As we all know, the Penguins and their GM aren’t shy to make big, franchise altering deals. This was further proven in the past couple of days, as the Penguins made three such deals to bring in some pretty big names.
The first deal was to bring in John Klingberg from Dallas. Going the other way was the 10th overall pick, and top young defenceman Mikhail Sergachev. While some regard it as an overpay, many agree that the team needs to win now, and Klingberg brings a top pairing and top PP quarterback dynamic.
GM Richards had this to say about the trade: “While it hurts to move out a guy like Mikhail, who has a bright future ahead of him, we needed to cash in on his potential to get a guy who is a star today. Klingberg is a great young defenceman and isn’t a rental. Not to mention his relatively cheap contract when compared to his production. We’re excited to have him”.
The second deal, and the smallest of the three, saw solid two way center Jordan Staal, along with Anaheim’s second round pick headed to the Penguins, in exchange for Matt Niskanen and Vlad Namestnikov. Staal is the replacement for Mikko Koivu, who will be walking to UFA this off-season. Staal boasts great size, a solid all around offensive game, but his greatest asset is his amazing defensive game.
GM Richards on the deal: “This is a pretty standard deal. We had a surplus on defence, and a need at center. Staal is a big body, and plays a shutdown game. We believe he’ll compliment our top six beautifully. We wish Niskanen and Namestnikov the best in Anaheim”.
The third deal, and the deal with the most parts being exchanged, saw Dougie Hamilton, Ryan O’Reilly (half salary retained), and Jakob Silfverberg (along with two later picks) get sent to the Penguins. In order to acquire such a haul, the Penguins had to pay. They sent Matt Dumba, Jeff Skinner, prospect Phillip Nyberg, and Anaheim’s 2nd to San Jose. The deal was the newly appointed San Jose GM’s first trade in the league, and left most people impressed with both sides return.
GM Richards: “This deal took quite a bit of negotiating to solve. We went from having a similar package in place, to just a deal based around the defenceman, and then back to this which we ultimately agreed on. While it hurts to send out two great guys in Dumba and Skinner, we’re very excited with the return. Hamilton is a towering offensive defenceman with a booming shot. He should see significant minutes this season both at even strength and power play. We’re excited to have him, for this season and the future. O’Reilly brings an amazing two way game, and has the size to be a force on and off the puck. He is a premier two way forward in this league, and we’re proud to say he’s a Penguin. Silfverberg is quite the solid player as well. He brings nice speed, a good defensive game, and offensive capabilities that allow him to play top six if needed”.
On the plans for the rest of the off-season: “We have a decent amount of cap space, which should go up a bit with the cap ceiling increasing. We also don’t have very many needs, just a third line player, a defenceman, and a few depth options. We should be able to solve this in free agency, and we hope to bring in a few guys on multi season deals”.