Penguins/NHL
League Chatter: Hornqvist gets fair market deal
1. Feedback around the league on Patric Hornqvist’s 5 year, $26.5 million extension is that Hornqvist got a very good deal for himself.
This extension was all about the Penguins going five years.
The Penguins have known for a while that any deal below five years in term wasn’t going to keep Hornqvist from hitting the open market.
Around January when numbers were starting to get exchanged, the Hornqvist camp according to a source was seeking a 5 year, $27.5 million contract from Pittsburgh.
The final deal is 5 years, $26.5 million.
I know there’s some saying Hornqvist left money on the table, but a few executives, scouts I heard from don’t think Hornqvist would have got much better of a deal from another contender and a place he actually wanted to play.
Hornqvist turns 32 next season, plays a rugged style and those with other clubs say no way he was going to get a Milan Lucic type offer (7 years, $42 million).
Some have tried to draw the Lucic comparison to Hornqvist but Lucic was 27 when he got his deal.
For Pittsburgh, this was the price of doing business in going a year longer than they initially wanted.
And for Hornqvist, holding out for a 5 year deal saw him win out as you just never know what’s going to play out on the free agent market for a non-star 30’s not far away from his mid-30’s.
Last off-season in particular, teams were very cautious about giving out deals longer than 4 years.
2. Derick Brassard will make his Penguin debut tonight and with Brassard now centering Phil Kessel, the Penguins feel they have the luxury to move Jake Guentzel back up to Sidney Crosby’s line where Guentzel will play tonight.
Getting some continuity with Crosby’s linemates has to be a priority for the coaching staff moving forward.
As for Brassard, the coaches also plan to use him in a number of situations and that even includes getting him a few shifts at wing in certain spots with Crosby or Malkin.
Tonight Brassard will center Sheary and Kessel.
3. One thing the Penguins learned this trade deadline:
Conor Sheary has little To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
4. Another thing the Penguins learned in trade discussions with other clubs:
Daniel Sprong doesn’t have that ‘top prospect’ trade value mystique about him that could have got the Penguins seriously in the mix for some bigger things they looked at yesterday, namely To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
5. Pittsburgh was so serious about re-acquiring Matt Cullen that the Penguins informed Minnesota Monday morning they were prepared to offer a roster player to Minnesota for To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Sources say Cullen also made it known he recent days he preferred to stay in Minnesota and felt a trade to Pittsburgh with the Wild playing so well lately would have been looked at as him quitting on his teammates, one source indicated.
To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Related posts:
Penguins – Blackhawks Fallout & Post-Trade Deadline Chatter
Penguins Trade Deadline Buzz: Conor Sheary, Derek Grant among former Pens on radar?
Fallout of the Daniel Sprong Trade & failure to trade top prospects before value plummets
Post-Trade Deadline Buzz: Penguins have planted seeds for a summer Kessel trade
