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Jim Rutherford said things could be coming to the Pittsburgh Penguins if things did not turn around. Things have not turned around yet, and on Wednesday he made his first change.
Just a couple of hours after the team announced that Rutherford had signed a new contract extension to remain the team's general manager, he completed a trade with the Los Angeles Kings in an effort to shake up his struggling roster.
<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "The trade: Sending Carl Hagelin, a two-time Stanley Cup-winner in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles Kings for Tanner Pearson. "data-reactid =" 20 "> The trade: Sending Carl Hagelin, a two-time Stanley Cup-winner in Pittsburgh, to the Los Angeles Kings for Tanner Pearson.
Rutherford said, "It's obvious that we have made a change."
On the surface there is a lot of difference between these two players.
<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Hagelin has just three points in 16 games even he has spent the bulk of the year playing one of the league's top players in Evgeni Malkin. Pearson, who is usually good for 15 goals and 40 points over a full season, has just one point in 17 games for a kings team. "Data-reactid =" 23 "> Hagelin has just three points in 16 games even though he has played with one of the world's top players Evgeni Malkin. Pearson, who is usually good for 15 goals and 40 points over a full season, has just one point in 17 games for a Kings team.
But let's try to dig a little deeper than that and see what this means for both teams.
<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "[Related: Rutherford signs contract extension with Penguins]"data-reactid =" 25 ">[Related: Rutherford signs contract extension with Penguins]
First, let's start with the Kings because this is a tough one to read. Really tough. The Kings are an old, bad offensive hockey team that is managed to get older (Hagelin is 30, Pearson is 26) and worse offensively. Even though Pearson is having a miserable year, he is still, in big picture terms, a better offensive player than Hagelin and will probably continue to be in future seasons.
Hagelin has speed to burn, but does not have the hands to match it. It leads to a lot of chances that ultimately fizzle out in the offensive zone. That's not what the Kings need. At all.
The key here for the Kings is, most likely, in the dollars. Hagelin is a free agent after his season and has his $ 4 million salary cap hit coming off the books, while Pearson is still on the hook for $ 3.75 salary cap hit through the 2020-21 season. If they do not see Pearson as a long-term fit, it makes some sense to jettison the salary. Though, it certainly does make you wonder if there is a better return out there than this. It is not that Hagelin is a bad player, because he is outstanding defensively and on the penalty kill and every line he is a part of tend to play better. He does not have much to do with this, but he does not want to be short-term or long-term. It is entirely possible, if not likely, he gets traded again before the deadline.
The Penguins, meanwhile, needed a boost offensively, especially when it comes to their bottom-six, a group that has been completely nonexistent. After their 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night, they have a goal of their third-or fourth-line, and Pearson, in theory, could be an upgrade there .
It is also possible that Mike Sullivan coach could simply move into Hagelin's departure.
While he is not likely to be an impact player, he does seem like a pretty good buy-low candidate for the Penguins to take a chance on. His career track record suggests he is much better than he has shown this season, and now he has a good start with a top-tier talent around him. It would not be the first time such a trade worked out for the Penguins.
Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm "type =" text "content =" Remember, they've been acquired the 2015-16 season when he was struggling in Anaheim in a similar change of scenery swap involving David Perron. Hagelin immediately rediscovered his game in Pittsburgh and played a key role in helping them win the Stanley Cup. "Data-reactid =" 32 "> Remember, they've finally acquired Hagelin in the middle of the 2015-16 season when he was struggling in Anaheim in a similar exchange of scenery swap involving David Perron. Hagelin immediately rediscovered his game in Pittsburgh and played a key role in helping Stanley Cup.
Penguins, but as Rutherford said on Wednesday, they had to try something.
<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "MORE: Obviously unhappy GM rips Penguins' slow start"data-reactid =" 34 ">MORE: Obviously unhappy GM rips Penguins' slow start
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<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @AGretz. "data-reactid =" 36 ">Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.
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