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Trade Rumors: Kuemper, Laine, Penguins

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There are many factors that have contributed to Darcy Kuemper being one of the most talked-about names on the rumor mill over the last couple of months. The first and most important is simply that the Arizona Coyotes must shed salary this off-season. The team is arguably in the worst salary cap situation of any NHL club, lacking any room to maneuver under the cap ceiling but with several restricted free agents and superstar trade acquisition Taylor Hall in need of new contracts. One area where they can trim the fat is in net, where Kuemper and Antti Raanta combine for $8.75MM against the cap and Adin Hill is also signed to a one-way contract and will need to clear waivers this season. Of the three, not only does Kuemper carry the highest cap hit, he is also undoubtedly the most valuable on the trade market. The 30-year-old was one of the best goalies in the NHL this season and is signed for two more years at a bargain relative to his performance. While this is seemingly a perfect storm of reasons why Kuemper should be dealt, new GM Bill Armstrong won’t let him go that easy. AZ Sports’ Craig Morgan reports that after Armstrong was hired last week, the asking price for Kuemper went up. An offer must now surpass the value of just one first-round pick in order to pry the talented netminder out of Arizona. If they are not satisfied, the Coyotes will not trade Kuemper. Although his trade value is depleted after a pair of injury-plagued seasons, the team could get nearly as much cap savings from moving Raanta, whose contract expires after this season. While Kuemper is the morename, don’t be surprised to see Raanta move instead barring a top-notch offer.

  • Patrik Laine is another one of the hot names on the rumor mill right now, with reports that the Winnipeg Jets are “serious” about moving the young scoring forward. However, Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe doused those flames somewhat by stating that the Jets’ priority is still to re-sign Laine. It would be difficult for the team to get fair value for Laine and although they have more pressing needs than winger elsewhere on the roster, they could very well be better off holding on to the 22-year-old. A restricted free agent after next season, Laine will command a substantial salary that Winnipeg may find difficult to afford. Yet, Wiebe believes that current trade talks may be overblown so long as the two sides are still amenable to an extension, believing a trade to be more likely next summer – if a deal cannot be reached – rather than pulling the trigger early this off-season. Unless the Jets get exactly what they ask for in exchange for Laine, they have time before they need to get too serious about a trade.
  • The most active team on the trade market so far has been the Pittsburgh Penguins, but things may begin to slow down for GM Jim Rutherford and his club. In a radio interview on Friday, Rutherford stated that his recent acquisition of defensemen Michael Matheson is not a precursor to another major trade regarding his top defensemen. Although there is a considerable logjam on the left side of the Pittsburgh blue line, top-four lefties Brian Dumoulin and Marcus Pettersson will not be traded. Matheson is expected to play on the left side of the team’s third pair, forcing Jack Johnson and Juuso Riikola to compete for a starting job on their off-side with righty Chad Ruhwedel. Matheson’s acquisition has also squashed the Penguins’ interest in free agent defenseman Chris Tanev and others, as Rutherford added that he does not anticipate adding to his defense corps on the open market.

Negotiation Notes: Ovechkin, Malkin, NHLPA

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When the new league year begins, the Washington Capitals and franchise icon Alex Ovechkin are expected to enter contract talks as soon as possible. Ovechkin is entering the final year of his contract, but can sign an extension as early as October 9. Talks should run smoothly for the superstar and the only team he’s ever played for; TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Ovechkin will once again negotiate the deal by himself. Ovechkin represented himself in contract talks last time around, all the way back in 2008, and landed a whopping 13-year, $124MM contract. Long-time friend and teammate Nicklas Backstrom was also successful negotiating an extension with the Capitals earlier this season. Ovechkin has no reservations about sitting down at the table by himself with GM Brian MacLellan and company to work out what could very well be the final contract of his storied career.

  • Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin is still two years away from free agency, but sources tell The Athletic’s Rob Rossi and Josh Yohe that there is already mutual interest between player and team in an extension. Specifically, the two side are eyeing a three-year term, which would keep Malkin in Pittsburgh through the 2024-25 season, after which he would likely retire. Sidney Crosby’s current contract, a 12-year pact, is also set to expire that off-season. The dynamic duo will be 38 and 37 respectively at that time, so expect a changing of the guard in Pittsburgh to occur that off-season.
  • In more current and pressing negotiations, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the NHLPA is creating a player committee to work with the NHL on the logistics of the 2020-21 season. The two sides are expected to meet after the end of the Stanley Cup Final in the hopes that there can be concrete progress prior to the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency. With the “when” and “how” of the coming season still very much up in the air there is plenty of work for both sides before a suitable plan can be rolled out to the public.

Trade Rumors: Laine, Dumba, Rust

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While it is Frank Seravalli who produces TSN’s Trade Bait board, colleagues Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun backed up the trade statuses of a pair of players at the top of his board on this evening’s edition of Insider Trading. While he may be only 22 years old with four 50+ point seasons under his belt, don’t dismiss the rumors surrounding Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine as wild speculation, warns Dreger. He states that the Jets are “serious” and absolutely listening on the young scorer. In fact, the Laine noise has not been louder merely because the interest has been limited so far, either due to the asking price or other teams not truly believing that Laine is for sale. LeBrun notes that the Columbus Blue Jackets are one team that is definitely interested in Laine. The team sorely needs high-end talent up front as may have the top-four defenseman and young center that Winnipeg desires. Another team that also kicked the tires on Laine was the Carolina Hurricanes, but LeBrun believes that they balked at the asking price for the Finnish sniper and talks fell off after that. One team that hasn’t checked in on Laine yet? The Montreal Canadiens. While LeBrun acknowledges that the Canadiens could desperately use a player of Laine’s ability, they thus far have been hesitant to enter negotiations.

  • The trade availability of Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, No. 2 on the trade bait board, has been far more concrete, as teams and the media alike can look ahead to the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft and see the conundrum coming down the line for the Wild. Yet, Dreger states that Dumba is on the block, but Minnesota is not in a rush to move him. He believes that the Wild will hold on to Dumba, perhaps even through the season, until the asking price is met. Right now, that price is believed to be a legitimate top-six center, which Dreger feels might be asking too much. The other option could be a high first-round pick and a young roster forward, which is a more likely return. The team will hold out for one of those two returns, as there is no urgency to move on from Dumba at a lower price.
  • One name that rival GM’s are asking about who isn’t necessarily on the block is Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust. Rust is coming off of a career year, but it seems like no one on the Penguins roster is safe, leading other teams to ask the question. GM Jim Rutherford tells The Athletic’s Rob Rossi and Josh Yohe that he will listen to any offer, but isn’t keen to trade Rust. However, another sources tells The Athletic that Rutherford would part with Rust for an NHL-ready prospect and another top prospect. That might be a heavy price to pay, but don’t rule out the possibility in an unpredictable off-season.

Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers Complete Trade

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After coming close to a trade yesterday, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers have worked through their “glitch.” That deal has now been completed, with Patric Hornqvist heading to Florida in exchange for Mike Matheson and Colton Sceviour. No salary has been retained by either team.

Panthers GM Bill Zito’s statement on the move reveals exactly why he targeted Hornqvist:

A proven winner and champion, Patric brings a level of competition to our club. He is a talented veteran presence who plays with an edge and we look forward to what he can add to our group.

That championship resume is not something that many other players on the Panthers have and something that Zito will obviously value as he looks to turn around Florida in his first time as a GM. Hornqvist is also arguably the best player involved in the trade, even at his age.

Likely turning 34 just as the next NHL season gets underway (his birthday is January 1), Hornqvist has plenty of miles on a body that is routinely used to battle in front of the net and in the corners. The physical forward has scored 238 times in his career, including 84 goals from his net-front spot on the powerplay. It’s not like things have gone downhill of late either, as Hornqvist recorded 17 goals and 32 points in just 52 games this season.

Of course, for the Panthers this deal is about a lot more than just adding pedigree and leadership. Getting out from under Matheson’s contract will be seen as a big win, even if he’s able to turn around his career in Pittsburgh.

