Hey guys, I'm coming back from my hiatus with some trade deadline analysis. I'm gonna look at how the East looks and the Pens stack up after a slow day.
The Pens picked up two top six winger and a third pair defenseman in James Neal, Alex Kovalev, and Matt Niskanen. Pens gave up Alex Goligoski and a 2011 7th round pick, to get those guys. Overall, a successful trade season for the Pens. I'm not as excited about the Kovalev move as alot of people are, but a 7th rounder for a rental is always solid.
James Neal looks like he's going to be a top six winger for alot of years, having scored over 20 goals in each of his first 3 years. He'll be dynamite whether he plays with Sid or Geno and Staal. The one thing I've noticed though is that Neal's contract ends the same year as Chris Kunitz's and Eric Tangradi's. It may come down to which players want the least amount of money, although, I believe Neal will take priority over both of them. Overall, the Pens got younger and better on the left wing. This move puts Cooke down to the third line, where he really belongs when everyone is healthy.
Matt Niskanen is third pair guy on this team. The Pens have essentially 2 top defense pairs in Orpik-Letang and Martin-Michalek, so their bottom 2 guys just have to be solid. Niskanen struggled recently in Dallas but was solid in his rookie season, so if he flashes back to his rookie season in Pittsburgh, this is more of a win for Pittsburgh.
Alex Kovalev is 38 and, among some hockey circles, considered lazy. I think saying he's lazy isn't really fair because noone wants to play in Ottawa right now, except Chris Phillips. His first two games as a Penguin he's shown promise but he's also had alot of giveaways. Give him some time to adjust and he could be alright.
Alex Goligoski is all the Pens gave up really this trade season. Goligoski was hated in Pittsburgh, especially by me. He could mature into a solid defenseman but the Pens I feel won the Stars trade.
With all the moves in the East, it's tough to say where the Pens are in the East. But I feel this will be the standing at the end of the year after these moves:
1. Philadelphia
2. Boston
3. Tampa Bay
4. Pittsburgh
5. Washington
6. New York Rangers
7. Montreal
8. Carolina
9. New Jersey
10. Buffalo
11. Atlanta
12. Toronto
13. New York Islanders
14. Florida
15. Ottawa
Now, the Pens are at 4 only if Crosby comes back. But, if Crosby is out for the rest of the year, they're on the road for the playoffs and maybe don't advance. The Pens banked enough points early to pretty much guarantee a playoff spot. Boston upgraded so much, they're my favorite to come out of the East and go to the Cup Finals. Washington finally got a true #2 centerman in Jason Arnott so they will be tougher to beat. The Rangers are coming after grabbing a veteran defenseman, same with Carolina. New Jersey is gonna be close after pretty much being dead in the water. I wouldn't be surprised if they made it after a tale of two seasons. I also understand that the bottom of the standings doesn't matter but don't be surprised if Florida is 15th in the conference. They gave up so much this year that they seem almost like an automatic win.
Looking at those matchups, here's who advances:
Philadelphia vs Carolina: Philadelphia has too much, 3 top six lines, great defense, solid goaltending, for Carolina to compete, not to mention the Laviolette factor for Philadelphia. Flyers in 5.
Boston vs Montreal: You can never count out a division rival, but Boston is too good to lose to Montreal. Great top six forwards, solid defense corp, and great goaltending with Tim Thomas. Montreal would be lucky to win 2 games in this series, but with the way the played in last year's playoffs, they could pull a stunner. Boston in 6.
Tampa Bay vs NY Rangers: I'm still not sold on Tampa Bay. They look good, but they have some young, important players who haven't been to the playoffs. Fortunately, St. Louis, Lecavalier, and Roloson have been there, done that. You can't really say that about New York who are young and haven't been to the playoffs in a couple years. Tampa Bay in 6.
Pittsburgh vs. Washington: The Pens only have a chance if Sid comes back, otherwise, Washington looks too good, on paper albeit. If Sid comes back, this is gonna be like the last time these two met in the playoffs, exciting and tight. Washington is more built for the playoffs, with good defense and a little more balanced offensive attack. Their question marks lie in goaltending and the "San Jose Shark" syndrome. Meanwhile, the Pens look more like they did in their 2009 cup run. If Sid plays, Pittsburgh in 7. If Sid doesn't, Washington in 5.
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