untrue
- wiz1901

Yeah. Dahlstrom has better feet.

Maatta has a modified NTC that kicks in for 20/21 and 21/22 so he will have to be protected for the expansion draft unless he waives.
- boilermaker100

I thought you had to be a little older to get no trade protection. I Hope I'm wrong but this trade seems rather crappy to me.

Jason, what's not to like as a Blues fan right now?
- 6628

yeah Jason what?

I guess all the summer whining here after each subsequent Hawk Cup win is rubbing off on you?

Yeah. Dahlstrom has better feet.
- Elbows15

But how about stick puck and blocks..SIX SEASONS of experience over Dahlstrom.
.I will let our resident expert L_B_R in the area of stats answer...

Mitchell will not sign now...would the Denver captain be looked upon favorably by bailing on his present team?....but should be man like in his conditioning and "could" get time before th year is out, and maybe edge out a guy who will be playing, IF he shines.

Can anybody see the future...he gets exposed to Seattle.
He fills the hawks part of the expansion draft requirement at dee...
- wiz1901

Mitchell will be exempt from the expansion draft no matter at this point.

Expansion draft is in 2021 which means at most a player can get two pro years of experience before now and then. Players with two years or less of pro experience are exempt. Therefore, all players who play their first AHL/NHL game this upcoming season are exempt. This is the rule that allowed Panarin to be exempt despite having two full NHL seasons under his belt for the Vegas draft.

Thank you for chiming in Mr, Maatta.
- Ogilthorpe2

You didn’t really just write that and think in your head “that’s clever” did ya?

Mitchell will be exempt from the expansion draft no matter at this point.

Expansion draft is in 2021 which means at most a player can get two pro years of experience before now and then. Players with two years or less of pro experience are exempt. Therefore, all players who play their first AHL/NHL game this upcoming season are exempt. This is the rule that allowed Panarin to be exempt despite having two full NHL seasons under his belt for the Vegas draft.
- L_B_R

Sorry if it appeared I was talking about Mitchell I meant Olli Maatta...I went back and changed it----I was jumping back into the primary Maata talk some more...forgot I was in Ian Mitchell post comment land.

I went back and fixed it..

Hearing Hawks might still add another defenceman.

Forsling, Murphy and/or (maybe) Gustafsson are being discussed as being moved out of Chicago.

Told you all to buckle up.

Hearing Hawks might still add another defenceman.

Forsling, Murphy and/or (maybe) Gustafsson are being discussed as being moved out of Chicago.

Told you all to buckle up.
- Tyler Cameron

Tonight ? Im dozing off.....

Because Maatta isn’t a top 4 guy on a good team?
- Ogilthorpe2

But he was on the pens the last few years 🤔

I thought you had to be a little older to get no trade protection. I Hope I'm wrong but this trade seems rather crappy to me.
- HamiltonHawk

A player has to be 27 or have played 7 seasons in the NHL - Maatta will have hit his 7th year next season hence why he can get a NTC.

Sorry if it appeared I was talking about Mitchell I meant Olli Maatta...I went back and changed it----I was jumping back into the primary Maata talk some more...forgot I was in Ian Mitchell post comment land.
- wiz1901

Oh haha. I've made that mistake before.

Because Maatta isn’t a top 4 guy on a good team?
- Ogilthorpe2

Yes... he’s a 5-6 defenseman at best... as every Pens fan has been discussing for the past 2 seasons. Kahun plus a 5th for Maatta and his $4M contract?... no bueno.

Hearing Hawks might still add another defenceman.

Forsling, Murphy and/or (maybe) Gustafsson are being discussed as being moved out of Chicago.

Told you all to buckle up.
- Tyler Cameron

Koekoek

You didn’t really just write that and think in your head “that’s clever” did ya?
- rwilliams88

Clever, no.

Appropriate as a response to someone who never posts until chiming in to passionately defend Stan’s decision to make a poopty trade for a 3rd rate, lead footed D-man? Absolutely.

Hearing Hawks might still add another defenceman.

Forsling, Murphy and/or (maybe) Gustafsson are being discussed as being moved out of Chicago.

Told you all to buckle up.
- Tyler Cameron

If there’s a god it will be Gustafsson for a defenseman who actually plays defense.

