The Pittsburgh Penguins have found a taker for Derick Brassard, and filled their third-line center role in the process. The team has sent Brassard, Riley Sheahan, a 2019 second-round pick (PIT), and two 2019 fourth-round picks (PIT & MIN) to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann. Neither team will be retaining any salary.
Pittsburgh had been looking to ship Brassard out all season, as the veteran forward just never fit into a role with the team. Acquired last season from the Ottawa Senators, Brassard has registered just 23 points in 54 regular season games with the Penguins, and contributed just four points during the team’s early playoff exit last spring. That wasn’t enough given the opportunity he was given to play alongside Phil Kessel, and he’ll now find himself in the Florida sun for the time being. Don’t count on Brassard staying there long though, as his pending unrestricted free agency isn’t attractive for a Panthers team that is likely to miss the playoffs.
Flipping Brassard to another contender could help the Panthers keep collecting picks while opening up cap space, the biggest asset they’ve gained in this transaction. Florida is expected to take a run at both Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky in the offseason—or perhaps even sooner—and Bjugstad wasn’t providing enough to justify his $4.1MM contract. The big center has had trouble staying healthy throughout his career and has just 12 points in 32 contests this season. McCann meanwhile has 18 through 46 games but still hadn’t really established himself as a key member going forward.
That’s exactly what the Penguins will hope happens for both players, as they prepare for another run at the Stanley Cup this season. Pittsburgh is now just three points behind the New York Islanders for first place in the Metropolitan Division, but will have to fight tooth and nail to hold off the rest of the group fighting for their spot. Even with the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets on long losing streaks, all three Metro playoff spots are undecided.
It’s important to note how close the Penguins have now pushed up to the salary cap ceiling, as it will be difficult to make any additional moves without sending money the other way. Pittsburgh is close to getting Justin Schultz back from long-term injured reserve, and would no longer have the room to add someone like Micheal Ferland who they have been linked to extensively. That might not matter though, as Bjugstad brings plenty of size to a lineup that was looking to add muscle for a stretch run. The 6’6″ forward isn’t an overly physical player, but can use his strength to get pucks out of traffic and create chances for himself and teammates. He’s expected to start at center for the Penguins, though has plenty of experience in Florida on the wing as well.
Three picks are a hefty price to pay for Pittsburgh, given that they spent a good bit on Brassard just last year, but the team is in clear win-now mode with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kessel all still able to compete at a high level. There will come a point where the team struggles to graduate any players from their prospect system, but they’ve shown in the past to be excellent college and undrafted free agent recruiters to fill those gaps.
Florida meanwhile has now restocked some of the draft picks they had traded away in recent years. At one point this season they were without any selection in the second or third rounds, but now will select six times in the first four and could get even more by flipping these expiring contracts. For a team with a good young group of players and now plenty of cap space in the summer, the Panthers are a team to watch on the trade market over the next month and near June’s draft.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Good trade for both sides
Completely agree Brassard was just on the wrong team and those picks are nice but McCann and especially Bjugstad are nice depth for a contender.
What a terrible trade for the pens. Brassard was worth Bjugstad straight up. So you basically paid Sheehan, a second and 2 4ths for McCann
Pittsburgh is stealing players again. Wow!
Like Bjugstad a lot but giving up 3 draft picks plus 2 players seems like a overpay
This is why Jim Rutherford is going to the Hall of Fame and why the Pens have won 2 of the last 3 Cups.
Rutherford moved a third line center who was a TERRIBLE fit (and who complained privately but constantly about his role) and a fourth line center who was a marginal fit at best…BOTH of whom were on expiring contracts and were not going to be back with the team next year plus a 2nd and 2 4ths for two good young players who fit the cap and have term.
Genius.
Unless it’s another Smith/Marchessault style salary dump, why did the Panthers make this deal? Do they think Brassard will be any happier playing behind Barkov and Trocheck?
The panthers did this for money. The Penguins barely upgraded, if at all, and gave up picks to do it. This makes no sense for Pittsburgh.
Whats with Pittsburgh giving away 2nd round picks for free. “Here take Fleury/ Brassard and have a 2nd rounder while your at it”. I know Brassard didn’t fit but still this is a horrible return
@Joshbelltolls the Panthers made this deal because they got the best player in it and three draft picks. Hard to see how Rutherford is a genius when you trade a 1st and Gusstavson to get him
I agree with you joshbell. Just like they did in the Hagelin-Pearson swap earlier this season, the Pens managed to get affordable term with upside in exchange for expiring assets. They may not have a second or third round pick for this year’s draft at the moment, but it’s important to realize that this team needs to capitalize on their window now. That they managed to improve for both now and the foreseeable future is really a credit to Jim Rutherford, one of the best in the game.
1) Pittsburgh fans are always convinced Rutherford is a genius, this time for getting rid of Brassard, even though Rutherford is the guy responsible for him being in Pittsburgh.
2) This is a salary dump for Florida, with Brassard and Sheahan both coming off the books at end of season.
3) It’s basically a wash capwise for this season, so Pittsburgh is safe there.
4) GMJR must have seen something special in Bjugstad and McCann that Florida wasn’t getting. Because neither are top-6 forwards on either team.
5) Pittsburgh is really giving away draft-picks these days. Which I guess might make sense given how their team is aging & even the star players are on the downhill side of their respective careers. Time to win now. Which makes me wonder…
6) …when the Pens inevitably decline (and that day is rapidly approaching), is Rutherford still going to be hailed as the world’s foremost hockey GM super-genius?
Plus Ian Cole and Ryan Reaves.
* That reply was for Kenleyfornia2’s Post
I see the keyboard GM’s know more than hanging Stanley Cup banners. As always.
In the course of this season, Rutherford has gotten Bjugstad (26), Pearson (26), McCann (22) and Pettersson (22) to reload the pieces of a championship core and it cost him expiring contracts, a few midround picks and a player his coach was never going to play.
So, yeah, genius.
I don’t think that’s what should be considered “genius”. Even with ignoring what he had to give up for Brassard, he essentially traded average players and replaced them with younger average players? And it’s not even clear that the Penguins are upgraded today when compared to the Hagelin/Pearson trade.
He’s a genius for making moves while the window is still open. Pens fans knows the day is coming when Malkin is moved and the rebuild begins. The thing with Bujstad is he is a center, same with McCann. Brassard never fit with the Pens no matter what line they put him on. His value was as low this year as it was high last year. I wouldn’t be shocked if Brassard is flipped and same goes for McCann.
I’m not saying Bjugstad is Jordan Staal but comparing their stats through their early stages they aren’t far off and that’s with Bjugstad playing in Florida
I agree it’s odd unless they wanted the picks and cap room for next year
That’s horribly flawed and flat out incorrect