Rejoint: août 2017
Messages: 302
Mentions "j'aime": 27
Do the Pens get better on the wing much less as a whole with this trade?
I get that it is easy to say Hagelin is overpaid for his production and he probably is, but look past the 31 points last season at how valuable he is on the PK and opening up other things with his speed. While it's quite possible the Pens end up trading Hagelin, it shouldn't be taken lightly.
I also get that the Pens have center depth on paper and Brassard was underwhelming last year after the trade, but I think both are being blown out of proportion. While I like having the center depth, it's also a pretty risky group. Sheahan had a solid bounce back year scoring 32 points and he did a nice job winning 54% of Face-offs, but he still only scored 32 points despite spending much of the year at 3C. His 32 points is an improvement from the 13 and 25 points the previous 2 years, but he's unlikely to be a 40-50 point guy. I love bringing Matt Cullen back for his leadership and experience, but he's coming off a 22 point year and turns 42 in November. He's likely going to be more limited this time around. He can still contribute and help, but I don't see you relying him him for 14 min of ice time a night for the full season. Derek Grant had a solid 24 points in 66 games last year, but prior to that hadn't done anything in 86 career NHL games. To rely on this trio to handle both the 3C and 4C duties next year is really risky.
As for Brassard, yes I know he didn't do a lot after the trade, but an injury had something to do with that. He still had a pretty strong season overall averaging .64 points per game, well above any of the other options. Brassard should be a 45-60 point player this year (probably will be the lower end given the lack of PP opportunities), with strong face-off and possession numbers.
Giving up Sprong also negates the idea of strengthening the wing, as he has the scoring potential to be quite the goal scorer himself. I'm not saying he'll match Pacioretty next season or maybe ever, but as a 20 year old in the AHL he had 32 goals (65 total points) in 65 games. It would not be surprising to see him tally 20-25 goals as a rookie if he earns a spot on one of the top couple of lines.