My thinking is that Arizona sucks. They are not trying to be good any time soon. This trade allows them to fill a bunch of roster holes while still not being good enough to actually miss out on their guy Bedard next season.

The roster moves don't fit exactly but the point is the same: Arizona takes some contracts, gets a top 9 winger, and gets 2 draft picks which they love, and probably our best current prospect. He isn't a game changer but he could develop into a legit NHL forward.

As far as the players themselves, I see McGinn and Blueger as interchangeable here. You'd think the Pens would want to clear as much space as possible. Whoever out of those 2, Arizona wanted more, you'd do it. I picked McGinn because he's a bit older and signed longer. Arizona has no continuity on their roster. This year is a wash. 2 more years of McGinn at that price while they're rebuilding isn't debilitating by any means. Rutherford signed that deal and he's gone. As far as on the ice, he doesn't suck. He's def better than Fischer. I could see him fitting on that team.

Pettersson is the guy I'd imagine getting the most flack for including in this deal, but we would have to, or have another team take him. Need the space and to be frank, he gets a bad rap. He isn't as bad as people say, but yeah, he is overpaid at this point for what the Pens use him for. Before he got traded to the Pens, he was used more in the O zone. Now he is a third pairing D first guy. He's held it up back there with limited minutes and partners. Arizona's blue line is already complete ass besides Chychrun anyway. This was they can continue to suck and get draft picks. Just kidding. Again, this year being a wash, two more years of this guy at a little over 8 isn't terrible. Put it to you this way, he is way better than Andrew Ladd. You'd imagine he would get more minutes and responsibilities here. He's still only 26. It's a cap dump, but one where you could see the player defining his role and contributing to both the team and the locker room.

Kapanen is not just a throw in or cap dump by any means. He's a former first round pick, and we traded the 15 overall back for him. Sure, he hasn't panned out fully, but he is still a steady 30-40 guy and he, like Pettersson, is also only 26. He is also signed for another year. Again, this year is a wash. Next year, if he plays well enough on a garbage team, you could see them flipping him for even more assets at the deadline. Or who knows, maybe they like him and they sign him long term. Either way, he is a legit NHL player, if a slightly frustrating one because of his inconsistency. Talk about no pressure though, right? I mean he would go from a team that NEEDED him to produce to one that might even rather he didn't this year. You know that means he'll go off with schmaltzy and kells. Yeah I made those up. Either way, this is the type of player you'd think they'd want. Short term contract, high potential upside, high potential return on a trade.

Poulin is a good prospect. Our prospects suck overall though. If you wanted to add PO Joseph into this deal somehow, I would be totally ok with it. For me, as a Pens fan, this brings Chychrun to the Pens. That's all I care about. Because then our blue line would have 3 number 1s on each pairing. For at least the next 3 years.

Does this benefit the Yotes enough to do it? I mean, we haven't even talked about the draft capital. And again, I would be liberal about it. **** it, 2 first round picks. Whatever. The salaries make it work with the way I have it set up.

Then maybe we could resign E-Rod and bring the Cup home baby.

Eh? EH?!

Yeah, Arizona isn’t taking 3 cap dumps, a B- prospect, a 1, and a 2 for their most valuable piece. The long winded write up on why they’re not cap dumps doesn’t change the fact they’re cap dumps

They aren't all cap dumps. Kapanen has value. It could be argued the others have value too. If McGinn is too dumpy for you take Blueger, like I said. He would also not be a cap dump and they could flip him at the deadline this year.

I also said take another first if you have to. They aren't trying to be good this year, or any time soon. They reportedly wanted the standard good NHL player, pick, good prospect.

This fills that criteria. It also sheds cap for us. If this was the starting point for the trade then so be it. I don't see them getting much more from anybody else any time soon.

Also, it could be argued that Schmaltz and Keller have more value than Chychrun.

Pens accept

AZ keeps it's pick; Pittsburgh makes it 2 #1s and it a fair deal.