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Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks Swap Depth Players

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The San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars have completed a trade to swap AHL centers. The Sharks are sending 23-year-old Scott Reedy to Dallas in exchange for Jacob Peterson. Reedy has been assigned to the Stars’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, while Peterson could end up in the NHL thanks to the Sharks’ trades of two forwards today: Vladislav Namestnikov and Nick Bonino.

This deal swaps two 23-year-old centers who have each spent the year with their club’s AHL affiliate, save for one NHL game completed by Peterson this season. As mentioned, the Sharks have shipped out quite a few forwards in recent trades, so this deal could simply be the team preferring so see what Peterson can do in their system rather than call up Reedy, who played 35 games for the big club last season

Reedy, 23, is a fourth-round pick of the Sharks from the 2017 draft who earned last season’s NHL chance after an impressive AHL performance. He finished with 18 goals and 27 points in 38 games, and ended up scoring nine points in 35 NHL games as the Sharks got to test some of their young in-the-system players in NHL games. He’s struggled in the AHL this season, scoring just 13 points in 38 games, prompting this trade.

The Stars get a player with less NHL experience than Peterson, although he could be someone the team liked back when he was a point-per-game player at the University of Minnesota.

For the Sharks, they are receiving a player with 66 games of NHL experience who has been more productive this year at the AHL level. The 2017 fifth-rounder scored 33 points in 46 SHL games for Farjestad BK in 2020-21, leading to him crossing the Atlantic to play in Texas. Peterson scored 17 points in 65 games for the Stars last year, averaging eleven minutes of ice time per night.

While he could instantly step in to replace Reedy in their AHL affiliate’s top-six, Peterson could also be a more experienced option for head coach David Quinn to tap to fill the spots in his lineup vacated by the departures of Michael Eyssimont and Bonino.

Buffalo Sabres Acquire Jordan Greenway

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The Buffalo Sabres are expected to acquire forward Jordan Greenway from the Minnesota Wild, as first reported by The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. According to Pagnotta, the Wild are receiving a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 fifth-rounder in return.

Per The Athletic’s Michael Russo, the Wild are not retaining any salary on Greenway’s $3MM AAV deal, a contract that runs for two seasons after this one. TSN’s Darren Dreger notes that the second-rounder sent to Minnesota is the one the team received from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Jack Eichel trade.

Once officially completed, this deal will end Greenway’s at times highly promising, at times highly frustrating time with the Wild, a period that stretches all the way back to the 2015 draft, where former Wild GM Chuck Fletcher selected Greenway 50th overall. Fletcher plucked Greenway from the US National Team Development Program, where he was coached by current Sabres head coach Don Granato.

Greenway made his way to Boston University after the draft, and starred for three seasons there as a high-scoring power forward. He made his NHL debut in 2017-18, signing with the Wild at the conclusion of his collegiate season, and he showed some promise, scoring two points in five playoff games.

Greenway stepped into the NHL lineup and played 2018-19 with the Wild, scoring 12 goals and 24 points in 81 games.

His six-foot-six size and speed excited Wild fans, and there were nights where it seemed clear that big things would be coming for the American power forward.

Greenway’s progress began to stagnate after that point, and a mix of injuries and inconsistency spelled the end of Greenway’s time in Minnesota.

While he scored 27 points in 62 games last season, Greenway has scored just seven points in 45 games this year, and Russo reported last month that the Wild were “actively shopping” him. It’s seemed clear for some time that a change of scenery was the best path forward for the Wild and Greenway, and that change of scenery has been achieved through this trade.

The Wild not only receive a quality draft pick in return for Greenway but they also clear his $3MM cap hit from their books, something of particular importance given how they are still under the weight of the Ryan Suter/Zach Parise buyouts.

For the Sabres, this deal is a roll of the dice on their development staff’s ability to rejuvenate the career of a player with some tantalizing physical tools. NHL teams are always on the hunt to find the next power forward, and while a second-rounder and another draft pick is certainly a hefty price to pay for a player with single-digit points at this stage of the season, it’s easy to see why the Sabres might get excited about what Greenway could do on their team.

Should the Sabres end up unlocking the potential many have believed Greenway has long possessed, then they could receive a big, talented forward with some affordable team control left on his contract.

