Ethan Osterhout: No Need for Penguins Trades
Posted 3:54 PM ET | Comments 1
Trade rumors are the dominant discussion in rumor boards, especially on HockeyBuzz. It's always an entertaining topic, but it makes more sense for some teams over others. Frankly, good teams potentially trading away players doesn't make sense to me.
This is why I'm wondering why the Penguins are looking to make trades. I'm going to assume that the rumors I've read are real talks and not speculations. I see that Hemsky and Iginla are candidates for trades down the line, but to get these players means to give up good players. They are not regular forecheckers who grind the boards.
One post I read suggested that Staal could go for Iginla. I don't see the point in that. Getting James Neal proved to be hugely successful, but it took until this current season to realize that. It took him a while to get used to the Pens' system, and a guy like Iginla could take even longer. He's an older player, and to give up Staal for him would be a big mistake.
Ray Shero has made great trades since he's been in Pittsburgh, but that doesn't mean he should make one every year. This team is riddled with injuries, and playing the waiting game is a good idea for this year's club. Crosby being out certainly has dealt a huge blow, but trading for a scorer is always a crapshoot, as we saw with Neal for his first 20-something games. So far, the only bad trade Shero has done was getting Kovalev. Sorry, but even a 7th-round pick for him at that point in his career was a bit of a gift to Ottawa.
As far as Hemsky is concerned, I think he could fit in quicker than Iginla, but I refer to my point about injuries. Pittsburgh would be not only investing a lot of cap space for him, but he's had injury problems throughout his career. Imagine him playing against the Capitals or Flyers, two teams that he hasn't been up against very much in his career.
Lastly, I saw a post about Ryan Malone declaring the only other team he'd play for is Pittsburgh, so if he's waived for whatever reason, he'd only suit up for the Penguins. The loyalty is nice, but the Penguins didn't resign him for a reason. He hasn't played horribly in Tampa Bay, but I imagine that Malone's name and 'waivers' in the same sentence indicates disappointing play as of late. He still has the same contract that he signed when he first got to Tampa Bay, and if he can't play well with people like Lecalvier, St. Louis or Stamkos, then how would he, or the Penguins, expect to play with Malkin or Crosby as well, or even James Neal and Jordan Staal? He's a grinder and a great backchecker, but his value in Pittsburgh doesn't exist anymore.
Again, the trade rumors are fun to read and can be exciting, but the point I want to make is that this year, the Penguins shouldn't be reaching out for scorers. Every team hits a slump or two at some point in the year, and they should be expected by each and every GM. Obviously a coach won't accept them, but they're inevitable. The rumors for the Penguins, as I said earlier, probably have some merit to them. I just don't see why they'd want to move anyone. This might change in February or early March if things really get out of hand, but these early talks are unnecessary.
This is why I'm wondering why the Penguins are looking to make trades. I'm going to assume that the rumors I've read are real talks and not speculations. I see that Hemsky and Iginla are candidates for trades down the line, but to get these players means to give up good players. They are not regular forecheckers who grind the boards.
One post I read suggested that Staal could go for Iginla. I don't see the point in that. Getting James Neal proved to be hugely successful, but it took until this current season to realize that. It took him a while to get used to the Pens' system, and a guy like Iginla could take even longer. He's an older player, and to give up Staal for him would be a big mistake.
Ray Shero has made great trades since he's been in Pittsburgh, but that doesn't mean he should make one every year. This team is riddled with injuries, and playing the waiting game is a good idea for this year's club. Crosby being out certainly has dealt a huge blow, but trading for a scorer is always a crapshoot, as we saw with Neal for his first 20-something games. So far, the only bad trade Shero has done was getting Kovalev. Sorry, but even a 7th-round pick for him at that point in his career was a bit of a gift to Ottawa.
As far as Hemsky is concerned, I think he could fit in quicker than Iginla, but I refer to my point about injuries. Pittsburgh would be not only investing a lot of cap space for him, but he's had injury problems throughout his career. Imagine him playing against the Capitals or Flyers, two teams that he hasn't been up against very much in his career.
Lastly, I saw a post about Ryan Malone declaring the only other team he'd play for is Pittsburgh, so if he's waived for whatever reason, he'd only suit up for the Penguins. The loyalty is nice, but the Penguins didn't resign him for a reason. He hasn't played horribly in Tampa Bay, but I imagine that Malone's name and 'waivers' in the same sentence indicates disappointing play as of late. He still has the same contract that he signed when he first got to Tampa Bay, and if he can't play well with people like Lecalvier, St. Louis or Stamkos, then how would he, or the Penguins, expect to play with Malkin or Crosby as well, or even James Neal and Jordan Staal? He's a grinder and a great backchecker, but his value in Pittsburgh doesn't exist anymore.
Again, the trade rumors are fun to read and can be exciting, but the point I want to make is that this year, the Penguins shouldn't be reaching out for scorers. Every team hits a slump or two at some point in the year, and they should be expected by each and every GM. Obviously a coach won't accept them, but they're inevitable. The rumors for the Penguins, as I said earlier, probably have some merit to them. I just don't see why they'd want to move anyone. This might change in February or early March if things really get out of hand, but these early talks are unnecessary.
Bitcoin price prediction for 2021 is dependent on analyzing the trend in bitcoin prices in the year. As hoped,bitcoin prediction price will oscillate between different price points as time goes by, and our bitcoin price prediction puts this into consideration.