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Archives for February 2018

Deadline Notes: Plekanec, Green, Gionta, Kane, Lindberg

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While it’s still to early to know, Winnipeg Free Press’ Jeff Hamilton feels that there is a strong indication that the Winnipeg Jets are pushing to acquire Montreal Canadiens center Tomas Plekanec tonight. The 34-year-old veteran was also scratched for tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, although that may just be to ensure he doesn’t get hurt right before the deadline. While there are no details on how close the two teams are, the plan, according to Hamilton, is for the Jets to use Plekanec on the team’s third line alongside Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, which would give the team a deep lineup. Andrew Copp would move to the team’s fourth line and would join Joel Armia and Adam Lowry.

The Jets were supposedly working hard to acquire Derrick Brassard Friday, but lost out to the Pittsburgh Penguins and were forced to look for another center to fill their needs. While Plekanec is a step down from Brassard, the veteran may get some new life with the Jets, especially if he gets to play with Laine and Ehlers.

  • With the trade deadline less than two days away, the Detroit Red Wings still have their top trade chip remaining on their roster, but the problem is that he’s still hurt. In fact, the top rental defenseman on the market hasn’t played in five games and could miss Sunday’s game as well. While Green as practiced with the team twice now, including Friday, MLive’s Ansar Khan suggests that while there is little doubt that Green will be moved by Monday, the timing of the injury could easily diminish the team’s returns for him. He writes teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning might pause first if they feel he could re-injure himself the moment they acquire him.
  • As mentioned earlier today, there has been some interest in Team USA captain Brian Gionta. However, Pierre LeBrun adds that a couple of East teams have expressed interest in Gionta, including the Boston Bruins. While nothing in imminent, a deal could be made at some point this weekend.
  • The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington writes that the Buffalo Sabres are holding forward Evander Kane out of the lineup tonight. Kane, one of the most anticipated trade candidates join a group of players who have been held out in the last day or two as the team doesn’t want to risk losing a player to injury just before the deadline. “Management thought it was the best decision moving forward and the best decision for Evander,” coach Phil Housley said in his pregame media briefing two hours before faceoff. “… That’s the situation for right now.” No other pending trade candidates were scratched.
  • Tobias Lindberg, who the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights Friday in the Derrick Brassard trade, has been assigned to the AHL, but not to their affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but back to the Chicago Wolves, the affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights, according to Chicago Wolves broadcaster Jason Shaver. The Penguins didn’t want to move him at this point of the season to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but can still recall him at any point during the season.

Flames Notes: Smith, Goloubef, Mangiapane, Glass, Fox

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The Calgary Flames announced they have placed veteran goaltender Mike Smith on injured reserve today although general manager Brad Treliving says he remains day-to-day. The goaltender has missed six games with a groin injury.

“I’d love to give you clarity of which day that is. We don’t know yet,” said Treliving, according to Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson.

The team has been using the combination of David Rittich and Jon Gillies and may look to pick up another goaltender as the compete for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

  • Treliving also said that Stockton Heat defenseman Cody Goloubef will have his AHL contract upgraded to a two-way NHL deal, according to Sportsnet’s 960. The 28-year-old has 129 games of NHL experience and was recently on loan to the Canadian Olympic team. The defenseman just picked up two assists to help lead his team to a 6-4 victory over the Czech Republic to capture the bronze medal earlier. In 34 games for Stockton this year, he has seven goals and 10 assists.
  • The team also made several moves today, including recalling forwards Tanner Glass and Andrew Mangiapane, while assigning forward Ryan Lomberg to Stockton. The 34-year-old Glass has played seven games for Calgary this year. The veteran should provide some experience on the team’s fourth line. The 21-year-old Mangiapane has played nine games for Calgary, but has failed to score a point. Picked in the sixth round of the 2015 draft, Mangiapane has excelled at a young age in the AHL, having scored 39 goals in two years. The 23-year-old Lomberg had just one assist in seven games for Calgary, but has five goals and 84 penalty minutes with Stockton.
  • Treliving also mentioned, according to FlamesNation’s Ryan Pike, the team has 46 contracts (out of a possible 50) and are looking at possible college free agents to add as well as the possibility of trying to sign Harvard University defenseman Adam Fox, who the team drafted in the third round of the 2016 draft. Fox had a 40-point season as a freshman and currently has 21 points this season with The Crimson.

