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Thoughts on the the Carl Hagelin/Tanner Pearson trade? |
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Todd Cordell
I prefer Pittsburgh's side of the deal. I know Tanner Pearson has struggled mightily this season but he has put up 15+ goals and 20+ assists in three consecutive years and is only 26. I think a change of scenery, and (likely) consistent minutes alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, should get him going. While Carl Hagelin is a useful player, he's less of a scorer, is on the wrong side of 30, and is an expiring contract. He's not a big loss by any means.
I assume the Kings' plan is to give Hagelin plenty of minutes in all situations and pump up his value in effort to boost the return at the deadline. At least that should be the plan. Spending good coin to lock in another older player is the last thing they need.
Trevor Shackles
This is honestly such a weird trade. I guess the rationale for the Kings is that they want to get faster, but Hagelin is also now 30 years old, plus he is a UFA at the end of the season. I get that Pearson is off to a horrible start with just one point, but he had put up 40+ points in the previous two seasons. Furthermore, Hagelin has only three points so far as well.
I don't know if Pearson is necessarily a better fit for the Penguins, but he's also younger so I think they got the better end of this deal. I just think it's odd that there weren't any picks or prospects swapped in this deal, but you have to love seeing a one-for-one swap. Ultimately I don't think whoever loses this trade (most likely the Kings) will be hurt that much, but it's certainly a head-scratcher.
Sean Maloughney
I think this is an absolutely brilliant deal by the Kings. The biggest issue with Tanner Pearson on the Kings is that he is not 30 years or older. Carl Hagelin is 30, therefore the Kings win because they have the most 30 year or older players in the NHL.
This isn't a move that will make the Kings a better team but it does address an issue with the team; cap. Hagelin is on the downturn of his career but is a free agent after this season. The Kings are already looking ahead to the summer and looking for ways to free up space.
Pearson meanwhile has two years left after this season with a cap hit of 3.75. He has scored at least 15 goals the past three seasons while scoring 24 in 206/2017. Pearson will likely get a shot with Crosby or Malkin and at 26 could be a staple on either line for the next couple seasons.
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