The 25-year-old defenseman had fallen completely out of favor in Florida since signing an eight-year contract in 2017. That deal carries a cap hit of $4.875MM through the 2025-26 season, and actually has a partial no-trade clause that will kick in next year. The Panthers had scratched Matheson several times and even tried him at forward as they attempted to squeeze some value out of the deal, but it just wasn’t working. In 299 games with the team he had registered 91 points, but routinely posted underwhelming defensive and possessions statistics.

A part of the deal that wasn’t reported yesterday is Sceviour, who shouldn’t be entirely overlooked. Even if he isn’t a household name, there’s no doubting Sceviour’s ability to serve a depth role in the bottom-six and help a penalty kill. He’s been a regular NHL player for the last six seasons, good for about ten goals and 25 points a year.

It is notable though that with Sceviour’s addition, the Penguins aren’t even actually opening any cap space in this deal. Hornqvist’s $5.3MM cap hit is actually surpassed by the combined totals of Matheson ($4.875MM) and Sceviour ($1.2MM) next season, though obviously, they take up two roster spots now.

More likely, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford saw this as an opportunity to reshape his group and considered Hornqvist too expensive to serve the third-line role he was likely penciled moving forward. The acquisition of Kasperi Kapanen pushed him down the lineup, plus Rutherford has been clear that he felt this group needed a drastic change if they wanted to compete for another Stanley Cup.

The question now becomes how exactly Matheson fits in. The Penguins already had four defensemen making at least $3.25MM, plus youngster John Marino who has taken hold of a top-four role. There very well could be another move coming, but for now, it is a crowded (and expensive) blueline.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers Working On Trade

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1:40pm: Friedman tweets that the hold up is related to an insurance issue. It is still not clear what the particulars of the trade would be, if it does go through.

10:50am: The Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers appeared to be close to a deal that would see Patric Hornqvist and Mike Matheson switch teams, but there has been a “glitch” holding it up according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Pierre LeBrun and Josh Yohe of The Athletic both tweet that the deal is not yet done. Hornqvist does hold a full no-trade clause, though it is not clear if that is the issue here or if the trade will happen at all.

Matheson has become something of a whipping boy for Panthers fans, ever since he signed his eight-year, $39MM extension in 2017. At the time he seemed like an up-and-coming top-four defenseman, but even then the eight-year term and $4.875MM cap hit seemed like a risky proposition. Since then his performance has declined drastically, with the team either benching him or trying him out at forward to attempt to recoup some of the investment. Ridding the books of his contract would be a win for new GM Bill Zito, though the cost of doing so is obviously important to consider.

Hornqvist meanwhile has three years remaining on his own questionable extension, signed in 2018 and carrying a $5.3MM cap hit. That would actually mean the Penguins would gain some cap space in a straight swap, though the veteran forward still does have some effectiveness left in his game. Hornqvist plays one of the most physical, grinding styles in the NHL, constantly battling in front of the net or in the corners. It’s resulted in a lot of offensive success over the seasons including this one in which he scored 17 goals and 32 points in just 52 games. Still, that style of play can often lead to a steep decline as a player enters their mid-thirties, which Hornqvist is firmly in as a 33-year-old that could very well turn 34 before the next season gets underway (his birthday is January 1).

If the trade does go through without any additions, it would seem a curious decision for a Pittsburgh team that already has plenty of money tied up on the back end. That said, their recent acquisition of Kasperi Kapanen has likely pushed Hornqvist out of a top-six role, making him quite the expensive option in his own right. Perhaps they believe that returning assistant coach Todd Reirden can help Matheson regain his form, or were just looking for a way to get out of Hornqvist’s last few years.

Stay tuned for more information.

NHL Announces First And Second All-Star Teams, All-Rookie Team

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Following the announcements of the final five NHL regular season awards, the league also revealed their three all-league rosters: the First-Team All-Stars, the Second-Team All-Stars, and the All-Rookie Team. Below are the 2019-20 honorees:

First All-Star Team (link)

G: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
D: Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
D: John Carlson, Washington Capitals
LW: Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers
C: Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
RW: David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins

The 2020 First-Team All-Stars are a historic group, the first time since the inaugural all-league honors in 1930-31 that all six honorees are first-time members of the team. Unsurprisingly, this team also covers most of the league’s major awards with Draisaitl taking home the Hart, Ted Lindsay, and Art Ross, Josi winning the Norris, Hellebuyck winning the Vezina, and Pastrnak earning the Rocket Richard.

