Confirmed with Link: Penguins acquire Erik Karlsson for Granlund, 1st rounder in 2024, Rutta, Petry, DeSmith (more in first post)

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

We got rid of Deshit but kept Turdwedel. Such is life.

Liking this because "Turdwedel" is brilliant.

 

[Peat]

Oooooooh... yeahhhhhhh... so... I'm not NEARLY this confident in the decision making process. Particularly when it comes to how the powerplay is handled. This team practically puts a cape on Kris Letang. But I sincerely hope you're right haha

He lost the PP1 unit while fit to Justin Schultz. Only for little bits, but he did. Ice time looks like he might have lost a few games here and there to Petry too.

And Erik Karlsson is a far different beast to those two, and he's here because the team think he should wear a cape too.

Part of it also depends on Letang. I don't think Letang was happy about losing PP1 time to Schultz back in the day, but I think he's a different guy now. Sees a bigger picture. It's not like he won't still be incredibly important.

I don't want to make predictions on how it will go... but how it can go, I don't think they're necessarily locked into Letang on PP1 come what may. Not with it like this.

 

[Ryder71]

What UFA's upfront with top six pedigree are still available? I know Tatar is, but hopefully Dubas gets someone at a bargain basement price here.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Comtois is interesting.

Wouldn't mind picking him up no risk/potential reward.

 

[Jacob]

As mentioned earlier in the summer I think EK extends our window by a year or two. I think having a highly mobile highly skilled blueline will be especially beneficial to Geno as he ages and becomes more of a stationary playmaker guy.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Part of it also depends on Letang. I don't think Letang was happy about losing PP1 time to Schultz back in the day, but I think he's a different guy now. Sees a bigger picture. It's not like he won't still be incredibly important.

I don't want to make predictions on how it will go... but how it can go, I don't think they're necessarily locked into Letang on PP1 come what may. Not with it like this.

Just wanted to comment that if people think I'm being hard on Letang... it's only a powerplay thing. The dude is still insanely crucial as a ES play driver and always has been. The team looks massively different in a bad way without him.

I still think he'd be just fine doing something like working the LHB on PP1. His shot is heavy and accurate to this day. Him and Malkin being the two biggest shooting options for EK to dish to could be very interesting and deadly.

 

[HandshakeLine]

It’s almost harder to believe we got rid of those contracts than it is to believe we got Karlsson.

 

[tom_servo]

So weird to see fans of a rebuilding team post things like, "we only retained $1.5 million! Huge win!"

 

[3ladesof5teel]

The internet is a toxic horrible place where civil discussion goes to die, so no problem.

Thanks for this! Yeah, I’m wondering if we can pump Granlund’s value for a trade at the deadline.

Did Hoffman not play at all then? Is he broken?

You should have no issues extracting value out of both Rutta and Granlund and add some picks to your rebuild with them. I think the deadline floor/ceiling for both of them is 2nd/3rd round.

Rutta is a serviceable Dman who I would have still liked to see here. He can play a 5 pretty well.

Granlund with the right linemates can be a solid playmaker with skill. He wasn't going to get that here

 

[TNT87]

It finally happened. Welcome EK65!!

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Hey guys! Come in peace. I think this trade is great for everyone - you guys get what you want and have another chance at the cup, we got rid of a massive contract for a tiny amount of retainment and a 1st — something we genuinely couldn’t have even imagined last summer.

Question for ya’ll: what’s the word now on the old dudes we got? I know they’re all cap dumps but just curious what level they’re playing at now — are Granlund/Hoffman third line players? 4th line? How bad ARE they? Is Rutta still pretty good? I think he’s actually a nice teacher for some of our young defensemen, so I sorta like getting him back.

Thanks!

P.S. as a kid I loved Jagr (I had long hair and everyone called me Jagr when I played) and always picked the Penguins when I played the NHL games.. before I became a big Sharks fan of course. Anyway, still have a soft spot for your team and hope Karlsson can get a cup there.

Rutta was unspectacular last season on the third pairing, but hardly a liability. Opinions on him here likely would be a little higher without the cap crunch requiring a third pairing defenseman to do more than he did/him blocking younger and cheaper players. He's a perfectly good third pairing option that'll fetch yinz another pick down the road. If you want a vet for the kids that is worth a spot, Rutta can be that. Mild trade value come deadline season.

Granlund...listen, he was as bad of a fit as a player could be and the absurdity of his acquisition made him getting a fair shake here impossible. He's a better player than you'd think by reading this board because he's just not worth his contract or the cost we paid for him. Without those massive negatives being front & center he's still a 40 point player in a role he's not the worst possible fit for. Don't ever play him as a 3C and he can probably be rehabbed into a serviceable asset.