Minor Transactions: 2/24/18

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Though the expectation is to see less “minor” transactions and more fireworks over the next 48 hours, the day-to-day operations of NHL teams don’t stop just because of the trade deadline. With a busy slate of 12 games coming up today, teams continue to tweak their rosters in preparation, though some moves could also signal an impending trade. Follow along to find out.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have reversed the decision they made yesterday, announcing an identical swap of Joonas Korpisalo and Markus Hannikainen for Jeff Zatkoff. Zatkoff heads back to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters after just one day, while Korpisalo and Hannikainen re-join the Jackets. The veteran goalie Zatkoff has yet to make an NHL appearance this season, but Korpisalo hasn’t had much better luck, struggling through 12 games, including just two dismal performances in February.
  • Blake Pietila is on his way back to the minors, as the New Jersey Devils have also changed their mind on a recent call-up, sending the young forward back to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. Pietila played in his first two NHL games of the 2017-18 campaign on this call-up, but failed to record a point in under 20 minutes of total ice time.
  • St. Louis Blues beat writer Lou Korac notes that the AHL lists defenseman Jordan Schmaltz and forward Tage Thompson headed to St. Louis and defenseman Chris Butler and forward Sammy Blais reassigned to the San Antonio Rampage. More likely than not, the Blues are swapping out some in-between players for others to shake up a lineup that has been ineffective of late, but there’s also a good chance that they would like to showcase all of their young pro talent ahead of the deadline. St. Louis has just three wins in their past ten games and risk missing the playoffs if their play doesn’t improve one way or another.
  • According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, the New York Rangers have placed Peter Holland on waivers today. Holland is no stranger to having an uncertain future; the 27-year-old has been with four different NHL organizations in the past two years and wouldn’t be surprised to join a fifth on this go-round through the waiver wire. However, the 2009 first-rounder is on pace for the fewest NHL games and points of his career this season and may not hold much value for other teams.
  • After clearing waivers himself, newly-acquired L.A. goaltender Scott Wedgewood is heading to the AHL, per Kings beat writer Josh Cooper. Joining Wedgewood on the trip to the AHL’s Ontario Reign is forward Jonny Brodzinski, while defenseman Paul LaDue has been recalled. LaDue has played in only seven games with the Kings this season after 22 in his 2016-17 rookie campaign and again looks to be just a depth option for Los Angeles on this call-up.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled prospect Laurent Dauphin from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. The 22-year-old center was re-acquired by Arizona on Jan. 10 after he had been traded to the Chicago Blackhawks during the offseason. Dauphin was originally traded in June with Connor Murphy for defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. The prospect was then reacquired when Arizona traded forward Anthony Duclair to Chicago with Richard Panik. Dauphin had 17 goals last year for the Roadrunners and was expected to take that next step. However, he struggled with the Rockford IceHogs early on, scoring just four goals to go with 10 assists in 33 games. He seems to have found his game since then as he has five goals and 10 assists in just 16 games and might be ready to take on a role with Arizona now that the team moved Tobias Rieder recently to Los Angeles.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they recalled winger Ty Rattie and activated Andrej Sekera from injured reserve today. The 25-year-old Rattie has 20 goals and 19 assists with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, but has struggled to break into the NHL over the years. He signed with Edmonton in the offseason. Sekera, who was struck in the face with a puck back on Feb. 9, has struggled this year after tearing his ACL last season. He has no goals and one assist in 18 games for Edmonton with a minus-10 rating. The team did need some defensive depth after they traded away Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders earlier today.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned forwards Tomas Hyka and Stefan Matteau to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL today, according to the Chicago Wolves. Hyka scored his first NHL goal Friday and had played well, but the team is likely making space for recently acquired Ryan Reaves and the impending return of James Neal to the lineup. Both were likely expected to be returned to Chicago by Monday anyway, as if the Golden Knights want them to play in the AHL playoffs, they must not be with the NHL club at the trade deadline.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled forward Kalle Kossila from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The 24-year-old averages more than a point a game as he has 13 goals and 25 assists in 35 games for the Gulls. For the Ducks, he has one goal and one assist in 10 games.

Edmonton Trades Brandon Davidson To Islanders

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The Edmonton Oilers announced they have traded defenseman Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick, a move that might be considered a win-win move for both teams.

