Confirmed Trade: [FLA/PIT] Bjugstad & McCann for Brassard, Sheahan, 2nd 2019, 4th 2019, 4th 2019

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Those roster spots are called Blueger, Johnson, and Prow, too. Unheralded young guys who’ve learned the pro game in the AHL and are now primed to step in as skilled and defensively reliable great fits to our system.

Don't be surprised if Garrett Wilson occupies one of those spots.

 

[Dominance]

Don't be surprised if Garrett Wilson occupies one of those spots.

He’s really not a bad fourth liner either

He won’t bring a lot of offence but he skates hard, checks well, takes the body hard and can flash some skill.

 

[vendetta]

You keep going back to a season that was how many years ago? He has done nothing to improve upon that season. Granted, he has dealt with injuries, but even when he was on a line with Barkov and Dadonov/Huberdeau, you can see that he just did not belong there.

This is false. He was put with barkov and daddy last year and made the line better. His strong defense and board play in the defensive zone allowed dadanov to flourish.

 

[stepdad gaary]

He’s really not a bad fourth liner either

He won’t bring a lot of offence but he skates hard, checks well, takes the body hard and can flash some skill.

i think he's a great guy to pair will cullen on the 4th line for the reasons you've stated.

 

[Dominance]

i think he's a great guy to pair will cullen on the 4th line for the reasons you've stated.

His drop pass to Blueger after swiftly corralling a loose puck with his skate and concealing the play from the goalie on Saturday was very impressive, in my opinion.

 

[stepdad gaary]

His drop pass to Blueger after swiftly corralling a loose puck with his skate and concealing the play from the goalie on Saturday was very impressive, in my opinion.

indubitably

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

He’s really not a bad fourth liner either

He won’t bring a lot of offence but he skates hard, checks well, takes the body hard and can flash some skill.

Outside of boxcars, he’s a very good 4th liner. My fellow Pens fans won’t agree with my but imo he passes the eye test, fits the role, and has solid underlying #s.



There’s not a spot for him when everyone’s healthy but he’s a solid player.

 

[Riptide]

the pens now have 78.8 commited next year and need to fill up to 7 roster spots.
with top heavy talent (and salary) like that you just cant pay 3rd liners/bottom pair dmen
like pearson,bjugstad and johnson 11 mil+

Unfortunately one of those isn't like the others. That said, yes they'll need to shed 2-3m in salary this summer depending on what Pettersson and to a lesser extent Reese gets on their next contracts. Pearson seems to be the consensus among fans due to his trade value as a middle 6 winger vs his cap hit vs someone like Bjugstad who can play C/W and provides size - and more importantly just traded significant assets for.

We'd all love for Johnson to be the guy, but we'll be stuck with him for another season when his salary drops to something that we can probably move (8.25m over 3 years, 2.75m a yr). Retain 15% (500k) and suddenly he's costing someone 7m over 3 years with a ~2.75m cap hit.

 

[Riptide]

Any chance Pitsburgh will flip McCann? Been a big fan of his since juniors, and wanted the Leafs to go after him as a 4C.

Based on Rutherford's comments and some questioning around the league as to how good Bjugstad actually is as a center, I highly doubt it. Rutherford views McCann as someone who could be a "shutdown center". Add in his young age and his cheap contract, and I can't see a reasonable deal to be had between the two teams.

 

[Riptide]

Those roster spots are called Blueger, Johnson, and Prow, too. Unheralded young guys who’ve learned the pro game in the AHL and are now primed to step in as skilled and defensively reliable great fits to our system. I’m really not concerned, GMJR has a done a great job setting us up for the rest of our window. We can sacrifice some picks to move JMFJ, if necessary, too.

You forgot Reese (ZAR), Pettersson and Riikola. Or even someone like Wilson (who while meh, is cheap and serviceable and doesn't hurt the team at all). The issue won't be which quality player to use the fill out the depth spots with - those we have several good options to choose from. It'll be who gets moved to create the 2-3m in cap space we'll need to do so.

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

Don't be surprised if Garrett Wilson occupies one of those spots.

I don’t see the room besides maybe 13th forward. Pens have everyone back besides Cullen and Rhuwedel.

Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Simon-Malkin-Hornqvist
Pearson-Bjugstad-Kessel
Blueger-McCann-Aston-Reese

Dumoulin-Letang
Maatta-Schultz
Pettersson, Johnson, Riikola 5, 6, 7 in some order

Murray
DeSmith

All are signed besides 4 RFA’a and they are forwards Blueger and Aston-Reese who both will be signed for not much more than minimum. The other two RFA’s are defenseman Pettersson and Riikola which are fighting to be in our 3rd pairing against Johnson so they are not costing much either. Rutherford should have a pretty easy offseason. Wilson will not be back because he is an injury fill in that is a pending UFA.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

I don’t see the room besides maybe 13th forward. Pens have everyone back besides Cullen and Rhuwedel.

Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Simon-Malkin-Hornqvist
Pearson-Bjugstad-Kessel
Blueger-McCann-Aston-Reese

Dumoulin-Letang
Maatta-Schultz
Pettersson, Johnson, Riikola 5, 6, 7 in some order

Murray
DeSmith

All are signed besides 4 RFA’a and they are forwards Blueger and Aston-Reese who both will be signed for not much more than minimum. The other two RFA’s are defenseman Pettersson and Riikola which are fighting to be in our 3rd pairing against Johnson so they are not costing much either. Rutherford should have a pretty easy offseason. Wilson will not be back because he is an injury fill in that is a pending UFA.

Yeah, you're probably right.

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

Glad McCann is doing well.

I see Bjugstad is still dogshit.

 

[domaug]

Glad McCann is doing well.

I see Bjugstad is still dog****.

McCann is alright for what he is. he's deceptively skilled.

Bjugstad has literally been nothing.

GMJR valued youth a little too heavily.

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

Sheahan with another assist and Brassard with a goal. Been a fairly even trade so far but slight edge to FLA.

 

[Maple Leaf]

McCann is alright for what he is. he's deceptively skilled.

Bjugstad has literally been nothing.

GMJR valued youth a little too heavily.

GMJR jumped the shark years ago

 

[Little Bobby Boo]

McCann is alright for what he is. he's deceptively skilled.

Bjugstad has literally been nothing.

GMJR valued youth a little too heavily.

Panthers fans said it since page 1. He's a good dude. He just cannot score consistently. He's fine in his own zone and fine one forecheck. He had a laser of a shot before he messed up a wrist. I haven't seen Bjugstad fire a shot perfectly for years.

I've been very vocally pro-McCann on the Panthers board. I like his game and I think he can be a good bottom sixer.

Bjugstad is not far from a salary dump in the eyes of 98% of cats fans.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Bjugstad reminds me a lot of Staal from watching him. He's been good for the Penguins, although he was painfully vanilla tonight. I have trouble seeing where both Bjugstad and McCann fit in here though, both look like they should be playing center and both have done well for the Penguins. Bjugstad has done better based on the eye test, but McCann has produced better.

To me, I view McCann as the 3C going forward and Bjugstad as Pearson's replacement. That's not how I'd want to use them (I want the 3rd line to be McCann-Bjugstad-Kessel), but that's how I imagine they'll be treated going forward. I've been really happy with what I've seen from both of them, although like I said, I think both should be playing center.

Panthers fans said it since page 1. He's a good dude. He just cannot score consistently. He's fine in his own zone and fine one forecheck. He had a laser of a shot before he messed up a wrist. I haven't seen Bjugstad fire a shot perfectly for years.

Not scoring is really the only problem Bjugstad has shown so far. He looks really strong defensively, skates really well (not just for his size, he looks legitimately fast out there), has a hard shot, possesses the puck well...he just looks good out there outside of his production

 

[Empoleon8771]

Bjugstad got his first goal tonight after not dying in his last game. It's crazy, the dude gets so many chances, but he completely lacks finish. I definitely have to give him credit for getting this many chances, a lot of which he generated himself, but he'd be a 30+ goal scorer if he was even an average finisher.

 

[Addison Rae]

Yeah Bjugstad has been really good tonight.

 

[Laus723]

Bjugstad got his first goal tonight after not dying in his last game. It's crazy, the dude gets so many chances, but he completely lacks finish. I definitely have to give him credit for getting this many chances, a lot of which he generated himself, but he'd be a 30+ goal scorer if he was even an average finisher.

Had a perfect screen from Malkin and it still nearly didn’t go in, was basically aim for the Flyer logo on the goalies chest. He either fires ridiculously wide or right into the goalie so he can absorb it.

Barkov and Dadonov almost seemed to purposely avoid feeding him the puck, unless he was in position for a deflection.

Good guy, though. Would be happy if he got it figured out up there. Just needed to move on.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Guy is a high danger chance machine it feels like. Should prob have 3-4 tucks instead of 1.

I’ll take it though, he’s still been pretty good and all picks/contract trade stuff aside he and McCann have been massive immediate upgrades on Brass/Sheahan.

 

[vendetta]

Guy is a high danger chance machine it feels like. Should prob have 3-4 tucks instead of 1.

I’ll take it though, he’s still been pretty good and all picks/contract trade stuff aside he and McCann have been massive immediate upgrades on Brass/Sheahan.

Yup and he is streaky. So. He could go off
For 6 goals in 9 games and then fade away again. But he still plays
Good d and gets chances and the puck to the net when he fades away for the most part which he never did when
He was
Younger

 

[Fatty McLardy]

Bjugstad really should've had two goals today, missed a wide open net after undressing Hart. But has he always been so soft, Panther fans?

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

Bjugstad really should've had two goals today, missed a wide open net after undressing Hart. But has he always been so soft, Panther fans?

Ya he's never used his size to intimidate but he does use his size well down low and while protecting the puck in cycle play or driving to the net off the wing. Can't say I ever remember seeing him land a HUGE hit, he's had a fight or two but never been known to be physical. Feel his wrister has let him down for the most part. He's pretty good at fore/backchecking but just isn't super skilled to finish off 50% of his chances he gets. 15-20 goal/40-50pt player at peak.

 

[Peat]

As long as we keep Bjug on a line with two finishers, his shot shouldn't be a big issue. We've badly needed his sort of forechecking so I can forgive weaknesses in a 4m forward.