It’s definitely a risk, but seeing how the Sabres have developed other big forwards in recent years such as Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens, it’s an understandable home-run swing for the team to take.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Detroit Red Wings Expected To Sign John Lethemon

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The Detroit Red Wings have signed goaltender John Lethemon to a contract for the rest of this season worth $750k with a $65k minors salary, according to PuckPedia.

The 26-year-old has spent most of this season with the Red Wings’ ECHL affiliate, the Toledo Walleye, and by signing him to this standard player contract the Red Wings have ensured his eligibility to play in the playoffs, giving them some added depth in case the team makes the postseason and runs into some injury trouble.

Notably, this deal will give the Red Wings the ability to make Lethemon a restricted free agent at the end of the year, meaning they could keep him from hitting the open market.

Lethemon has had a strong season for the Walleye, splitting the crease with 2021 15th-overall pick Sebastian Cossa. Playing in the shadow of the Red Wings’ presumptive goalie of the future, Lethemon has actually outperformed Cossa this season, albeit in a smaller sample of games.

In 24 contests Lethemon has posted an extremely impressive 16-1-3 record, 2.08 goals-against-average, and .927 save percentage. Lethemon is a former Michigan State Spartan who starred with a .935 save percentage in his final season playing college hockey.

Not only does this contract signing provide an added layer of emergency depth for the Red Wings in net, it’s also a nice reward for Lethemon’s quality performances this year. With Magnus Hellberg, Alex Nedeljkovic, and Victor Brattstrom all on expiring contracts, the situation in net could clear up for Lethemon to even parlay this year’s impressive performance into a chance to become an AHL netminder.

One would presume that the Red Wings would like to have Cossa get some AHL games under his belt next season, so they could even choose to retain Lethemon on another similar contract for next season and simply move Toledo’s tandem up a level.

One other factor worth noting with this signing, should the Red Wings have interest in keeping Lethemon beyond this season, is any impact it could have on the team signing Colgate University netminder Carter Gylander before the end of next season, when their exclusive rights to sign him will expire according to CapFriendly.

The Red Wings will also have 2020 fourth-rounder Jan Bednar to potentially sign to an entry-level deal, so their continued investment in Lethemon and the presence of Cossa could mean Gylander is squeezed out of a future in Detroit.

Gylander has taken a step forward this season for the Raiders, posting a .916 save percentage and 2.37 goals-against-average as essentially the exclusive starting netminder on the team, a performance that could draw the interest of some pro clubs intrigued by his progress and six-foot-four frame.

No Supplemental Discipline Coming For Austin Watson

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Ottawa Senators forward Austin Watson will not face supplemental discipline from the NHL Department of Player Safety for a hit to the head area he made on New York Rangers forward Tyler Motte last night, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

The hit, which led to Watson receiving a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct, came in the first period of last night’s game. Watson appeared to hit Motte, who was his teammate just a few weeks ago, in the head area with a rising check, one that seemed to include an elbow making contact with Motte’s upper body.

A replay review by officials showed that Watson’s primary point of contact was with Motte’s chin, which is what led to Watson being ejected from the game. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports that the Department of Player Safety determined that the hit “didn’t rise to Illegal Check to the Head,” that it was more of a “North/south hit through the body with unavoidable head contact.”

Motte did not return to the eventual Senators victory, and worth noting is the fact that Motte was knocked out for some time last season with an upper-body injury. He could miss some time now with the upper-body injury he suffered due to the hit, although no firm timeline has yet been released.

Motte, 27, was recently acquired from the Senators and has played six games for the Rangers this year.

Should he miss extended time, the Rangers will be pressed into an even more precarious situation, having already been forced to play with eleven forwards and five defensemen for cap-related reasons.

For the Senators, Watson escaping punishment from the NHL for this hit could help them as they look to make a push for a playoff spot. Watson was suspended last year for a high hit on Boston Bruins defenseman Jack Ahcan, meaning were he going to face discipline again he would be considered a repeat offender.

Now, though, despite the apparent severity of Watson’s hit on Motte, Watson will be able to remain in the Senators’ lineup for their Saturday game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It appears that the league has decided that the five-minute-major and match penalty is sufficient punishment for Watson, which is not fully out of line with some of their past decisions.

For the Rangers, this decision could come as another point of anger for the team against the NHL Department of Player Safety, especially with their own player, K’Andre Miller, currently serving a suspension.

