Penguins Blog: Trade Bait, PoJo & Beau, & Puljujarvi’s End

The Pittsburgh Penguins showed some gumption and some heart on Friday and Saturday and collected two of four points, though they probably earned all four. A golden opportunity to sneak back into the competition became another What If story as the Penguins lost to the Philly Flyers, and they did so without Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Bryan Rust.

Boko Imama didn’t play either.

And yet, the Penguins delivered one of their best performances of the season. And yet, the Penguins lost.

I know many of you would be on board for a team that moved on from superstars and put forth that kind of effort every night. It’s a tempting proposition, and it’s easy to get behind until you actually have to get behind it. Teams with that lack of talent can scrap and claw for a while, but it is unsustainable.

Though it sure was fun to watch.

It’s easy to root for the Davids against the Goliaths. Numerous players picked up their game to genuinely unexpected levels.

Anthony Beauvillier, Danton Heinen, Kevin Hayes, and P.O. Joseph. The four Penguins were well above board and lifted the team. Beauvillier was especially good on Friday and Saturday.

It’s time to start talking about re-signing him instead of trading him. He’s only 27 years old, and his trade value is limited because he’s neither a goal scorer nor a blood and guts bottom-sixer that grabs attention. Beauvillier has 18 points (12-6-18) in 56 games, but on a team with the worst goal differential in the Eastern Conference and third worst in the NHL, Beauvillier is a plus-3.

How does that happen? It’s disciplined work in all three zones with some skills and good skating.

Joseph is also reclaiming his top-pairing spot beside Kris Letang.

“I’m just out there having fun, and I think that’s when I play my best,” Joseph told Pittsburgh Hockey Now on Saturday. “Whenever we compete hard like that, everyone is working together, and we’re making a playoff push right now–even though it’s a little late–I’m just trying to be out there and help the team win as much as possible and having fun while doing so.”

Dubas did well in getting Matt Grzelcyck after he forewent giving Joseph a Qualifying Offer on June 30. Grzelcyk will recoup a nice asset on the trade block, but Joseph should recoup a value contract and stability into next season on the Penguins blue line. As Letang fades, Joseph’s mobility can pick up that slack. He’s imperfect, but the unique thing about Joseph is that he’s always improving–even at 26, he still feels like he has more potential.

Beauvillier and Joseph have far more value to the Penguins than any replacements or pieces they’d acquire in a trade.

Jesse Puljujarvi

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Jesse Puljujarvi will part ways after 2 p.m. Sunday. The player wanted NHL ice, and the Penguins wanted to give it to him, but the results didn’t merit any more opportunities.

It’s as simple as that. It’s not coach Mike Sullivan’s fault. It’s not Evgeni Malkin’s fault. It’s not the fault of general manager Kyle Dubas. It’s the player.

The furor and emotional attachment to Puljujarvi are bewildering to the point of nonsensicalness. Remember last season when Alex Nylander was the poor soul getting screwed by the callous Penguins machine led by Sullivan? If only he’d get a chance! Heck, I still get comments and replies bringing up Daniel Sprong in the same context.

It’s time to let go because the reality is pretty clear. Sometimes, the hockey people know what they’re doing. Just like Nylander, 32 teams could have snagged Puljujarvi for nothing, and 32 teams said, “Nah.”

The final straw was in Puljujarvi’s last five games. With his NHL career in the balance, Puljujarvi did nothing with those chances. He totaled four shots and was invisible. It wasn’t a matter of ice time or opportunity; he played nearly 12 minutes in each of those games, which is plenty of time to make an impact.

Players who stick around make the best of the chance.

But let me go further and explain the shortcomings. His straight-line speed was good, but his skating was rough. He lacked the agility to change directions within the sometimes chaotic play. It wasn’t uncommon to watch Puljujarvi clack his skates together in a crossover move and fall to the ice, which created a problem in getting to spots in all three zones.

He could be physical, but he would also vanish for long periods–the exact knock on him after years in Edmonton. But I guess the multiple Edmonton coaches and GMs shafted Puljujarvi, too? He lacked defensive awareness, which meant he couldn’t kill penalties, defend leads, and generally wasn’t well suited for a fourth-line role. Nor was Puljujarvi consistent or productive enough for a top-six role.

So, in that sense, no, he wasn’t better than Noel Acciari or Matt Nieto.

I hate writing so poorly about a player, but gosh, almighty, the misdirected cacophony of demand was day and night.

Penguins Trade Bait

Before you volunteer to trade everyone and everything not nailed down, the team does need enough players to continue into next season, and “give the young players a chance” is a nice bumper sticker that can be harmful in real life if said players aren’t ready.

To that end, Rickard Rakell is quickly becoming the hot name on the trade boards. He’s high on the DFO board, No. 2 on the TSN board, and high on Nick Kypreos’s Sportsnet board 3.0.

Rakell has three more seasons under contract after this, and his cap hit is a very manageable $5 million. So, there is no rush to make a move or make a decision. He’s playing some of his best hockey, and he’s become the only player with enough hockey IQ and skill to fill the left wing beside Sidney Crosby.

From this armchair GM’s spot, I’m not trading Rakell for anything less than a three-asset haul: A first, a third, and a Good B-level prospect. Or skip the third-rounder and make it two B-level prospects or one A-level young’in.

Dubas shouldn’t move Rakell for less than a premium. The salary cap spike might also open the market for Erik Karlsson this summer.

Read More: ‘Up in the Air’: Karlsson Talks Possible Trade, Penguins Path

It’s also fair to wonder if Kevin Hayes has played his way into the trade conversation. After spending weeks in the press box, he’s been quite good in his third-line center role. A contender that needs a bit of offense in the bottom six might do well to look at him as a bargain option. The Penguins could increase their haul by holding back part of Hayes’s $3.5 million salary cap hit.