Ryan Wilson: Trading Derick Brassard Trading Derick Brassard

I was watching Yohe on TV last night. He basically pegged the Penguins biggest problem on "goal prevention". I totally agree with this. This is a poor defensive team and I fully blame the players, coach and GM. The team needs to tighten things up significantly until they can find a goal tending solution.

That being said, I'd definitely offer Brassard up for trade along with a few other players. If I felt I could get an acceptable replacement at 3C, I'd do it today.

At Feds: pretty sure the pens couldn't have matched that deal you guys got for Tats.

I think Sully needs more blame for the Pens play this season. He's note exactly thinking outside the box on any of his combos.

Brassard is decent, but at 31 and pending UFA he will not be back here next season. He hasn't been good enough to be extended and someone will pay him around $6M/yr.

With the Pens needing Reeves last year in the playoffs, Cole tearing it up for the AVS and MM being swiss cheese, the brassard trade is pretty terrible.

I think Sully needs more blame for the Pens play this season. He's note exactly thinking outside the box on any of his combos.

Brassard is decent, but at 31 and pending UFA he will not be back here next season. He hasn't been good enough to be extended and someone will pay him around $6M/yr.

With the Pens needing Reeves last year in the playoffs, Cole tearing it up for the AVS and MM being swiss cheese, the brassard trade is pretty terrible.
- sammy87

Yea you're right they could def have used superman last playoffs I agree.

I think Sully needs more blame for the Pens play this season. He's note exactly thinking outside the box on any of his combos.

Brassard is decent, but at 31 and pending UFA he will not be back here next season. He hasn't been good enough to be extended and someone will pay him around $6M/yr.

With the Pens needing Reeves last year in the playoffs, Cole tearing it up for the AVS and MM being swiss cheese, the brassard trade is pretty terrible.
- sammy87

lol wut

I think Sully needs more blame for the Pens play this season. He's note exactly thinking outside the box on any of his combos.

Brassard is decent, but at 31 and pending UFA he will not be back here next season. He hasn't been good enough to be extended and someone will pay him around $6M/yr.

With the Pens needing Reeves last year in the playoffs, Cole tearing it up for the AVS and MM being swiss cheese, the brassard trade is pretty terrible.
- sammy87

I'm not sure what he's supposed to do in that regard. They clearly have a pecking order at center. That's never going to change. The only thing he can do is move the scoring wings up and down the lineup.....which I think he's done extensively.

They even had Brass at LW before he got hurt. He sure as hell isn't taking Guentzal off of Sid's line now.

One of my motivations on moving Brassard (and I wanted them to do it during the summer) was I hate letting a guy walk for nothing. Plus he clearly stated on his way out of the door after the Caps series that he didn't want the 3C role. I can't say I necessarily blame him since it's a contract year.

If Parayko is truly available, the Pens need to be all of it. Maatta + Sprong? Not sure that is enough but I'd start there.

Quotes not working but in response to Madmike above:

I agree wholeheartedly with the idea that I've wanted Brassard moved since the summer when he made those comments (not that I blame him) but why keep a disgruntled player when you'll lose him for nothing at the end of the year, especially when the team isn't exactly showing signs of life?

I'm not sure where they go, but then again I'm not being paid to be the GM but it should be obvious that they need a competent D and 3C, instead they swap out LW's (not that I'm not liking Pearson). I feel like what's going to happen is they'll trade away their 1st and 2nd this year along with other pieces, but they'll still be saddled with JJ dragging down the D and likely not getting an adequate 3C with any term.

If Parayko is truly available, the Pens need to be all of it. Maatta + Sprong? Not sure that is enough but I'd start there.
- kfinl170

I'd say that's no where near, but if the Blues are shopping Parayko, that means they're dumb, so maybe they'd be dumb enough to take Maatta, Sprong, and a first.

I'd say that's no where near, but if the Blues are shopping Parayko, that means they're dumb, so maybe they'd be dumb enough to take Maatta, Sprong, and a first.
- Victoro311

I'd offer up...

Sprong+Hallander+Rust+1st

I'd say that's no where near, but if the Blues are shopping Parayko, that means they're dumb, so maybe they'd be dumb enough to take Maatta, Sprong, and a first.
- Victoro311

Meh Parayko is overrated. Tyler Myers 2.0

How about an Allen/Parayko, Murray/Maatta swap?
Or at least a starter there maybe add things.