It was just two years ago that the Rangers’ officially and publicly called for the firing of former NHL enforcer George Parros, the current head of the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. In a statement, they called  him “unfit to continue in his current role” and his choice to not suspend Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson “a dereliction of duty” that seemed to permit what they called a “horrifying act of violence.”

While today’s choice to not levy additional punishment on Watson won’t to draw the same level of ire from the Rangers and the New York market, they’re unlikely to be thrilled to see Watson walk away unscathed while one of their players faces a possible extended absence.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Winnipeg Jets Expected To Acquire Vladislav Namestnikov

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Vladislav Namestnikov’s stay in the Bay Area has ended after just over a day. The San Jose Sharks have traded Namestnikov to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick. TSN’s Darren Dreger notes that this trade takes the Jets out of contention to acquire veteran winger James Van Riemsdyk from the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are already retaining 50% of Namestnikov’s $2.5MM cap hit, meaning he ends up in Winnipeg at a relatively affordable price. The 30-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The Sharks aren’t retaining any salary on Namestnikov themselves to complete this deal.

The Jets have been on the hunt for a player to reinforce their forward corps, and in acquiring Namestnikov they get a capable, experienced name to work with. Injuries have absolutely ravaged their ranks up front, so this addition comes at an especially important time. He’ll be able to step into their lineup and immediately upgrade their bottom six.

Is Namestnikov going to meaningfully impact the Jets’ odds of winning a Stanley Cup this season? No, probably not. But he’s a veteran of over 600 NHL games with some playoff experience as well.

He fared decently well as a rental addition last year, scoring five points in 15 games for the Dallas Stars, and finishing his season with 16 goals and 30 points.

This year, his production is down, and he has only six goals and 15 points in 57 games, but with a more regular bottom-six role in Winnipeg, he could see his numbers tick up.

At the very least, he’ll be able to capably handle 12 to 15 minutes per night for coach Rick Bowness and could even see some penalty-killing time if necessary, as he did when he was a member of the Detroit Red Wings last season. For the price of a fourth-rounder in 2025 and as a no-strings-attached rental, adding Namestnikov should definitely help.

For the Sharks, this deal has essentially allowed them to turn a waiver claim into a mid-round draft choice. While not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, the Sharks know they won’t be competing for a Stanley Cup any time soon.

Getting a solid draft pick in exchange for a player the team had no long-term plans for is a sound bit of business for GM Mike Grier, and this is as a whole a trade that should leave fans of both teams satisfied.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first on the trade, while The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun was first to report the compensation heading back to San Jose. 

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Colorado Avalanche Place Cale Makar On Injured Reserve

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In order to facilitate today’s call-ups from their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, the Colorado Avalanche placed defenseman Cale Makar on injured reserve, according to CapFriendly.

This move comes as Makar has dealt with concussion issues, something that has kept him out of the lineup since a February 18th contest with the St. Louis Blues. In that game, Makar collided with Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko, and he entered concussion protocol. That game had been his first since February seventh, when he was also sidelined with concussion symptoms.

While this placement on injured reserve is more about clearing a roster spot than anything else, it is an indication that Makar may still be a ways away from returning to the ice. It was not made clear if the IR placement was retroactive to the date of Makar’s last game, as the Dallas Stars did with today’s placement of Luke Glendening on injured reserve, but regardless one has to assume that Makar’s return to the ice isn’t imminent.

While the Avalanche have remained in the playoff hunt despite Makar’s absence for most of this month, this injury means the Avalanche remain without someone who is arguably their best player. The 24-year-old has shouldered an increasingly demanding defensive role this season and has scored 45 points in 46 games.

The reigning Norris and Conn Smythe Trophy winner is widely considered to be the best defenseman in the NHL, and his return to full health would do wonders for the Avalanche’s odds to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. But concussions are an extremely tricky issue, and the best course for Makar’s long-term personal health, as well as the long-term interests of the Avalanche, may be to be as patient with Makar’s timeline as possible.

Now, with Makar on injured reserve and his roster spot opened for another player to occupy, the team is free to give him as much time and space he needs to recover without the pressures of nightly games and roster math playing a major role.

Minor Transactions: 03/01/23

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It’s been quite the day for major NHL transactions, with eight completed trades (at the time of writing) and one maximum-term extension for the captain of an original six franchise. With all the craziness that has transpired today, some minor moves have snuck under the radar. We’ll keep track of all of those moves here.

