assume. Engelland may be the most likely to drop out of the top six, but this is all speculation.
As the deadline nears and rumors heat up I’ll bring you more, but Penguins fans should temper their expectations this year. I wouldn’t expect and Marian Hossa- or James Neal-type trades this season as we’ve come to expect from GM Ray Shero.
Follow Troy on Twitter @TroyPfaff
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[...] formerly played in Montreal as well. I listed Andrei as a potential target for the Penguins in my Rumor Mill article on Wednesday, but it looks like you can cross him off the [...]
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[...] formerly played in Montreal as well. I listed Andrei as a potential target for the Penguins in my Rumor Mill article on Wednesday, but it looks like you can cross him off the [...]
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