For the Oilers, the team really cashed in on Davidson’s success this season considering he was untradeable just a couple of months ago. He was picked up in the middle of the year when Edmonton claimed him from the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 3. The Canadiens, who tried to trade him off could find no takers at the time and forced them into placing the blueliner on waivers. However, he fared well in Edmonton as a bottom-tier defenseman. The fact the team was able to get a third-rounder for him is an excellent move from Edmonton general manager Peter Chiarelli. Many people assumed the Oilers might keep the 26-year-old defenseman around for next season. Ironically, it marks the second time in two years the Oilers have traded Davidson at the trade deadline. They sent him last year to Montreal in exchange for forward David Desharnais.

As for the Islanders, the team adds some much needed defensive depth for a team that is struggling with injuries on the blueline. Davidson immediately fills in as a bottom-pairing defenseman where the team needs the most help. The Islanders, who have the No. 4-ranked offense in the NHL, need help on defense as they have allowed more goals per game than any other team in the league at 3.56 per game. Nevertheless, the Islanders are still fighting for a playoff spot, which if they can secure a spot, might aid them in their bid to re-sign center John Tavares at  the end of the season. Davidson, who makes $1.425MM this year will be a restricted free agent for the Islanders when the offseason hits. He is unlikely to make much more than that next season, making him a solid, inexpensive player who might fill the shoes of one of their potential defensive free agents like Calvin de Haan or Thomas Hickey.

Davidson played 13 games for the Canadiens earlier this year and had just one assist in limited playing time. He had played 23 games for the Oilers since being acquired and has had three goals and an assist and is averaging now 16:29 of ice time combined between both teams as the Oilers have used him quite a bit. While not a great puck-moving defenseman, Davidson is a solid defenseman who can hit hard.

The Islanders may still have a bigger move planned in the upcoming days before the deadline as they have moved a 2019 third-rounder instead of moving one of the multiple picks they have for this year’s draft. New York has two first-rounders, two second-rounders as well as their third, fourth and fifth round picks for 2018, most of which they picked up in the Travis Hamonic trade in the offseason with the Calgary Flames.

Trade Deadline Notes: Ward, McDonagh, Oduya, Plekanec

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The San Jose Sharks are playing both buyer and seller at this year’s trade deadline. The Sharks are currently second in the Pacific Division, looking to hold off the Ducks, Kings, and Flames, and are known to be looking for scoring help up front. They have been attached to names like Evander Kane, Rick Nash, and really most high-profile forwards on the market. At the same time, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the team has requested a no-trade list from veteran forward Joel Ward. Ward, 37, is an impending free agent who has fallen out of favor in the San Jose lineup. He has a six-team no-trade list that he can use to slightly reduce the number of possible destinations, should he be traded. Ward has played in only 46 games this season, with just 11 points to show for it, but more importantly, has seen his once-valued penalty kill role diminished, along with his even strength ice time. Ward can still be an asset for many teams as both an experienced locker room presence and reliable two-way depth option, but he’s worth much more to another contender than the defense-conscious Sharks. A trade is far from a certainty, but is a definite possibility now that a list has been officially requested.

  • An unexpected suitor has entered the bidding for New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh. Sportsnet’s John Shannon believes that the Florida Panthers have interest in the top-pairing defenseman. Going up against divisional foes like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins, as well as many others, the Panthers will try make the top offer for McDonagh, as the Rangers continue their fire sale. The Panthers are still fighting for a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference this season, and McDonagh would be a major help with that, but more likely the motivation for the Cats is to bring in McDonagh for next season and with the intent of extending him. PHR recently identified a top-four defenseman as a need for the Panthers going forward, and McDonagh would round out quite the top four in Florida with Aaron Ekblad, Keith Yandle, and Michael Matheson.
  • Count both Johnny Oduya and Tomas Plekanec as the latest big-name players being held out of lineups tonight prior to the deadline. Dreger says that Oduya’s benching is just precautionary, but that the Ottawa Senators are working on trading the veteran defenseman as part of their own fire sale. The news of Plekanec, from TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, comes after a report yesterday that the Montreal Canadiens have received an influx of interest in the veteran center over the last 24 hours. Both players are expected to be moved in the coming days.