Yes... he’s a 5-6 defenseman at best... as every Pens fan has been discussing for the past 2 seasons. Kahun plus a 5th for Maatta and his $4M contract?... no bueno.
- Chief4Feathers

This isn't accurate, though. He was a 3/4 on a cup winning teams and a #4 just the season before last. Maatta definitely had a down season but he's also legitimately been a top 4 d-man in the past, so it all really depends on whether he can rebound this upcoming season (which is possible since he's only about to be 25).

I don't really know what people were expecting in terms of trades. Top 4 d-men in the NHL typically cost a lot to acquire via trade and the Hawks have limited trade options. It's top end defensive prospects or it's middle 6 forwards - that's pretty much it. All the reports have been saying the Hawks have been extremely aggressive, pretty much hit up every team in the NHL, and this was likely the best deal they could get without sacrificing a player like Saad (who only a Pesce type would have been acceptable in return for). It's part of why I was always wanting them to focus on defensive forwards and see if there can be growth from within (like say from Gilbert).

This could be a terrible trade if Maatta doesn't bounce back for sure - but it could be another Strome deal where they got what they needed without a huge price tag. It's a wait and see what happens kind of deal now.

Hearing Hawks might still add another defenceman.

Forsling, Murphy and/or (maybe) Gustafsson are being discussed as being moved out of Chicago.

Told you all to buckle up.
- Tyler Cameron

Forsling, I'd like to keep, but will live if he goes, same for Gus. Keep Murphy. I'm not happy about Kahun. I must have seen something different when he played on the seond line with Adb and Strome. Thanks for the info, TC. Let's try to fix the defensive forwards now and leave the defense alone for a while.

So is the PK better?

is there a better shot blocker.

Did they dad good stick guy, Stanley Cup winner?

That should be where analysis starts

I checked out HF Boards for the blog on this trade. Consensus there from fans of other teams is that the Pens did well on a player who had little market value. Some comments also about payback for Stan for his Manning/Caggiula deal.
- 67hawks

This is what bugs me about the trade. Everyone knows Pitt needs cap space , it seems if Stan really wanted he could have held out longer . There will be quite a few teams needing to move players for cap space . I think he really jumped the gun here and could have did way better for 4 million

This isn't accurate, though. He was a 3/4 on a cup winning teams and a #4 just the season before last. Maatta definitely had a down season but he's also legitimately been a top 4 d-man in the past, so it all really depends on whether he can rebound this upcoming season (which is possible since he's only about to be 25).

I don't really know what people were expecting in terms of trades. Top 4 d-men in the NHL typically cost a lot to acquire via trade and the Hawks have limited trade options. It's top end defensive prospects or it's middle 6 forwards - that's pretty much it. All the reports have been saying the Hawks have been extremely aggressive, pretty much hit up every team in the NHL, and this was likely the best deal they could get without sacrificing a player like Saad (who only a Pesce type would have been acceptable in return for). It's part of why I was always wanting them to focus on defensive forwards and see if there can be growth from within (like say from Gilbert).

This could be a terrible trade if Maatta doesn't bounce back for sure - but it could be another Strome deal where they got what they needed without a huge price tag. It's a wait and see what happens kind of deal now.
- L_B_R

Ok LBR... I respect your analytics, so hopefully as you say this is a roll of the dice to get a top-4 dman on the cheap - but I’m not overly optimistic at the potential of this working out that way. I hope I’m wrong...

So is the PK better?

is there a better shot blocker.

Did they dad good stick guy, Stanley Cup winner?

That should be where analysis starts
- wiz1901

Like I said . Im cool with it.

Like I said . Im cool with it.
- mrpaulish

Well... the bright side is that I’m probably going to have new whipping boy instead of Gustafsson for this upcoming season...

Better get my fictitious Maatta jersey sewn up...

Yeah. Dahlstrom has better feet.
- Elbows15

Well I don’t have a foot fetish so I don’t care who has better feet!

Hearing Hawks might still add another defenceman.

Forsling, Murphy and/or (maybe) Gustafsson are being discussed as being moved out of Chicago.

Told you all to buckle up.
- Tyler Cameron

Fine.....but that still doesn't quantify why a good young fast forward who has smart hockey sense gets sent away. Kahun is the type of player that this team needs more of. Trade the slackers that don't give 100% game in and game out and are weak mentally. We have a few of those.

Pittsburgh will absolutely love Dominik Kahun. Watch how he progresses. Terrible move by Bowman. Now.....if he uses Maatta in another move to get a true LEGIT top 4, maybe I'll take a different look.