DeSmith is the definition of an average back-up. If you need him to start for a few weeks the wheels will come off, but you can do much worse for a pure back-up. Definitely something the Penguins needed to upgrade this off-season, but he'll likely be able to fetch a mid/late pick depending on how he plays for yinz. Value is lowest right now because he's a 30+ back-up making more than the league minimum in the off-season.

Legare was a very intriguing prospect in juniors, but none of that has translated to the pros through 2 seasons. A change of scenery can only help him, but he's a lottery ticket at this point in time.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

So weird to see fans of a rebuilding team post things like, "we only retained $1.5 million! Huge win!"

I don't think they actually did badly on this deal considering how little they retained.

But yeah I mean... it's a huge difference in commentary from 24 hours ago when it was all "lol you guys are gonna have to give up two firsts, your best prospect and POJ to even get the conversation started. Sour grapes!"

 

[Peat]

Just wanted to comment that if people think I'm being hard on Letang... it's only a powerplay thing. The dude is still insanely crucial as a ES play driver and always has been. The team looks massively different in a bad way without him.

I still think he'd be just fine doing something like working the LHB on PP1. His shot is heavy and accurate to this day. Him and Malkin being the two biggest shooting options for EK to dish to could be very interesting and deadly.

I think this is option 1. I think it's interesting and probably works. But if it's not quite working? There's other options for PP1, and other options for Letang's ice time.

 

[ColePens]

For the people saying "Omg everyone is just bitching about this trade"... what f***ing thread are you reading? like 90+% of people are ecstatic and at least know the Pens will be a blast to watch.

Why do we always let the minority of people speak for the majority? This is a dope day. Even if we don't win, this team is going to be a freaking blast.

 

[Ryder71]

So weird to see fans of a rebuilding team post things like, "we only retained $1.5 million! Huge win!"

You need to understand something. Sharks fans are so hard up they'll try and twist anything into a victory, that's just how lowly a good number of them are. Not all but quite a few. So glad I don't root for that organization, YIKES!

 

[AuroraBorealis]

What UFA's upfront with top six pedigree are still available? I know Tatar is, but hopefully Dubas gets someone at a bargain basement price here.

Next to nothing. Kane...
Bailey, if he has a bounceback... Doubtful at his age.
Heinen could potentially put up 40 points with Rust usage from last year. Will cost like 1M.

 

[frisco]

Will EK shave off that Three Musketeer facial hair thing he has had forever? I don't think I want to look at that all year.

My Best-Carey

 

[Jacob]

Basically taking Granlund and Rutta is their retention but that’s smart because they’ll be able to play them a ton and then flip those guys for assets in a year or two.

 

[Ryder71]

I don't think they actually did badly on this deal considering how little they retained.

But yeah I mean... it's a huge difference in commentary from 24 hours ago when it was all "lol you guys are gonna have to give up two firsts, your best prospect and POJ to even get the conversation started. Sour grapes!"

OH yes! It feels great! lol

 

[OnMyOwn]

I said a month ago when we were talking about bottom 6 production, a way to generate more offense when your bottom 6 is lacking, is through defense. One of Letang or EK will be on the ice for 80% of the shifts, barring injury. That will get some more out of the 3rd and 4th line by default.

The bottom 6 can play solid D while allowing those two to push the play up the ice and around the net.

 

[Ryder71]

Basically taking Granlund and Rutta is their retention but that’s smart because they’ll be able to play them a ton and then flip those guys for assets in a year or two.

Rutta has some value, Granlund at the moment not much. I'm not surprised Rutta went to SJ though. Was singing that tune for quite a while. He can be flipped with good play for a 2hd at the deadline.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I said a month ago when we were talking about bottom 6 production, a way to generate more offense when your bottom 6 is lacking, is through defense. One of Letang or EK will be on the ice for 80% of the shifts, barring injury. That will get some more out of the 3rd and 4th line by default.

The bottom 6 can play solid D while allowing those two to push the play up the ice and around the net.

This was the idea last year in my mind with Petry. Just didn't pan out.

If they can't get it done with Erik friggin' Karlsson... well... maybe look behind the bench.

 

[WickedWrister]

 

[Jacob]

I’m thinking Smith not being included means Dubas and his group are high on Smith. With us adding another PPQB and SJS losing theirs Smith would’ve been a logical throw-in especially going to a young rebuilding team that can let him play through some mistakes. He’s cheap which is good for us but not really a fit on paper, so they might just see something in him. Hell, maybe Sully does too, just couldn’t play him last year due to waivers and cap reasons.

 

[Zirakzigil]

We dumped Deshit.

I am ecstatic.

And replaced him with Ruh full time in the line up