The instant reaction from many fans and media members upon hearing the news this morning that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins had completed a trade revolving around Kasperi Kapanen was not exactly one of shock. The two teams had both made it clear that changes needed to come after qualification-round exits, though this may have been a little sooner than even most people expected. Kapanen was sent to Pittsburgh for a package that included the Penguins first-round pick this season and prospect Filip Hallander, a deal that earned Toronto GM Kyle Dubas plenty of praise online.
Now that the dust has settled a bit, it’s easy to see why this deal can be regarded as a positive for Toronto. The team is basically recouping an asset that had been lost while gaining some cap flexibility and an interesting prospect to boot. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Maple Leafs had been working the phones hard to try and get a first-round pick for this year—something they’d given away last summer in order to get Patrick Marleau’s contract off the books. LeBrun reports that Dubas and the Maple Leafs front office had spoken with the New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes about Kapanen, trying to get a first-round pick from almost all of them.
The Maple Leafs now sit with the 15th overall pick in a draft that is expected to be deep with NHL talent, especially at the center ice position. That’s a spot where the Toronto pipeline is thin, despite having two bonafide stars in the middle on the NHL roster. Beyond Auston Matthews, John Tavares and Alexander Kerfoot, who currently slots into the third-line center role, there aren’t any obvious choices in the organization that could play top-nine minutes. The team used a mix of Frederik Gauthier, Jason Spezza and Pierre Engvall in the middle during the season but none are exceptional options at this point in their respective careers.
Pittsburgh meanwhile, is going for it once again with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin another year older. In the press release announcing the trade, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford specifically said that Kapanen could improve the team’s top-six, something that he repeated when speaking to Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
We’ll have to see how it goes in camp and what (coach Mike Sullivan) decides. (Bryan) Rust and Kapanen are top-six guys. It will be a matter of what works for everybody. Kapanen could go with Malkin. Or Rust could go with Malkin and the other guy with Sid. We’ll see how it plays out.
Rutherford explained that he “wasn’t going to wait” when he learned that Kapanen was available and thinks the speedy forward can be in Pittsburgh “for a long time.” Of note, Kapanen is under contract for two more seasons but will still be a restricted free agent at the end of 2021-22, able to be re-signed to a longer deal.
As for Hallander, the prospect that has Maple Leafs fans excited? Rutherford admitted that the Penguins liked him but didn’t project he could have the same kind of top-six impact. That’s obviously the key to the deal for Pittsburgh as they look to directly surround Crosby and Malkin with talent and push for another Stanley Cup.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
When I first saw the deal I was puzzled by the inclusion of Hallander, as I’ve heard the Pens like him and he’s pretty much the only center they’ve drafted in a decade, but this is hardly trading Markus Naslund or anything. I still remember the Pontus Aberg who was Nashville’s best forward (along with someone named Fredric Gaudreau) in the 2017 Final so I don’t know exactly why he’s now just a scrub, but enough teams have given up on him that I trust them. I didn’t know anything about Lindgren (don’t even remember his first name) but he appears to be a warm body. Rodrigues and Warsofsky are most certainly warm bodies.
So the deal is really Kapanen for #15 and Hallander. Seems like one that works for both teams.
The Leafs got a nice pick and some cap space so they can sign Alex Pietrangelo (ALL of Dubas moves for the past 18 months have been with this in mind).
The Pens got a guy who can play the way they need to play to succeed. We get bounced quietly in the early rounds when we play soft and making back hand passes off the cycle. Need players who go north south.
Even if they don’t add another forward, they have the potential for a very good group depending on their rookies…
Guentzel Crosby Rust
Zucker Malkin Kapanen
Poulin McCann Legare
Tanev Bluger Hornqvist
Simon
Add the Dumoulin-Letang and Pettersson-Marino pairings and you are one third pair away from a very good team.
The problem is I see only one obvious trade asset left (Murray) to fill two holes.
Legare and Poulin?
Poulin maybe. Legare at least a year away
Legare was closer to making the team than Poulin last camp. We still have Simon, Lafferty and Aston-Reese, as well. None of this includes Nick Bjugstad, who I pretend does not exist.
Can they find another John Marino? That would help a lot.
It’s a great trade for the Leafs for sure. But I think people are discounting the move for the Penguins. They are in win now mode before the window shuts, might as well go all in.
Hours later it doesn’t look any better. Kasperi is a nice winger that can put up points and should get around 50 in a full season but the 15th pick in a deep draft for that? No thanks.
It seems like GM JR is hoping he was under utilized in Toronto. No one is talking about this but can he be the final piece on the PP? They need a RH shot.
Excellent observation. A right handed big shot is desperately needed on their PP. Neither Rust or Kapanen provide that. Not many of those guys come available.
I suggested #15, Rust and taking MAF’s full deal for Tuch and was still laughed off.
I’d still like to see them make a play for Puljujarvi to fill that role.
Could be a good trade for both teams but man kap has 0 hockey iq or else he’d be an all star player. Unless Crosby or Malkin get through to him it’s probably a big overpay by pits
Kapanen was extremely underutilized in Toronto. He’s much better than he’s showed so far in his career. This guy can score 40 goals a season in a top 6 role. He has speed to burn and is not afraid of crowds or going to the net. Pittsburgh fans will quickly forget a draft that may or may not ever pan out.
Man, do the Yinzgrates bore me…
Our dopey bandwagon fans love to criticize our Hall of Fame GM who won two Cups for us’ win now moves by cluelessly worrying about the 2023 roster to pretend that they know stuff.
And they love to live in a vacuum without specifics…if they think the Pens should have gotten more for #15, so be it…name a name. McKinnon? Pastarnak? I’d like to know.
Agreed