Snapshots: Gionta, Soshnikov, Leivo

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Brian Gionta may have been invisible at the Olympics, but he still managed to catch the eye of one NHL team. The USA captain failed to record a point, took only 16 shots, and cleanly lost several face-offs in an effort that seemingly had quieted the talk of his NHL comeback. However, WGR 550 in Buffalo is reporting that Gionta is finalizing a deal to join a team for the remainder of the season. Gionta must sign by the trade deadline Monday to be eligible for postseason play, but WGR’s Paul Hamilton spoke with agent Steve Bartlett, who says to expect a deal with a “playoff-bound team” sometime this weekend. Despite a lackluster performance in Pyeongchang, Gionta is less than a year removed from an 82-game, 35-point campaign with the Buffalo Sabres in 2016-17 and was eager to re-sign with Buffalo this off-season, only to be rejected by the new administration. Having worked out during the year, including skating with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, Gionta is ready to go. The only question is whether he plays like he did with the Sabres last year or with Team USA last week.

  • The St. Louis Blues announced that they have activated Nikita Soshnikov off of injured reserve and he could soon make his debut for the team. Soshnikov was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs last week for a fourth-round pick, but was on IR when traded (because of course he was “injured”, the Leafs weren’t just circumventing roster limits) and remained there after the move. With the Blues on a three-game losing streak and playing poorly for weeks now, maybe Soshnikov can be the injection into the St. Louis lineup that gets the team back on track. The 24-year-old has been a near point-per-game player in the AHL this season, but without the same success at the NHL level.
  • With Soshnikov and Eric Fehr now out of town, the Leafs’ lineup has opened up enough to finally give Josh Leivo some play time. TSN’s Mark Masters reports that Leivo is in the lineup for tonight’s game, his first game action in months. The 24-year-old is no longer waivers-exempt, so Toronto has refrained from trying to move him to the AHL at any point this season. As a result, Leivo has skated in only 12 NHL games this season, the last of which came back in December. When Leivo takes the ice tonight against the Boston Bruins, it will be his first game action of 2018. Despite being cold and having little production to show for his limited ice time this season, its no coincidence that Leivo is finally getting into a game just prior to the trade deadline. While it’s been disputed whether or not he has asked for a trade out of Toronto, Leivo could easily just be in the lineup tonight for the purposes of being showcased to other teams.

Scott Wedgewood Placed On Waivers By Los Angeles Kings

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Saturday: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Wedgewood has cleared waivers. Wedgewood will be a nice depth option for the Kings in the AHL, but don’t be surprised if L.A. takes a look at an upgrade to he and Campbell at backup goalie.

Friday: After acquiring him this week, the Los Angeles Kings have placed goaltender Scott Wedgewood on waivers according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. Wedgewood was part of the package acquired in exchange for Darcy Kuemper, but immediately seemed extraneous after the Kings recalled Jack Campbell.

Wedgewood, 25, is no stranger to the waiver process, having cleared twice since October 2016. If he does clear, he’ll become valuable depth for the Kings as they enter their stretch run, but has had a rough season so far. Though he looked sharp at times for the Coyotes, his entire body of work while Antti Raanta dealt with injury wasn’t good. He posted an .893 save percentage in 20 games for Arizona, but still could be claimed by a team looking for more depth.

Selected in the third-round of the 2010 draft, Wedgewood is a talented but small (by today’s standards) goaltender who has shown excellent ability in the minor leagues but rarely given a chance in the NHL. He made his debut last season with the New Jersey Devils, but is set to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer if not given another handful of starts. Wedgewood has only played 30 minutes or more in a game 22 times in his NHL career, meaning he’d need six more appearances to become ineligible for Group VI status. With his placement on waivers, that doesn’t seem like it will happen with the Kings.

San Jose Sharks Have Looked Into Erik Karlsson

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This is not a match many would have seen coming, but TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the San Jose Sharks are among the teams that have had talks with the Ottawa Senators about all-world defenseman Erik Karlsson. The rumors are growing that Karlsson could be moved ahead of Monday’s trade deadline or, at least, this off-season. Could the Sharks be a dark horse destination?

In a way, it makes sense. Ever since it was revealed that Senators GM Pierre Dorion was seeking a team to take the contract of Bobby Ryan – $7.25MM over four more years – as part of any deal for Eriksson, it narrowed the field considerably of who could possibly even afford to acquire such players, without bringing in a third team. One such team that is a contender and could afford to bring in both Karlsson and Ryan are the Sharks, who will have over $18MM in salary cap space entering the off-season. LeBrun also notes that it is not out of the ordinary for Sharks GM Doug Wilson to inquire into every available player. LeBrun calls San Jose “big-game hunters”, citing their trades for Joe Thornton and Brent Burns over the years and their push to sign Steven Stamkos two years ago. The Sharks have also been mentioned as a possible destination for John Tavares, should he decide not to re-sign with the New York Islanders.