Parayko may be overrated but he'd be the 2nd best D-man on this team, imo.

I always hesitate when I consider guys like Parayko or Manson (big, somewhat physical, RHD, guys I particularly think would be a great fit on the pens). When healthy, we have Letang and Schultz. So, while it's not a bad thing to have Parayko or Schultz on your third pair, is that the best approach to shore up the defense?

I almost think the ideal slotting would be finding a really good LHD to play with Schultz on the 2nd pair. We have enough bottom pair guys already. We could really use the upgrade with Schultz's partner.

I'd offer up...

Sprong+Hallander+Rust+1st
- j.boyd919

Still need to send out more cap.

Parayko may be overrated but he'd be the 2nd best D-man on this team, imo.

I always hesitate when I consider guys like Parayko or Manson (big, somewhat physical, RHD, guys I particularly think would be a great fit on the pens). When healthy, we have Letang and Schultz. So, while it's not a bad thing to have Parayko or Schultz on your third pair, is that the best approach to shore up the defense?

I almost think the ideal slotting would be finding a really good LHD to play with Schultz on the 2nd pair. We have enough bottom pair guys already. We could really use the upgrade with Schultz's partner.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

DeKeyser for Maatta

Parayko may be overrated but he'd be the 2nd best D-man on this team, imo.

I always hesitate when I consider guys like Parayko or Manson (big, somewhat physical, RHD, guys I particularly think would be a great fit on the pens). When healthy, we have Letang and Schultz. So, while it's not a bad thing to have Parayko or Schultz on your third pair, is that the best approach to shore up the defense?

I almost think the ideal slotting would be finding a really good LHD to play with Schultz on the 2nd pair. We have enough bottom pair guys already. We could really use the upgrade with Schultz's partner.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Schultz is only under contract for one more year. Aquiring Parayko would set us at RD moving forward, which is one of if not the hardest position to fill out.

I was watching Yohe on TV last night. He basically pegged the Penguins biggest problem on "goal prevention". I totally agree with this. This is a poor defensive team and I fully blame the players, coach and GM. The team needs to tighten things up significantly until they can find a goal tending solution.


- madmike71

True but a lot of the defensive issues stem from the forwards. As mentioned last blog, something around Brassard for Lowry would be the semi-realistic best case scenario for Pens. Get younger, more physical, and a more defensively-oriented traditional 3rd line C in exchange for the better offensive player.

Schultz is only under contract for one more year. Aquiring Parayko would set us at RD moving forward, which is one of if not the hardest position to fill out.
- Victoro311

Oh wow...good point. 3 year deal. I thought it was a 5 year deal for some reason.

Okay, yeah id be all about it but I think is acquisition price is much higher. Like probably starts with Guentzel.

How is Parayko's "defensive conscience" on the powerplay?

The Penguins lost in the playoffs last year for a variety of reasons. Missing Ryan Reaves was not one of those reasons.

I think trading Brassard is a little misguided. Selling an asset for pennies doesn't make sense in my opinion. The only time I'd consider it would be if you get an asset back like Brassard. Similar to the Hagelin deal.

I also think Brassard hasn't gotten a fair shake all of the time. He has been forced to play wing (which i know he can do, doesn't mean he can do it well) and hasnt always had the best linemates.

Give him a real third line and the opportunity to play and I think you'll get a better result. Chasing him away for nothing when he has a history of scoring, makes no sense to me.

The Penguins lost in the playoffs last year for a variety of reasons. Missing Ryan Reaves was not one of those reasons.

I think trading Brassard is a little misguided. Selling an asset for pennies doesn't make sense in my opinion. The only time I'd consider it would be if you get an asset back like Brassard. Similar to the Hagelin deal.

I also think Brassard hasn't gotten a fair shake all of the time. He has been forced to play wing (which i know he can do, doesn't mean he can do it well) and hasnt always had the best linemates.

Give him a real third line and the opportunity to play and I think you'll get a better result. Chasing him away for nothing when he has a history of scoring, makes no sense to me.
- SuperHenderson13

This. When Sid was out and Brass came back a game before Sid and had good linemates(not Kessel because that doesn't work) he looked good. Give him something.
Edit: Hypothetical if we say trade Brass for Henrique, Henrique is gonna play with crap and it'll be the same thing except now we are paying even more for it, because we have brass at a good price.

