It is draft day! Ok, it's probably not that exciting on the surface for the Pittsburgh Penguins who will have the first ever 31st pick of the first round. They also do not have a second round pick. What they do have is young talent that has been contributing on entry level contracts. Their prospect pool looks pretty good on the forward front. It could use some work on the back end.
I do not subscribe to the draft for a need philosophy. I am a draft the most skilled player kind of person. The odds of players making it to the NHL gets so small after the first half of the draft why wouldn't you bet on the most talented player you can draft? That's if you are going to keep the pick.
I think this year is a very good year to package the first round pick with other assets in order to land that Letang insurance I believe the team needs. I am confident that Justin Schultz will be back with the team, but I think they need more insurance than that.
In order to acquire a "big fish" defenseman I am not looking to shatter the current roster, but I am willing to use some semi-significant pieces. Will it be enough? Might not be and if that is the case you move on.
My worm
Olli Maatta, Patric Hornqvist, and the 2017 first round pick.
This is banking on perceived value and not actual value.
Some people are willing to bet on Maatta's future, but I am not one of them. I do not believe he is going to hit the ceiling that many (myself included) had for him after his rookie campaign. You can't just brush off the cancer, mumps, and other injuries, but I believe playing with Matt Niskanen in a sheltered bottom pairing role was the key factor in building up the hype surrounding Maatta as a player. Matt Niskanen was vastly underrated at the time, probably still is, and being in a sheltered pairing with a guy like that will make you look good or even great. It did. Some front offices are going to ignore this and look at the fact that Olli Maatta was a top four defenseman on back to back Stanley Cup teams.
Patric Hornqvist is still a very good winger. His underlying numbers are good. The problem is that I don't want to give him his next contract. Style of play and age being the two variables when lumped together create risk for me. I don't think they *have* to take that risk with Daniel Sprong and Zach Aston-Reese knocking on the door. They also have Conor Sheary, Jake Guentzel, and Bryan Rust who can all play the right side. I don't like the idea of Patric Hornqvist as a bottom six winger. It just doesn't have the same impact. If he isn't with Sid or Geno what is the point? Depending on the general manager Hornqvist's perceived value could be very high even on an expiring deal.
The first round pick is more like a second round pick. I have no problem moving it this year.
An important part of this process is the following
Hello Colorado
I mean this team is basically asking somebody to come to them with a deal. They have a player that would fit perfectly with who the Penguins are and they have a front office looking to unload that player. Colorado definitely fits with Travis Yost's mantra of calling badly run teams
Here's the context you need for this chart. Tyson Barrie plays on one of the worst teams in the league while Olli Maatta plays on one of the best. Barrie's offensive output is awesome. Could you imagine that at even-strength with Pittsburgh's forwards? I'm not worried about his possession numbers because I believe Colorado's ineptitude on this front sabotages those figures. Barrie is a positive possession player relative to his teammates.
The worst thing Colorado can say is no. I'd make them say no.
Another less likely option is Jacob Trouba. His name continues to be bandied about in trade rumors
Quite frankly I don't think my package listed above is good enough, but I do believe the Jets were looking for a similarly aged top four defenseman when the trade rumors started last fall. Olli Maatta does fit that bill. I would definitely have a discussion with Winnipeg about Trouba.
For those hesitant about spending big money on right defensemen with Letang, Schultz, and ___________ I wouldn't be. That is a premier position in the sport and tough to find. It's just easier to find left shot defensemen. Shedding Fleury's contract allows for this kind of spending. Having somebody on the right side to anchor each pair would be wonderful for Pittsburgh's forwards and they would start looking more like the 2015-16 Penguins that bulldozed the league than the 2016-17 version that PDO'd their way through the playoffs.
Also worth discussing is Nate Schmidt of the Vegas Golden Knights. The 31st overall pick is definitely something I would give them for Schmidt, but it is likely Vegas just wants to keep him.
I think Colorado can be had in a trade. Barrie would be a nice get. After seeing the Blackhawks give away Nicklas Hjalmarsson I wouldn't rule out anything. Jim Rutherford is certainly not shy this time of year in the trade market.
Thanks for reading!
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»