However, one has to wonder if this rumor is more fiction than fact. While the Sharks may have the cap space and the big splash history, the fit doesn’t make much sense. The reason the team has had interest in Stamkos and Tavares is because they need another major piece up front, especially with 38-year-old Thornton unlikely to return. There is no similar concern on the blue line. Burns is fresh off a Norris Trophy last season and right up there with Karlsson as one of the best defenseman in the league. He’s also signed for seven more years to the tune of $56MM. Marc-Edouard Vlasic is one of the league’s top defensive rearguards and begins his own eight-year, $56MM extension next season. Justin Braun and Brenden Dillon are both in their primes and signed for two more years at reasonable rates, while youngsters Dylan DeMelo and Joakim Ryan have taken a step forward this season. Even the system is well-stocked, with promising blue liners like Jeremy Roy, currently in the AHL, and Mario Ferraro of UMass. The Sharks are a top-ten team in goals against and shots against and arguably the best penalty kill unit in the NHL. Defense is the least of their worries, so why then would they sell off multiple high-value assets and take on a terrible contract to acquire, of all things, another defenseman? The answer is they wouldn’t. No one can blame Wilson for checking in, if he did, but more likely this is the Senators exaggerating interest to drive up the price on Karlsson. Don’t expect a top pairing of Norris Trophy winners in San Jose any time soon, unless Vlasic is ever rewarded for his stellar two-way play.

Brassard Trade Notes: Vegas, Reaves, Lindberg, Pouliot, Cole

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After a wild night in which the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, and Vegas Golden Knights put together one of more complex trades in recent memory (here’s a brief summary for those still confused), there are still some questions to be answered. Sportsnet’s John Shannon both asked and answered one of the most prevalent questions: why would the Knights get involved? Rather than simply trading cap space for some minor assets, GM George McPhee’s motivation was a little more devious. Shannon states that McPhee knew Brassard was headed out West, likely to the Winnipeg Jets, unless he could intervene and help him stay in the East. So, not only did Vegas get a player and pick, but they also weakened their playoff competition.

  • That player, Ryan Reaves, was likely no coincidence either. The 31-year-old enforcer has hardly inspired any team to pursue him with his production in 2017-18. However, as Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston points out, Reaves played his junior hockey with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings. His coach while he was there was none other than Kelly McCrimmon, the Assistant GM of the Golden Knights. Some have speculated that the Knights may try to flip Reaves, but given his connection to one of the men in charge, that may not happen.
  • The 2018 fourth-round pick bound for Vegas also has a bit more value than initially suspected. The Athletic’s Seth Rorabaugh clarifies that the pick sent by Pittsburgh was the one acquired from the Vancouver Canucks for Derrick Pouliot last summer. Thus, the Knights will be picking at the top of the fourth round rather than the bottom.
  • What about the prospect heading to Pittsburgh from Vegas? Tobias Lindberg is just 22 and has just six games on NHL experience, but is already used to being in the middle of major trades. Rorabaugh recalls that Lindberg, an Ottawa fourth-rounder in 2013, was shipped to Toronto in the massive Dion Phaneuf trade. He then ended up in Las Vegas when the Leafs acquired Calvin Pickard earlier this year for Lindberg and a sixth-round pick.
  • Finally, the Ottawa Senators are surely happy to have another first-round pick and one of the top goalie prospects in the world now in their grasp, but the stock-up of picks and prospects from this trade won’t end there. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Sens have been receiving calls all day about Ian Cole, the other piece added from Pittsburgh. Ottawa will surely flip the solid rearguard by Monday’s deadline.

Ottawa Senators Trade Derick Brassard To Pittsburgh Penguins

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8:35pm: The Pittsburgh Penguins’ release fills in the remaining blanks as to the Vegas Golden Knights’ role in the deal. The Pens confirmed that they acquired Brassard, Dunn, and Ottawa’s 2018 third-rounder, but have also added forward prospect Tobias Lindberg from the Golden Knights. In exchange, Vegas received Reaves and the Penguins’ 2018 fourth-round pick, as previously confirmed, and the Knights retained 40% of Brassard’s salary, or $2MM against the cap this season and next . So, in exchange for the added cap space this year and Lindberg, a 22-year-old winger being traded for the third time in his pro career, the Penguins gave Vegas an NHL-caliber checking forward and a draft pick. It is highly speculated that Ottawa, who retained no salary in the deal, will quickly flip Cole to a contender, while it remains possible that Vegas could flip Reaves. The Knights could also hold on to the veteran energy-liner with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and William Carrier currently sidelined .

