Derrick Pouliot isn't an issue for the Penguins and the Penguins aren't an issue for Derrick Pouliot anymore. He is now part of the Vancouver Canucks organization
Via @JMackeyPG: The Derrick Pouliot era is over in Pittsburgh https://t.co/zoebmeWnWy
— Sam Werner (@SWernerPG) October 3, 2017
Also, Andrey Pedan, for whom he was traded, has played 13 NHL games and his team was leading for 3% of the time he was on ice.
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) October 3, 2017
Pouliot was moved for a fourth round draft pick and a 6'5" defender that goes by the name Andrey Pedan.
Derrick Pouliot (traded to Canucks) looks like a useful-ish regular player. pic.twitter.com/8jGKVwW8wI
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) October 3, 2017
The trade is no surprise and neither is the return. Derrick Pouliot wasn't going to be given *another chance with the team and the Penguins lollygagged around for so long with this situation that they plummeted the trade value of their former top ten pick.
*read that as "a chance"
Their opinion on this player has been the same for three years. If the team was being honest with itself they could have moved on sooner and played up the pedigree of Pouliot being a #8 overall pick. That stuff matters to enough general managers that they could have used Pouliot as the prospect in a bigger trade. Instead they'll get the following
P
edan is immensely tough, can fight and actually skate better than expected for a big player, Rutherford said.“We had a chance to get a draft pick and another good young defenseman, who’s a different type of defenseman — big and strong and tough and can skate very good for a big guy,… Rutherford said. “Still needs a little bit of work. Certainly Pedan, at some point, will have a chance to play.…
So he can fight a little, huh?
“Yeah,… Rutherford said. “He’s very physical and can fight with anybody.…
So he's big and physical. He's also 24. After 22 the benchmark for future NHL success is 0.7 points per game for defenseman. Last year in 52 games with the Utica Comets Pedan had 10 points. That is 0.19 points per game. He did have 100 penalty minutes though...
Derrick Pouliot's NHL points per game is 0.20.
There is a growing trend among defensemen the Penguins acquire via draft/trade/UFA and the common thread is lack of offensive production. Something to keep an eye on moving forward.
There are literally no positives to take from the Derrick Pouliot draft selection and the team shares as much blame as the player. If you aren't willing to commit to a high end draft pick then cash out before you get a career AHL player and an unknown.
Thanks for reading!