Penguins/NHL
Trade Analysis
The Pittsburgh Penguins pulled off the first blockbuster trade of the night and they had no choice but to make the move in dealing center Jordan Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for No. 8 overall pick, center Brandon Sutter and defenseman Brian Dumoulin, the Hurricanes 2009 second round pick.
The trade overall is now defenseman Derrick Pouliot who the team selected with the No. 8 overall pick, Brandon Sutter and Brian Dumoulin.
“I would like to thank Jordan Staal for six great years, GM Ray Shero said when announcing the selection of Pouliot.
With in reality no other serious suitors due to Staal being one year away from free agency and wanting to play in Carolina, Shero got the best value he could.
In Sutter the Penguins are getting a 23 year old center who will be an excellent fit as the team’s new third line center. Sutter who has two years left on his deal with a $2,066,667 million cap hit, had 17 goals and 32 points last season.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound centerman has yet to reach his potential and he’s a discipline player who will be a factor on the penalty kill, leading all Canes forwards with 2:20 of ice time on the PK. Suter is effective in the face-off circle, winning 50.5% of draws last season.
Sutter though won’t be mistaken for a physical centerman as he doesn’t bring that type of game to the table but he’s sound defensively and he’s a player Canes GM Jim Rutherford admitted he hated to part with. Rutherford though feels Staal is a “superstar” in the making.
In puck moving defenseman Derrick Pouliot who the Penguins selected with the No. 8 overall pick, the Penguins are getting another offensive minded puck moving defenseman who had 11 goals and 59 points with the Portland Winterhawks last season.
TSN’s Scouting Report: “Derrick is a QB Type defenseman who relies on excellent vision and precision passing. He understands the game so well and sees what is unfolding and then is able to exploit it. He has great poise with the puck and doesn’t force things but ensures when you get the puck, that you can do something positive with it. His skating is very good and he has a burst of quickness that allows him to gain a little extra time or space to make a play and he utilizes uses it offensively or defensively. He will jump into the attack and because he knows his options, he can appear to be moving untouched which is due to the opponent having to respect his ability to quickly strike with his passing and thus backing off somewhat. He relies on strong positioning to put himself in the best position to make plays and while he’s not a physical player, he’s very effective using his body to gain advantages. He has a calm to his play but is competitive and will not succumb to the challenges that come his way. He is a strong puck possession player.”
Pouliot was Joe Morrow’s D-partner in Portland. “He’s told me great things {about organization}, ” Pouliot said of Morrow.
AUDIO: Derrick Pouliot Audio
As the Penguins continue to stockpile defenseman Brian Dumoulin wasn’t just a thrown in. However, he’s another defenseman who is a great skater that the Penguins are drawn to. The scouting report on Dumoulin is that he’s an excellent skater with great on-ice awareness and regarded as a big puck moving defenseman. What he doesn’t bring to the table is a physical game.
Dumoulin had 28 points in 44 games last season for Boston College.
