Équipe: 2018-19 Penguins de Pittsburgh

Date de création initiale: 10 févr. 2019

Publié: 10 févr. 2019

Mode - plafond salarial: Basique

I think this is a win for both teams.
First Ottawa will have a hard time next year looking competitive if they don't get some help and talent injected into the line up. No Free agent is going to go there and no one is going to resign.
They need good players with control to come in and make the team look at least respectable while they rebuild. Otherwise they won't even hit cap floor and the team will look like a joke.

The Penguins have found their 3C in McCann. On the RW they aren't sitting Kessel or Rust. Hornqvist has a NTC. That means the odd man out is Jugs. Who is young, fast and has talent.
On the LW, Pearson has played much better in Pittsburgh than he did in LA. 9 goals in 39 games. It's clear the talent is still there. The problem is he doesn't really fit the Penguins system. They are a heavy forechecking team. Pearson not so much.
When the Penguins traded for both, most people thought they won the trade, and looking at the results I would say that's true as Hagelin would never have scored 9 goals. Clearly they are both talented enough to start on most teams in some kind of role.

Jarry is a least a quality backup in the NHL. They could have their choice of either Jarry or DeSmith. Which one doesn't matter. But Ottawa needs some help in the net and Jarry could easily be a young backup there.
Obviously JJ is a cap dump. He's part of the cost of getting Pearson, Jugs and Jarry with term. He can go to seattle the next year, or they can buy him out on the cheap. They have plenty of cap space.

As for the Penguins they get a good rental winger to make a push. They also free up some cap space.
This would allow them to go after a LW that fits their system next year. They could target Anders or Nelson in NYI. Both are big body left wingers who could play the forecheck game. GIven NYI have to resign their whole 1st line, goalie and they want to bring in Panarin. On top of that they have to save money for the next years RFAs like Barzal. I really think Anders could be out the door. I don't see them paying both Panarin and Anders with everyone else they have to pay. I'm pretty sure they will run out of cap space this summer if they land panarin.