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Penguins working on appetizer while waiting for the entree

January 17, 2019, 8:17 AM ET [88 Comments]
Ryan Wilson
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Derek Grant is heading back to Anaheim. In a late night trade the Penguins made a deal with the Ducks swapping Grant and Joseph Blandisi. This feels like the appetizer before the Penguins deal with the main course (Derick Brassard).

I don’t see the Grant/Blandisi swawp as anything more than shuffling around non-impact players. Neither player impacts the game enough to alter other lines other than the fourth.

Snapshot of the last 3 years for each player



Derek Grant has a sample of over 1,000 minutes the last three years. Blandisi only has a sample of 365 minutes. Blandisi has only combined for six NHL games the past two seasons and only 33 total the past three years. Blandisi isn’t a point per game player in the AHL which isn’t a good sign for a 24 year old.

I can see why the Ducks would make this minor trade. They seem to be getting the player with more NHL experience who had 12 goals for them last year. I’m not sure what the Penguins were looking to do. They were getting acceptable play from their fourth line with Grant at times.

The bigger news is on the third line center front. If any emails Jim Rutherford sends include Derick BrASSard I wouldn’t assume it to be a typo. Rutherford appears to be done with the Brassard experiement Per Josh Yohe of The Athletic

“I don’t know how to answer that,” he said. “You know, he’s been OK. It’s not like he’s been bad. But to this point, for whatever reason, he has underperformed. Especially when you consider the expectations that we had for him, he’s underperformed.”

That line has actually done some great things,” Rutherford said. “When Phil turns it up the way he has recently, you see what a great player he is. Pearson has played very well lately. I honestly think that, if Brassard would ever shift a gear here, that line could be great.”


The Penguins are definitely listening for offers on Derick Brassard.

So now it is the waiting game. Where is Brassard going to go and who is going to fill his roster spot? Trading for difference making third line centers isn’t easy. The Penguins thought they did just that when they acquired Brassard almost a year ago. When you scan around the league there aren’t a ton of options. I have some names that come to mind, but you can never really be sure if they are actually available. Players like: Jeff Carter, Charlie Coyle, Jason Spezza, Kevin Hayes, and Brayden Schenn. A guy like Matt Duchene will be available if the Senators can’t strike a deal with him, but the Penguins don’t have the kinds of assets to land one of the trading deadlines biggest prizes.

I happen to like the Jeff Carter idea because I think playing on a third line with less pressure would provide a boost. His contract situation also would mean the Penguins wouldn’t have to look for another third line center after the season is over. No shortage of intrigue heading into the deadline for people who follow the Penguins.

Thanks for reading!
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