I was very against trading Guentzel, and I'm certainly still hesitant. But, if the deal is right, it could work out. Obviously, Guentz is irreplaceable, but resigning him seems like a daunting task. He wants to cash in on one last big contract. The fact of the matter is, he's not going to want to be in Pittsburgh when the core is gone. Signing him for a shorter term would increase his cap hit severely. Dubas has to use whatever leverage he has left to get something out of Guentzel before he walks in free agency.
Let's break down the trades:
VGK: I think this deal is possible. Vegas probably doesn't need us to retain salary because of the little LTIR glitch they have going on over there. They get back an original misfit in Reilly Smith. I like Reilly a good bit. I think if he wanted he could really be a great player for this Penguins team. But, it's pretty obvious he doesn't want to be here. I'll take passion over talent any day of the week. I think a third round pick and Paul Cotter is a fair deal. I haven't seen much of Paul's game. He can play on the second power play unit if we need. His numbers aren't too shabby. His biggest attribute is his age. We only paid a third for Reilly when we got him. But, it's the trade deadline and Vegas is looking for someone to round out their top six. This deal shouldn't be too controversial...Hopefully.
NSH: Alexandre Carrier has become more of a hot commodity than I had expected. He reminds me of Jan Rutta a little. Really good defender and can chip in when needed. I saw a Leafs ACGM where Toronto traded Topi Niemela straight up for Carrier. I have Ty Smith and Chad Ruhwedel going to Nashville here. Ty Smith and Topi Niemela have identical numbers. Smith is two years older, but is more NHL ready than Niemela. Smith is a lefty unlike Niemela and Carrier, so I added Ruhwedel to fill in for Carrier's spot if NSH preferred a righty there.
VAN: This is a big one, I know. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what Pittsburgh would receive for Jake and Ryan. But I tried my best with this, let me know what you guys would add or subtract. I have Guentzel ($3,000,000 RET.) and Graves headed to Vancouver for Bains, Mikheyev, Soucy, a first rounder, and a second rounder. Let's break it down. I kind of see this trade as two separate ones. Guentzel (without retention) gets the Penguins: Bains, Mikheyev, a first rounder, and a second rounder. Add the $3m retention and Graves, and I think that is fair for Soucy. Obviously, Soucy is the better player than Graves, but $3m retained on Guentzel is a steal for the numbers he can provide.
EDM: I think it'd be unwise to not move Nedeljkovic at the deadline. He obviously has been huge for us this year, especially given the cap hit he's at. But, we can get something out of him. Resigning him would be too expensive for Pittsburgh. We have Blomqvist in the pipeline, who could be ready next year for us. Don't forget, the Penguins still get a goalie back here. Pickard is an incredibly serviceable backup. This move would really solidify Jarry as our guy. He knows there's no competition. It would give him more starts down the stretch to really refine his game. No matter what team Ned goes to, I think this is a beneficial move for the Penguins in the long run.
I know Dubas said he wanted to get younger. This isn't exactly "younger" per say. Technically, I calculated the average age of the Penguins (when fully healthy) and it came to 30.2. Some calculations have the Penguins older than that. This team is 29.4. They would certainly no longer be the oldest team in the league, but they'd still be up there. It's tough to truly get younger without rebuilding. Not to mention, Pittsburgh gets: a first round pick, a second round pick, and two third round picks. I don't know about you, but to me, that's younger. This also gives Pittsburgh some extra cap space heading into next year. With the extra space and a higher salary cap, it really gives Dubas some wiggle room to figure out this team over the summer.
Like I said earlier, let me know your thoughts. This is certainly out there, but I'm interested to see what the world says. Thanks!
There is a 0% chance that NSH does that. They may get a 2nd for Carrier.
Also, PIT can get more than a 3rd for Nedeljkovic, especially with retention, which EDM would likely need. He’s been outstanding at a great cap hit, so a bidding war very well may result in PIT getting a 2nd in return for him, but a 3rd+ is certain.
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