Penguins
Penguins Cleanup: Sources on Schenn Trade, Grzelcyk Future
The chaos and triage of the NHL trade deadline is past. Teams are settled, some for the last 16 games, while the rest are anxiously awaiting the results of their moves, hoping to have caught magic for a Stanley Cup run.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are clearly in the former category, trying desperately to win games and avoid the dubious distinction of last place in the Eastern Conference.
That effort isn’t going so well, despite the 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild Sunday.
After beating the bushes with sources for the better part of last week, Pittsburgh Hockey Now can confirm a few details of the Penguins’ trade deadline activities and what will happen next.
Luke Schenn
Most assumed Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas acquired Schenn to flip the physical right-shot defenseman for a greater bounty. However, Dubas’s comments following the trade and coach Mike Sullivan’s words left little doubt the Penguins saw Schenn as an important piece for the organization’s revamp.
Why a team heading toward the bottom would acquire a 35-year-old defenseman, right-handed or not, was questionable. After all, coaches and management often tout the existing leadership group.
The general hockey public was skeptical, at best. Daily Face-Off’s national analyst, Frank Seravalli, called it the “worst trade in 25 years.”
Hyperbole aside, Pittsburgh Hockey Now can confirm the Penguins acquired Schenn in good faith, not as a trade chip to flip.
However, Schenn wanted to play for a contender, and Dubas was able to oblige.
Sources told PHN that the Penguins had no shortage of interest. Winnipeg was in contact with Nashville before the deal and obviously remained a very interested party when Schenn was again available after the Penguins acquisition. Just how much Nashville GM Barry Trotz left on the table by sending Schenn to Pittsburgh is unknown, but on paper, Dubas turned his fourth-round pick used in the deal with Nashville into a second-rounder from Winnipeg.
With magic like that, if Dubas had not been in Pittsburgh, he could have done a show in Vegas.
Matt Grzelcyk
In the days leading to the deadline, defensemen not too dissimilar from Grzelcyk in impact and career station, such as Brian Dumoulin, were dealt away for handsome returns.
It was generally assumed the Penguins would trade Grzelcyk, too. However, Dubas sounded a neutral tone on that effort during his postdeadline presser.
“There was interest. Teams (were) kicking tires, but in the end, we got through the deadline, and he remains a member of our team,” said Dubas.
That’s not exactly the warm and fuzzies.
However, PHN can confirm some interest in re-signing Grzelcyk. It doesn’t sound like there have yet been serious talks, but Grzelcyk has submitted a solid season, and the two sides have spoken about the future.
It will be a situation to monitor. Grzelcyk seems to fit the Penguins’ scheme, but the sides will need to determine whether he fits the program and if he wants to be part of the next phase.
Owen Pickering should be ready for full-time NHL duty next season, and the Penguins otherwise do not have a bumper crop of left-handed defensemen under contract next season,
Only Ryan Graves, Ryan Shea, and Vladislav Kolyachonok are under contract for next season. P.O Joseph and Conor Timmins will be restricted free agents.
The quality, or lack thereof, of the defensemen on the roster could lead to a Grzelcyk extension.
We can go through pieces and parts of this team but goaltending has led to surges and failures over the last 3-4 years. Couple that with an increasingly weak D corps defensively and you end up with an inconsistent and sometimes effort-challenged group. I hope Jarry is back on track, I like him and he has the skill to be a top player, but chasing goalies is a recipe for disaster with young teams so someone needs to fill that gap. I’m going to lay this at the feet of KD at this point. It’s his crew
So tired of this narrative. The worst defense in the league. They give up 3x breakaways and odd man rushes than the top 15 goalies face. Plus, none of our defenseman clear the crease. Yet our 3 goalies all have similar stats. About an 890 save percentage and 3.2 goals per game. If they had a third of the breakaways and oddman rushes, plus could see the puck better, they would be closer to the 2.5 gpg and 920 save percentage. Very respectable.
Everyone should have figured it out by now, but I guess only I have. I’ll say for the umtheeth time. You can not dump and chase every rush with a older slower team. You cannot have defenseman who think they are wingers. Sullivan is the problem period. His system is wrong, his attitude is wrong, we need a change dah.
So true, ringing the dump & chase bell for some time…it’s like saying I don’t want possession. Sully has to go – great you got 400, but you’re 0 for 6 years when it matters.
Pen’s have the weakest D I have seen in years. Not sure how Gryzkjlyk fits either but I think they need to keep digging and searching.
With all the negativity surrounding this team I for one really enjoyed watching yesterday’s game…It reminded me just how good Syd Gino and the Flower have been …you guys can go back to the ranting and raving but let’s hope you enjoyed not only the game but the last 30 years or so of Penguins hockey!
Dan:
Consumer request. An article on what benefit to the team it has on not trading Rakell. Ty. I’m mystified.
I think our article Saturday covered that–Dubas explained why he kept him. I really can’t add much more.
https://pittsburghhockeynow.com/why-pittsburgh-penguins-dubas-declined-trade-lots-interest-rickard-rakell-matt-grzelcyk/
I think Timmins is a RHD.
That is correct, he is a RHD.
Idea of good extension, is not this guy Grzelcyk. Ideally, he is a bottomg pairing defenseman and we have plenty of those. Please do not do it Kyle/Sullivan.
Casey DeSmith has a 12-6 record, 2.42 GAA and .914 save percentage this season. That’s all one needs to know about team defense.
Think Duby would consider signing Marner, Taveras and Stolarz after the season? Be afraid, Maple Leafs. Be very afraid . . .
I think Marner may fit the plans for the penguins, but it may be a tough sell to get him to play for Pittsburgh.
3 D under contract? I thought the contracts of Letang and Karlson were the problems?
Pens need to sign Chychrun if he’s available or put an offer sheet out on Dylan Samberg from WPG – the man is a beast!
Chychrun will be due a solid raise. I have a feeling he will re-sign with the caps. They would not be smart to let him go to ufa.
…also, why sign Grzelcyk at age 31 and let Petterson go at age 28? I understand we got a good return for Petterson but signing him at $5.5M x 3 year would have been ok. I bet the offers for Grzelcyk were very underwhelming – nobody is looking for undersized D for a playoff run…
So, Schenn asked to be traded to the ‘Peg”?
Just say no to re-signing Griz and POJ. They are not what is needed. Hopefully Karlsson is moved this summer and a new #1 left or right D can be found. Letang and Timmins on the right and Graves and Pick on the left. Shea will be #7.
Who cares if were last , think about the future! The lower we are better are chances of a top PICK We need Michael Misa , just imagine Crosby showing him the ropes. I’ve watched Misa in the OHL and he’s extremely good.
sorry but id rather have Porter
Resigning Grz should not be an option. We have the cap room, sign it trade for someone else.
if he extends “Gryz” put me in the category of hoping his stay in Pittsburgh is short ansd sweet
Dan. You slammed Gryz. There can be no bigger slam of a D man than to write that he fits the Pens scheme! Ouch!
You’re consistent, I’ll give you that!
The biggest attribute of Gryz is running the PP. If Sully insists on putting 2 turnover laden all-stars out there instead, then trading him for a 6th would have been value.