This. When Sid was out and Brass came back a game before Sid and had good linemates(not Kessel because that doesn't work) he looked good. Give him something.
Edit: Hypothetical if we say trade Brass for Henrique, Henrique is gonna play with crap and it'll be the same thing except now we are paying even more for it, because we have brass at a good price.
- 668710

Henrique makes a lot of sense since GMJR is definitely looking to accumulate bad contracts.

The Penguins lost in the playoffs last year for a variety of reasons. Missing Ryan Reaves was not one of those reasons.

I think trading Brassard is a little misguided. Selling an asset for pennies doesn't make sense in my opinion. The only time I'd consider it would be if you get an asset back like Brassard. Similar to the Hagelin deal.

I also think Brassard hasn't gotten a fair shake all of the time. He has been forced to play wing (which i know he can do, doesn't mean he can do it well) and hasnt always had the best linemates.

Give him a real third line and the opportunity to play and I think you'll get a better result. Chasing him away for nothing when he has a history of scoring, makes no sense to me.
- SuperHenderson13

I agree with this. Trading Brassard would be a shuffling the deck move since we'd be hard pressed to find a better 3C than him, and I'm uninterested in actively downgrading him. Shuffling the deck can help to get in fresh blood and send messages, but when you make trades just to make a trade and end up getting a worse player back, you're in a worse spot than where you started.

The problem isn't Brassard, I think. Its his linemates. Phil isn't a good fit with him, Sprong can't crack the lineup, and Rust has been severely underperforming this season. I'm hesitant to break up the Crosby unit, but with Simon playing as well as he has, I'd like to give Simon-Brassard-Rust another shot to see if it works now that everyone is healthy.

I agree with this. Trading Brassard would be a shuffling the deck move since we'd be hard pressed to find a better 3C than him, and I'm uninterested in actively downgrading him. Shuffling the deck can help to get in fresh blood and send messages, but when you make trades just to make a trade and end up getting a worse player back, you're in a worse spot than where you started.

The problem isn't Brassard, I think. Its his linemates. Phil isn't a good fit with him, Sprong can't crack the lineup, and Rust has been severely underperforming this season. I'm hesitant to break up the Crosby unit, but with Simon playing as well as he has, I'd like to give Simon-Brassard-Rust another shot to see if it works now that everyone is healthy.
- Victoro311

I think you have to keep Kessel & Malkin together because Phil can play with no one else. I have actually liked Pearson since he has gotten here. Not a great skater like Hagelin, but he holds his own and keeps it together on that line.

I think your top 6 is set. You cannot break up the Crosby line, it has been the only line capable of playing in the NHL lately. The Pearson-Malkin-Kessel line aint great right now, but like I said, you cannot change it. You just have to keep them together and let them play out of the bad spell they are on.

Third line you have Rust/Brassard/Sprong in my opinion. Given Brassard a good player that is where he needs to be (Rust) and give him a scorer (Sprong). Sprong is in the dog house, but he needs to be in the Top 9 or trade him. He isn't going to get you anything on the 4th line and wasting his potential is stupid. They did the same thing with Pouliot and destroyed him and his potential trade value. The third line has goal skilling capabilities while being defensively solid. That is all you can ask for in a 3rd line.

Fourth line leaves guys like Simon/Sheahan/ZAR. I have liked ZAR so I think he deserves a jersey every night. Sheahan I think has also gotten the bad end of the stick this season due to coaching decisions. He is light years ahead of Matt Cullen & Grant. No idea why Sullivan has played both guys over him, but with Cullen out, this shouldn't even be a decision on Sullivan's end. Grant gives you nothing important. I dont like Simon, he has shown me something more than I gave him credit for, but I still consider him nothing more than a below average skilled guy with an above average hockey sense. A fringe NHL player at best.

Henrique makes a lot of sense since GMJR is definitely looking to accumulate bad contracts.
- Feds91Stammer

Lol I honestly don't know Henriques cap hit I thought it was around 5. anyway I don't want him was just using it as an example because I've herad some in here bring him up.