Second All-Star Team (link)

G: Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
D: Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
D: Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
LW: Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
C: Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
RW: Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning

The President’s Trophy-winning Boston Bruins finish with a league-best three players on All-Star rosters. Their division rival, and current Stanley Cup finalist, the Tampa Bay Lightning are the only other team with more than one inclusion on the all-star rosters. Noticeably absent from either all-star teams are future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. This is just the third time since 2005-06 that at least one of the pair have not been on a postseason All-Star team, while they have both have been selected in the same year eight times in the past 15 years.

All-Rookie Team (link)

G: Elvis Merzlikins, Columbus Blue Jackets
D: Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
D: Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
F: Victor Olofsson, Buffalo Sabres
F: Dominik Kubalik, Chicago Blackhawks
F: Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens

The rookie elite, led by Calder Trophy-winner Makar, is an older group than usual. Merzlikins, Olofsson, and Kubalik, all 25 or older, played in Europe for a considerable amount of time before jumping to North America as a polished product, while Makar and Hughes each played a pair of seasons in the NCAA and Suzuki aged out of juniors before turning pro. Nevertheless, the first-year pros were all impressive and still have many  quality years ahead of them.

Pittsburgh Penguins Extend Jared McCann

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have come to terms on a new contract with one of their pending restricted free agents. The team has announced that forward Jared McCann has signed a two-year extension with a $2.94MM AAV. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman adds that the contract carries a $2.5MM salary in year one and a $3.38MM salary in year two. McCann will be a restricted free agent again when the deal expires after the 2021-22 season.

McCann, 24, is coming off of a career year and appears to have finally found a long-term NHL home. A 2014 first-round pick, McCann was traded first by the Vancouver Canucks after his first pro season and then again by the Florida Panthers midway through his fourth pro season. While those teams felt McCann was falling short of high expectations, the Penguins have gotten the most out of him. Since arriving in Pittsburgh in February 2019, McCann has recorded 52 points in 98 games, including 35 points this season, a career-high in points per game. McCann also ranks sixth among Penguins skaters in points during that span. If he continues to improve offensively and scores at a top-six level for the club, McCann’s extension will prove to be a major bargain for the Penguins.

The challenge though is where to place McCann in the lineup. While he has the versatility to play both wing and center, the Penguins have been unhappy with his performance when slotted down the middle. McCann’s record at the face-off dot leaves much to be desired, as does his ability to drive offense down the middle of the ice. If McCann is not a fit as the Penguins’ third line center, that position remains a major hole in their lineup while McCann becomes yet another of the team’s numerous wingers. Pittsburgh is unlikely to have re-signed McCann if they also planned to move him, but this deal makes it even more likely that the team could look to move another winger in order to improve elsewhere.

With McCann signed, the Penguins have just over $6MM in cap space with their situation in net still to resolve – Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry are both unsigned RFA’s – and two other RFA forwards in Dominik Simon and Sam Lafferty in need of new deals. This doesn’t leave GM Jim Rutherford much room to explore the free agent market unless another trade is still on the way.

