The Pittsburgh Penguins have long been the fair-haired child of the Metro Division, chasing victory with star players while hated rivals Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals granted surrender in favor of rebuilding a few years before the Penguins were able.
And that difference in station has never been more evident than this offseason. Washington sharply turned from conservative to aggressive in acquiring Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues, Alex Tuch from the Buffalo Sabres in a sign-and-trade, and signing Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner to a six-year deal.
Philly has dumped the hockey world on its head by signing 21-year-old Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $90 million offer sheet.
In terms of the Metro Division, the revamping New Jersey Devils are trying to swipe restricted free agent Barrett Hayton from the Utah Mammoth via an offer sheet while hoping they can keep Jack Hughes healthy this season. Oh, and the Carolina Hurricanes are largely intact after winning the Stanley Cup.
However, while the Penguins navigate the choppy waters of the early rebuild, it is in dealing with Carolina, not big-name RFAs, however exciting such a chase could be, and not a big-name trade like Jason Robertson that has set tongues wagging, that could offer the best step forward.
There is an opportunity, and if there’s going to be an over-pay, there’s another, less expensive option.
Carolina GM Eric Tulski, who has been deft since taking the big chair two years ago, is listening to offers on young RFA defenseman Alex Nikishin. However, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Tulski has made Nikishin available only if the acquiring team also takes frustrated center Jesperi Kotkaniemi off his hands, too.
While PHN has begrudgingly agreed that a wild offer to a big-time RFA, such as Connor Bedard, makes sense in this chaotic environment, a move for a pair of youngsters with their careers ahead of them makes infinitely more sense for the Penguins’ process.
Unquestionably, the pair also makes great sense within the team’s current roster construction. The Penguins could surely use a big, physical, good-skating, left-handed defenseman who is in the early stages of his career. And the Penguins could use the type of center Kotkaniemi was during his first couple of seasons in Montreal, before he became a political pawn in an offer sheet game between Montreal and Carolina.
Last season was Nikishin’s first in North America, and he played 81 games with 11 goals, 33 points, averaging over 18 minutes per game (but had his ice time in the playoffs cut to under 15).
Sure, the defenseman can get a little overaggressive racing into the offensive zone, and once or twice he left his position to deliver a thump, but otherwise delivered a stellar rookie year for a defenseman.
Kotkaniemi, 25, was a dynamic shutdown center with a solid and growing offensive game with Montreal, but Carolina wanted revenge against Montreal for signing Sebastian Aho to an offer sheet two years prior and lavished the then-20-year-old Kotkaniemi with an eight-year deal worth $38.56 million.
It would be generous to say Kotkaniemi has not fit in Carolina. After four seasons, his career arc has gone from unlimited potential to horribly disappointing. Over the last three seasons, he has posted 27, 37, and nine points, respectively. This season’s crater with nine points, including just two goals, averaging less than 11 minutes in 42 games played, was a low-water mark.
Obviously, it’s time to go, and Kotkaniemi has four seasons remaining with a salary cap hit of $4.820 million; a cap hit that becomes increasingly affordable as the cap spikes, and certainly workable for a team with the lineup space, time, and cap space for a true reclamation project with talent. But the trade ask gets complicated with Kotkaniemi’s inclusion.
Nikishin is 24 and has long-term top-pairing defenseman potential. His contract ask is reportedly in the long-term $8 million range. The ask for him would far exceed a simple first-round pick.
Our in-depth review of trades of RFA defensemen showed a mix of hockey trades and high draft-pick surrenders, beginning with a first-round pick. However, the prices have gone up this summer.
And what exactly does Carolina want or need? It’s a different sort of question, as Carolina doesn’t have many lineup holes, as evidenced by their championship parade. Carolina could use a forward upgrade or a long-term replacement for Jordan Staal.
Or they might like the Penguins’ 2027 first-round pick, top-10 protected, of course.
Compared to giving up four picks on an RFA, or a boatload of assets for an impact player such as Jason Robertson, a first-rounder for Nikishin and Kotkaniemi would be a huge score. Even if the cost for both is higher than a first-rounder, the Penguins need to strongly consider it because it would immediately advance the Penguins’ process without depleting additional assets.
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Categorized:Penguins Trade Talk