Penguins/NHL
The months long dance between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks saw the two sides get to the finish line in a five-player deal Saturday morning that sends defenseman Marcus Pettersson, Drew O’Connor to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Danton Heinen, Defenseman Vincent Desharnais, forward prospect Melvin Fernstrom and a 2025 First Round Pick (Conditional), the Canucks acquired Friday Night from the New York Rangers.
PIT Receives:
F Danton Heinen
D Vincent Desharnais
F Melvin Fernstrom
2025 First Round Pick (Conditional NYR)
VAN Receives:
D Marcus Pettersson
F Drew O’Connor
The key points of the deal for the Penguins To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
“Moving two long-time Penguins is never an easy decision,” GM Kyle Dubas said. Marcus and Drew have competed day-in and day-out for the organization since the day they arrived.”
For months the writing has been on the wall for both and in the last couple weeks buzz emerged of Pittsburgh packaging Pettersson/O’Connor and became fixated To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
1st Round (4): 2025 (2), 2026, 2027
2nd Round: (4): 2026 (2), 2027 (2)
3rd Round: (7): 2025 (3), 2026 (2), 2027 (2)
“Tonight’s trade continues to move us in the direction set one year ago which is to continue to add young prospects, young players, and draft capital to the Penguins as we chart our course to return the club back into contention as urgently as possible, said Dubas. The addition of Melvin Fernstrom also gives us a prospect that was highly regarded at the 2024 draft and the Rangers first round pick draft pick provides us with another strong asset that we can use to acquire an elite young plyer in the draft or via trade.”
Vancouver with the wheeling and dealing Friday night and into Saturday on the JT Miller trade and now the Marcus Pettersson trade, saw an important part of the deal for them in the Pettersson/O’Connor trade was also getting some contracts off the books for now and next season, giving them more deadline flexibility.
Pittsburgh in taking on Heinen and Desharnais add $4.25 million to the cap for next season. Heinen signed through 2025-2026, carries a $2.25 million cap hit and Desharnais, 28, is also signed through 2025-2026 with a $2 million cap hit. We will obviously see if both have long stints as some could argue their spots should be going to younger players. Heinen, 29, returns to Pittsburgh and has 6 goals and 12 assists in 51 games. He put up 17 goals in 74 games with the Bruins last season and can still produce and will immediately move into the top-9. Desharnais (6-7, 226), adds a right hand shot and size to bottom pair. Penguins coaches of late have been frustrated of playing a lefty on their wrong side and are starting to sour again on PO Joseph. [/hide]
Rumblings: Dubas re-engaged Oilers this week determined to move Jarry; Crosby camp growing increasingly frustrated