8:20pm: The Ottawa Senators have now officially announced the trade, with even more twists. The Senators have indeed acquired Cole, Gustavsson, and the Penguins 2018 first-round pick in the trade. They will also receive a 2019 third-round pick from Pittsburgh. Additionally, Brassard is joined by young forward Vincent Dunn and a 2018 third-round pick on their way to the Penguins. Essentially, the teams added a swap of third-rounders into the mix, as well as Dunn, a 22-year-old ECHL veteran.

8:00pm: The trade has been re-worked and approved by the league, with some interesting twists. TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first to report that the deal had been completed, with Brassard headed to Pittsburgh. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman then added that Cole would still be going to Ottawa, rather than Vegas, as some had speculated. However, Vegas will be getting a return in the form of Penguins enforcer Ryan Reaves, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun announced. The Penguins acquired Reaves from the St. Louis Blues for a first-round pick and Oskar Sundqvist in last June’s draft, but have moved on from the energy line forward less than a year later. McKenzie adds that Pittsburgh also sent a fourth-round pick to the Golden Knights. More details about the three-team deal are still to come.

4:58pm: Hold everything, as Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet is now reporting that the deal has been rejected by the NHL unless it is restructured. The league would not allow Brassard to pass through Vegas simply for the purpose of retaining salary. This decision is understandable, as it would set a dangerous precedent for further cap space exploitation if allowed. Dreger and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet both report that the three teams are working to come up with something that will be approved.

4:05pm: Derick Brassard appears to be on his way to Pittsburgh, as Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that the Ottawa Senators are closing in on a deal that would send the veteran center to the Penguins. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Senators will receive a 2018 first-round pick, goaltender Filip Gustavsson, and defenseman Ian Cole. There also is expected to be some level of salary retention of Brassard’s contract, and could be another part of the move still to come. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that the deal is very complicated, and likely includes the Vegas Golden Knights.

Brassard was arguably the top center option available on the trade market this weekend, and had as many as seven teams interested in acquiring his services. Pittsburgh finally won the bidding, and will part with a solid package of assets.

<a rel=The Senators were insisting on a first-round pick in any Brassard deal, but they’ll get one that falls near the end of the round. The Penguins are pushing the Washington Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division, and are doing everything in their power to try and three-peat as Stanley Cup Champions.

Gustavsson may be the jewel of the package, as he has shown really high-end potential since being selected 55th-overall in 2016. Playing in the SHL, the 19-year old goaltender has a .917 save percentage and excelled at the World Juniors winning a silver medal and being named the tournament’s best goaltender. Still, Gustavsson is very young and could still be years away from making a real impact at the NHL level.

Cole will likely be flipped in the next few days, as he’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. The 28-year old defenseman was included to even out salaries, but probably won’t have a very long Senators career unless the team approaches him with an extension offer. Cole was rumored to be on the block for almost the entire season, and could net the Senators another draft pick or prospect for their rebuild.

In adding Brassard, the Penguins once again become a favorite in the Eastern Conference. Though he isn’t expected to carry the load offensively, he now gives them their familiar three-line attack with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel all able to drive a group. Almost no one in the NHL can match that kind of depth down the middle, especially if Brassard can find another gear playing against weaker competition. Already with 18 goals and 38 points through 58 games, he’ll give them another option on the powerplay as well.

Brassard actually has 78 games of playoff experience, mostly going back to his days with the New York Rangers. In those appearances he’s recorded 22 goals and 55 points, an impressive total that Penguins GM Jim Rutherford no doubt took into account. He’s also been extremely durable the last few seasons, playing in at least 80 games for four straight years coming into 2017-18.

In all, the trade seems like a good fit for both clubs, even if it is a bit surprising. Ottawa was playing Pittsburgh in the seventh game of the Conference Finals less than a year ago, and is now selling off assets in order to reload on talent. This could be just the first of several moves this weekend.

– Zach Leach contributed to this post.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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