Every year TSN's Scott Cullen does an Off-season gameplan for every one of the 30 NHL teams. Yesterday his Pittsburgh gameplan was posted. You can find that here
The reason I bring this up is because he had a projected 2015-16 lineup for Pittsburgh which had Kris Versteeg as the right winger on the Malkin line.
Kris Versteeg is still under contract with the Blackhawks next season for 2.2M. He would need to be acquired in a trade.
Versteeg had 34 points in 61 games with Chicago. He was finding success playing with Patrick Kane and Brad Richards until he was hurt in the Winter Classic against Washington. The injury had a negative impact on his production. Versteeg scored 27 of those points before his injury on January 1st. He finished the year with only seven points in 27 games.
Currently, Versteeg has been out of the Chicago lineup as a healthy scratch.
Since 2012 Versteeg has been a low end second line player. Given that he currently makes 2.2M it appears to be a "you get what you pay for" situation.
A low end and cheap second line players sounds like a good thing, but here is where it gets a little dicier for Versteeg as a top six player. His dCorsi is not exactly telling us that he is doing well in this role.
2011-12 with Florida -4.58 (78 games) 2012-13 with Florida -14.45 (10 games) 2013-14 with Florida 2.12 (18 games) 2013-14 with Chicago -4.31 (78 games) 2014-15 with Chicago -5.61 (67 games) *includes playoff games*
Chicago is a cap strapped team that is always in need of cheaper productive options. At 2.2M Verteeg's point production is decent enough value but he is definitely under performing in the advantageous roles he has been given.
Beggars can't be choosers. If Pittsburgh were to entertain something like a Kris Versteeg trade they would have to understand they would be getting a complimentary piece kind of player. One that can chip in offensively from time to time when playing with the big boys, but won't be carrying a line of his own. Taking him away from a top six role would leave you with a player that doesn't have much value.
Trading for Kris Versteeg would be like using bubble gum to fix a leak. It is cheap, available, helps momentarily, but you need to find a better solution.
Chicago will be dumping some salary this offseason. With the emergence of Teuvo Teravainen and the signing of KHL player Artemy Panarin Kris Versteeg could be a part of Chicago's salary dumping. Something to keep an eye on for sure.
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