  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok from their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. He fills the vacated spot on their roster left by today’s trade of Shayne Gostisbehere to the Carolina Hurricanes. The 21-year-old native of Belarus has played in 54 games for the Roadrunners this season, often as a top-four defenseman. He’s a 2019 second-round pick who got his first taste of NHL action last year, when he played in 32 games in Arizona, scoring three points. He’s a quick, aggressive defenseman who will get a chance to put some quality games on tape as he looks to establish himself as a full-time NHLer.
  • Forward Ben Meyers and defenseman Brad Hunt have been recalled from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles to their NHL affiliate, the Colorado Avalanche. Hunt will be paired with Jack Johnson on coach Jared Bednar’s bottom-pairing, while Meyers will likely be a healthy scratch, according to a team release relayed by The Athletic’s Peter Baugh. Meyers, a top college free agent signing last spring, has scored just one point in 32 NHL games this season (he has nine points in 17 AHL games) while Hunt, 34, has six points in 32 games this season and 21 points in 24 games at the AHL level.
  • In the wake of the team’s stunning acquisition of legendary goaltender Jonathan Quick last night, the Blue Jackets have loaned netminder Jet Greaves to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. The 21-year-old departs Columbus’ roster without having yet played in an NHL game. He’s an undrafted OHL product who split last season between AHL Cleveland and the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings and has started 29 games for the Monsters this year.
  • The Dallas Stars have placed veteran forward Luke Glendening on injured reserve, retroactive to February 17th. In addition, the Stars called up forwards Frederik Olofsson and Fredrik Karlstrom, as well as netminder Matt Murray. Both Olofsson and Karlstrom have been shuffled from the AHL’s Texas Stars to Dallas quite a few times in recent weeks, while the 25-year-old Murray is still seeking his first NHL game.
  • In the shadow of their two parent organizations’ far more major trade, the AHL affiliates of the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks (the Hartford Wolf Pack and Rockford IceHogs, respectively) have made an AHL trade. Hartford has acquired Adam Clendening, who played 31 games for the Rangers in 2016-17, in exchange for Zach Jordan. In 48 games for Rockford this year Clendening has played in a top-four role and scored 24 points. Meanwhile, Jordan, 26, has spent most of the year in the ECHL save for one game spent with the Wolf Pack.
  • The Wolf Pack made another trade, sending forward Alex Whelan to AHL Cleveland. The 25-year-old turned pro in 2020-21 after a solid four-year collegiate career at Quinnipiac. He played full-time last season for Hartford, scoring 16 points in 62 games, but has spent time in the ECHL this season. He’ll get a fresh start in Cleveland and help the Monsters deal with the significant injury disruptions they have faced this season.
  • Point-per-game SHL defenseman Theodor Lennstrom is leaving Sweden for next season. Per a team announcement, Switzerland’s HC Geneve-Servette has signed Lennstrom to a two-year deal, running through the 2024-25 season. Lennstrom has played the last two seasons for Farjestad BK, scoring 14 points in 19 playoff games last season on their run to an SHL Championship victory. Lennstrom also won the Champions Hockey League with Frolunda in 2019-20 and will hope to add to his trophy cabinet in the Swiss league.
  • Ludvig Larsson is set to leave Rogle for Orebro, according to a report from SportExpressen. The former Pennsylvania State Bulldog and Binghamton Devil has scored 15 goals and 26 points this season for Rogle, and has proved himself to be a quality winger in the SHL. Now 27 years old, he’ll head to Orebro, the club of Leo Carlsson, a player projected to go near the top of the 2023 NHL draft.
  • With Anaheim Ducks prospect Calle Clang set to cross the Atlantic for next season, Rogle are finalizing negotiations to find a new goaltender. Per a report from SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson, they are set to bring in 2017 Colorado Avalanche fourth-rounder Petr Kvaca, an accomplished three-year starter in the Czech league. Kvaca was named the Czech Extraliga’s best netminder in 2020-21, when he posted a .924 save percentage in 41 games. He has a .925 in 41 games this season, and is a promising investment for a Rogle team looking to return to the top end of the SHL standings.
  • Philipp Lindner, an everyday defenseman and alternate captain for Austrian club Villacher SV, has tacked on two years to his contract with the ICEHL team, bringing its expiration date to the end of the 2025-26 season. The 27-year-old is a veteran of nearly 350 games in Austria’s top league, a competition that includes clubs from multiple Central European countries, and has scored 24 points in 42 games this season.
  • Now an established regular contributor in the Czech Extraliga, 21-year-old David Vitouch has earned a two-year extension with his club, HC Sparta Praha.  Despite his relatively young age he already has over 150 games of experience in Czechia’s top pro league, and has scored 12 points in 50 games this season.

Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire Mikael Granlund

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have made another trade. The team has acquired forward Mikael Granlund from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2023 second-round pick.

Penguins GM Ron Hextall had the following to say about this trade:

Mikael is a versatile forward, able to play either wing or center, and contribute offensively. He has experience on both the power play and penalty kill and can add options to our lineup.

By acquiring Granlund, Pittsburgh has not only added an experienced top-six player to their lineup, but they have also signaled their intention to invest in this season’s Penguins team with the hope of going on a playoff run. While the Penguins remain in playoff position, the team has (recent three-game winning streak aside) stumbled as the calendar shifted to 2023.

Their struggles led to calls from fans and local media members alike for the organization to fire Hextall, but this trade indicates that the organization believes that the team’s underperformance is a bug, not a feature.

This season, Granlund has scored 36 points in 58 games, and averaged over 18 and a half minutes of ice time with some sporadic penalty-killing time. While his offensive production is down from last season, he scored 64 points last season and is under team control for another two seasons after this one at a $5MM cap hit that’s reasonable given his resume.

He’s not the ascending young player anymore that he was on the Minnesota Wild, and some underlying numbers have soured on him this year, it’s easy to see why the Penguins are optimistic about what he could bring to their lineup.

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has quite a few options for how to approach adding Granlund to his lineup and has to be thrilled to have a new, highly capable forward to work with. The 31-year-old Finn can play both at center and as a winger, and his well-respected two-way game gives him added on-ice versatility.

The Penguins could opt to have him replace Jeff Carter as the team’s third-line center, letting the 38-year-old vacate an everyday role in the midst of what has been a nightmare season. They could also shift Carter down to the fourth line in Blueger’s vacated spot, although one would think that offseason trade acquisition Ryan Poehling would be preferable there.

Sullivan could also keep Carter entrenched as the third-line center and use Granlund to shuffle the team’s top six. Since Evgeni Malkin has had his fair share of injury issues in recent years, Granlund’s ability to play center will be of significant value should Malkin find himself knocked out of the lineup.

At the price of a second-round pick, the Penguins have added a player who figures to make their team better for this season and for a few years to come. Is it the wisest move for a team to make when they’re widely seen as being a cut below the heavyweights of the Eastern Conference? Maybe not, especially seeing as Granlund hasn’t been as productive this season, and at 31 years old that could be a signal of an age-related decline.

But with Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and Kris Letang all inching deeper into their thirties, the Penguins are looking to maximize whatever time they have left with their franchise icons. Every passing year could conceivably be the last of that trio as elite players, and this trade shows that the Penguins are serious about trying to make noise this spring.

For Nashville, this deal continues their decision to pivot towards building for the future. With Barry Trotz now back in the fold and set to fully take the reins from GM David Poile in the Summer, the team is charting a new direction in its search for a contender. Mattias Ekholm, Tanner Jeannot, and Nino Niederreiter have all been dealt already, and Granlund adds another draft pick to their growing stockpile.

The Predators give up a player who figured to be a top-six staple for the next few years, but since they don’t seem as intent on short-term Stanley Cup contention, it’s easy to see why the pick is more valuable.

Additionally, in today’s flat-cap environment, it’s extremely difficult to move money without taking dollars back. The value of the Predators clearing Granlund’s $5MM off their books without having to retain or take any contracts back is definitely an important element of this trade.

Nashville now has five second-round picks over the next two drafts and could add more if they choose to trade any more veteran players. While the Predators’ coaching staff can’t be thrilled to lose such a capable veteran, Predators fans that have long hoped the team would pivot towards a more rebuild-like direction seem to be finally getting their wish.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report on Granlund being traded to Pittsburgh. 

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

San Jose Sharks Acquire Vladislav Namestnikov

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The Tampa Bay Lightning and San Jose Sharks have completed a trade, sending veteran forward Vladislav Namestnikov to the Bay Area in exchange for Mikey Eyssimont. As part of the deal, Tampa Bay will retain 50% of Namestnikov’s $2.5MM cap hit.

