It is still unknown how the expansion draft will play out for the Penguins as far as who Seattle takes. Unless a gentlemen’s agreement in place then the Penguins have to be prepared to respond and replace what they lose on top of looking to improve their active roster. Something made a lot more difficult with losing Jared McCann in the way they did.
I’ve made it no secret I think Jeff Carter is a very important piece for Pittsburgh in the 2021-22 season. I would have used a protection slot on him and the Penguins did. You weren’t going to find 2.6M of value to replace Carter in the open market and now they don’t have to. While Carter is definitely not going to shoot 24.3% again like he did last year for Pittsburgh we do know he can still skate, has good vision/passing, and uses his frame well. His career shooting percentage is 11.3% so I'm not too worried about his finishing ability.
Looking towards the upcoming seasons Injuries are a thing and with Malkin already out any injury to Crosby, Carter, or Blueger really puts the Penguins in a bad spot. McCann could play center and the flexibility to do so was why his 2.9M cap hit was so valuable, but he’s gone. If the Penguins want some insurance for this year and beyond, I think there is one good, albeit pricier, path to plug their third line center hole while also buying time until Evgeni Malkin’s return.
Phillip Danault is a free agent. He has yet to re-sign with Montreal and it is likely he will not. I think he’s a really good player. He is strong on both the offensive and defensive sides of the puck.
From what I’ve seen with this model when looking at forwards finishing ability plays large in the overall WAR%. Danault’s finishing isn’t very good as of late and he is still grading out in a positive way because his offensive and defensive contributions are so good. His lack of finishing in recent samples might help keep his cost down. Make no mistake he is still going to command a decent sized cap hit. Probably anywhere from 4.5M to the 5.2M Carter is supposed to be making if not for the Kings retention.
The Penguins have to cut salary elsewhere, but they should be looking to do that anyways. Maybe Seattle does them a favor by taking Jason Zucker or Brandon Tanev, but I’m not optimistic there.
Even with the Penguins protecting both Carter and Blueger I still think it isn’t the worst idea to sign a player like Danault. With Evgeni Malkin missing time it can’t hurt to have more capable centers on the roster. When the Penguins are back at full strength Danult can stay at center and someone like Jeff Carter can play on the wing. You also have your third line center moving forward after Carter’s contract ends and he continues to age. Danault seems like a great bridge player to ride out the Crosby/Malkin window.
If you want to get really crazy maybe you can sign Danault and his linemate, but they’ll have to get lucky with somebody taking Zucker, Tanev, Pettersson, or Matheson.
Thanks for reading!
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