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In this edition of the hotstove, we share our thoughts on the three-way trade headlined by Derick Brassard going to Pittsburgh.
Todd Cordell
I like this deal for both main parties.
Adding Derick Brassard to the fold makes the Penguins flat out impossible to match against. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will draw the toughs, as they should, which means their ridiculously good '3rd line' of Phil Kessel, Jake Guentzel, and Brassard will see the soft competition and feast.
With two solid, young, goaltenders in Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry, they are set for the forseeable future and could afford to part with Filip Gustavsson. They can survive without Ian Cole, too, and a 1st for two playoff runs with Brassard seems well worth it.
From Ottawa's perspective, this is a pretty good trade as well. They get a needed high-end goaltending prospect in Gustavsson, the 1st round pick they wanted stapled into any deal, and a reltively coveted defenseman in Cole who they can flip for more assets prior to Monday's deadline.
As for Vegas, I guess they kept Brassard away from Winnipeg. I don't think Ryan Reaves does much for them, though.
Jared Crozier
OK, this will take some sorting out to do.
Pittsburgh gets a pretty good centre that gives them great depth down the middle and a lot of good options going forward. They also add some AHL depth in a couple of middling prospects in Dunn and Lindberg, who ironically was a Senators pick that went to the Leafs in the Dion Phaneuf trade and then was dealt to Vegas in the deal that netted the Leafs Calvin Pickard.
I guess Vegas also wins because they prevented Brassard out of the hands of the rival Winnipeg Jets, which is the major reason they got involved to facilitate the move for the Penguins are going to pay Brassard 40% of his salary for the rest of this year and next season. Adding Reaves in the deal is a depth move also made to make enough space for the Pens to add Brassard.
Since I am right in the thick of it, I view this one from the Senators perspective most of all. In a vacuum, the trade actually makes sense for Ottawa as well. Their goaltending is a joke at the moment and they get what they hope will be a goalie of the future in Filip Gustavsson. They will flip Ian Cole before the deadline, and they get a first round pick (albeit probably a late one). Brassard is actually on a contract that was pretty friendly for the Senators, because his cap hit was more than the actual dollars. But moving him without having to retain any salary was a good move for Ottawa.
If you pan out and look bigger picture, this one is just the tip of the iceberg between now and Monday for the Senators and this team is not in a good spot at all. I expect they will be gutted, and although this particular deal might make sense for them, ask me again on Tuesday when all is said and done and I don't anticipate I will be singing the same tune if even some of the rumors circulating now become reality.
Peter Tessier
Well it was a lot to pay but Pittsburgh has a set window, has it's top 3 in Crosby Malkin and Kessel and is not really hamstrung by other contracts to they did what needed to be done. That top 9 is damn ugly for any team to face and given that Ottawa will pick up 1 million in salary on the deal too the Pens did just fine. I'd expect Tampa to load up next because the east is going to be a war and the Pens still have a manageable team going forward. Bravo Rutherford.
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