Snapshots: Galchenyuk, Shinkaruk, Costantini

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While it should not come as much of a surprise, seeing as he was viewed as a throw-in rental in the trade that brought him to Minnesota rather than a core, long-term piece of the return, Alex Galchenyuk is not expected to return to the Wild next season. GM Bill Guerin told the media this evening, including the Star Tribune’s Sarah McClellan, that the impending free agent forward is unlikely to return to Minnesota this off-season. Galchenyuk was acquired by the Wild from the Pittsburgh Penguins in February – his third trade in two years – alongside prospect defenseman Calen Addison and a first-round pick in exchange for veteran forward Jason Zucker. Although Galchenyuk, a 26-year-old with two 50+ point seasons on his resume, was far from a useless addition for the Wild, it was Addison and the first-rounder that were the real prizes for the club. Given Galchenyuk’s expiring contract and the downward trajectory of his career, few expected Galchenyuk to stick long-term in Minnesota. Galchenyuk seemingly peaked early in his career, setting career highs in goals and points in 2015-16 and points per game in 2016-17, at the ages of 21 and 22 respectively, with the Montreal Canadiens. In each year since,  his final season in Montreal and stops with the Arizona Coyotes and Penguins, his per-game scoring has dropped off, reaching a career-low this year. Although his seven points in 14 games with the Wild was better than his overall rate for the year, it wasn’t enough to convince the club that he was worthy of an extension. Galchenyuk will hit the open market as an intriguing player, one of the younger UFA’s and certainly the most accomplished for his age, but also stuck in a downward spiral for the past few seasons. He needs a fresh start and would benefit from some long-term security, if he can find it. If Galchenyk can return to 50-point form, he could be one of the best bargains available this off-season.

  • One young player who won’t be returning to the NHL altogether next season is Hunter Shinkaruk. Another former Canadien, although best remembered as a long-time prospect of the Calgary Flames, Shinkaruk has opted to re-sign with the KHL’s Kunlun Red Star for another year, the league announced. After he was not qualified by Montreal last summer, Shinkaruk did not find another NHL home and eventually signed with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. However, he left the team mid-season to join Kunlun. He recorded nine points in 19 games, which was among the team leaders in per-game production. Playing on a Red Star roster that is loaded with NHL and AHL veterans, Shinkaruk can play a greater role than he would likely find in North America, while continuing to play a familiar style with peers from whom he can learn. While Shinkaruk, 25, can no longer qualify as an NHL prospect, he has a better chance than most to find his way back to the league one day given his age and ability.
  • One legitimate NHL prospect who is headed to a new home is forward Matteo Costantini. A 2020 NHL Draft prospect gearing up to hear his name called in a few weeks, Costantini has also revealed where he will be headed in 2021-22 and beyond. Costantini, who is committed to the BCHL’s Penticton Vees for the coming season, will then take his talents to the University of North Dakota, the Vees announced Tuesday. Constantini, who hails from Ontario but has been playing with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres for the past few years, has appeared on a number of draft boards this year. Most notably, Constantini was given a third-round draft grade by TSN’s Craig Button, who has him ranked No. 77 in his final draft board. The goal-scoring center will be a nice addition for North Dakota, a top NCAA program with several current and future NHL prospects on their roster right now and committed for next year.

GM Quotes: Sakic, Rutherford, Benning

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Although many will blame goaltending performance for the Colorado Avalanche loss in the Western Conference semifinals, GM Joe Sakic is not so quick to blame his netminders, Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz. Both goaltenders were injured in the seven-game series against the Dallas Stars, leaving Michael Hutchinson to fend for himself. Grubauer also missed time due to injury in the regular season and many felt his play was affected. Overall, the pair played well this year and both are signed through at least next season at a valuable rate. While many have speculated, including Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek, that the club could still use their considerable cap space to bring in a new starting goalie for next year, Sakic says otherwise. Speaking with Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, Sakic offered support for his tandem and stated that he does not plan to bring in another keeper for next season:

They both had good years. Unfortunately, they both got hurt at the wrong time, but neither of those injuries are injuries you have to worry about. Train hard in the summer and make sure it doesn’t happen again. You can’t predict injuries, but no, they both had good stretches and we expect that next year.

Sakic revealed that Francouz was already dealing with an injury when he replaced the injured Grubauer in the postseason and tried to battle through the pain as long as he could. Fortunately, he stated that both goalies – and in fact all injured Avs – are expected to be back at full strength for next season. As a result, Sakic does not anticipate chasing a new goalie on the free agent or trade markets, as he is content with his duo’s performance, blaming only the poor timing of their injuries.

  • Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford made yet another major trade on Friday, his second already since his team was eliminated in the qualifying round, when he dealt Nick Bjugstad to the Minnesota Wild in a salary cap dump. Talking to The Athletic’s Josh Yohe about a deal that on paper seemed to net Pittsburgh little in return – a conditional seventh-round pick and only half of Bjugstad’s 2020-21 cap hit ($2.05MM) – Rutherford made it clear that he is simply doing what he can to create enough cap space as to allow the Penguins to be active in free agency:

Well, I’d really like to be able to get there, to be at the point where we can do something in free agency, but we aren’t there yet… I want to be able to be active on that day, but it’s going to be difficult to get to that point… You’ve got to realize that teams don’t know how much money they’ll be making next season and moving forward. Plus, teams all thought the salary cap for next season was going to be anywhere between $3 million and $6 million higher than what it is. So, everyone is in a pretty difficult situation, and that includes us… First things first, we need to get to a point where we are comfortable that we’ll be compliant with the cap. We’ll see what happens between then and now.

  • If there has been any one theme to Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning’s comments all season long, it has been that he would like to keep as many of his current players on the team as possible, including his pending unrestricted free agents. While much of that focus has been on a trio of top players in Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev, and Tyler Toffoli, Benning has thrown his support behind role players as well. The latest name that Benning hopes to squeeze back on the roster next season is Josh Leivo, who lost much of his season to a fractured knee cap but was working his way back into game shape when the Canucks were eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals. Benning knows what Leivo can do when healthy and in an interview with TSN Radio 1040 he stated that he hopes to give him another chance in Vancouver:

He played well for us. We haven’t ruled out re-signing him… He’s a big body, shoots the puck well, is a smart player… His rehab has gone well… he’ll be ready to play next year for us.

Minnesota Wild Acquire Nick Bjugstad

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8:00pm CT: The terms of this trade have now been revealed by Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and certainly seem to tilt the favor even more toward Minnesota. First, the Penguins will retain half of Bjugstad’s salary this year, the final season of a six-year, $24.6MM deal. As a result, Pittsburgh will only dump $2.05MM in cap salary while the Wild get a full year of Bjugstad at a bargain price. Second, the Penguins will only receive the conditional seventh-round pick if Bjugstad plays in at least 70 games or scores at least 35 points this season. Otherwise, the team does not receive any return. If this trade is indication, shedding salary this off-season is going to be easier said than done.

7:00pm CT: Nick Bjugstad, one of the most well-regarded prospects to come out of the Minnesota high school ranks this century, is headed home. The Minnesota Wild announced that they have acquired the 28-year-old center from the Pittsburgh Penguins. In what is all but a salary cap dump, the Penguins only received a conditional 2021 seventh-round draft pick.

Bjugstad is a polarizing player, but certainly one worth risking a late pick and one year of term on. Named Mr. Hockey in 2010 as the best player in Minnesota high school, Bjugstad went on to be drafted in the first round by the Florida Panthers later that year. After starring for the of Minnesota for three years, Bjugstad joined Florida and  immediately became a contributor. He recorded 38 points as a rookie, even garnering Calder Trophy votes, and totaled 191 points in 394 games with the Panthers over parts of seven seasons. While these were solid numbers, they weren’t exactly what Florida was hoping for from one of their core players. In 2018-19, Bjugtad was traded alongside Jared McCann to the Penguins for Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, and three draft picks. His time in Pittsburgh has been forgettable, marred by injury and inconsistency that left him with just 16 points in 45 games to show for a season and a half.

Yet, Bjugstad is healed and expected to be fully healthy for the start of the 2020-21 season for Minnesota. No one will blame Pittsburgh for dumping Bjugstad’s $4.1MM cap hit (and $5.25MM salary) as they face a stiff cap crunch, but the Wild could easily wind up with the better side of this deal if Bjugstad can return to form back at home in the Twin Cities and produce 40-50 points as he has several times before. As the Wild look to replace the experience and two-way ability of Mikko Koivu down the middle this season – and quite possibly Eric Staal next season – Bjugstad is a prime candidate. At 6’6″ and 215 lbs., Bjugstad is a menacing presence on the ice and has the proven ability to take the puck with both brute force and finesse. After a pair of down seasons, Bjugstad may not be the most exciting name, but he could be primed for a major comeback this year with the Wild and could potentially earn himself a long-term extension with his hometown team in the process.

 

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