Namestnikov, 30, is a pending unrestricted free agent, while Eyssimont, 26, will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent in the summer should the Lightning choose to extend him a qualifying offer. Eyssimont spent right around two months in San Jose, arriving there via a waiver claim from the Winnipeg Jets.

This is a deal that’s not the easiest to rationalize from the Sharks’ point of view. Eyssimont was responding well to a bump up in ice time since his arrival from Winnipeg and had scored eight points in 20 games for the Sharks. Coach David Quinn gave him an opportunity next to Logan Couture, and Eyssimont played pretty well, averaging nearly 15 minutes of ice time with some power play time to boot.

He’s an energetic, speedy forward who might not have an easy time cracking the Lightning’s lineup, but should be capable depth for their bottom six should a winger get injured. The Lightning cleared some cap space through this deal by sending away Namestnikov, who has been a healthy scratch, so that’s also a factor working in Tampa Bay’s favor with this deal.

For the Sharks, this trade exchanges a young player with a little bit of team control remaining for an older, more seasoned veteran. Namestnikov has scored 15 points in 57 games this season and impressed last year as a deadline acquisition of the Dallas Stars. What makes this trade odd, then, is the fact that the Sharks are making a short-term upgrade despite sitting 29th in league standings.

Perhaps Sharks general manager Mike Grier has identified Namestnikov as a player he’d like to keep beyond this season via a contract extension, or maybe Quinn, who coached Namestnikov in New York, wants to see what he can get out of the 610-game veteran. Maybe San Jose plans to offer to retain salary on Namestnikov and shop him to teams interested in acquiring some experienced depth at a cheap price. In any case, it’s not a deal that is likely to be hugely consequential unless the salary cap savings pave the way for a bigger deal to take place.

The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman was first to report this swap. 

Vegas Golden Knights Acquire Teddy Blueger

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The Vegas Golden Knights are adding another versatile forward to their lineup, acquiring Teddy Blueger from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2024 third-round pick and 22-year-old blueliner Peter DiLiberatore.

The Golden Knights made a move to clear room on their roster for this trade earlier today, sending veteran forward Byron Froese to their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.

Pittsburgh general manager Ron Hextall issued the following statement regarding this trade:

We are grateful for everything that Teddy has done for this team and the organization over the past 10 years. He was one of our most reliable penalty killers and a consummate professional. We wish him nothing but the best going forward.

Blueger is Vegas’ second addition to their forward corps in this trade deadline season, coming just a few days after the team sent 2021 first-rounder Zach Dean to the St. Louis Blues for Ivan Barbashev.

This move clears a roster spot on the Penguins’ roster at the cost of their fourth-line center. Blueger is playing on an expiring contract at a $2.2MM AAV, meaning the Penguins have also cleared that cap space off their books.

The Penguins have been rumored to be interested in pricer forwards such as Vancouver Canuck J.T. Miller, and this move, alongside Brock McGinn’s placement on waivers, gives the team some more wiggle room under the cap to make any desired additions.

In this trade, Pittsburgh has also added DiLiberatore, a 2018 sixth-round pick who has split time this season between the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate in Henderson and the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates. His contract expires at the end of this season.

By subtracting Blueger, the Penguins lose a capable 28-year-old fourth-line center who has been with the organization since he was made a second-round pick at the 2012 draft. After four productive seasons playing college hockey, Blueger put together three productive campaigns in the AHL before earning his first NHL call-up in 2018-19.

While he came too late to taste Stanley Cup glory during the team’s back-to-back championships, he has been a valuable down-the-lineup contributor to some competitive Penguins teams.

Blueger is a responsible two-way center who averages the most short-handed ice time of any Penguins forward this season. Per SinBin.Vegas, Blueger has started 87.2% of his shifts in the defensive zone this season, and he’ll be a reliable defensive specialist for coach Bruce Cassidy as he looks to lead the Golden Knights on a long playoff run.

He could replace Brett Howden in the team’s fourth-line center role, or fill in as the third-line center, allowing Chandler Stephenson to shift back to the wing.

Regardless of where he ultimately factors in on game day, this is a smart, if a tad pricey move for the Golden Knights. Adding Blueger gives the team a strong defensive forward to add to a penalty kill that ranks in the middle of the pack leaguewide.

For the Penguins, this deal lands them a decent draft pick as well as some more cap space to work with as they look for some upgrades on the trade market.

The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman was first to report that Blueger was headed to Vegas, while Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the core compensation headed to Pittsburgh.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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