Kulemin might have been an option... however from the sounds of things after the fact, he wanted to play with Grabo... which means that while we wanted him... he really might not have been an option.
That's more rationalization, Rip. Kulemin's agent never once said that they were a package deal, only that it was
a priority. I'm sure playing with a friend was a priority, along with money, a quality team etc. We had all three, but balked at providing the most important.
If you honestly think Kulemin would have picked playing with one friend on the Islanders or another with the Penguins - all other things being equal - I don't know what to tell you.
And as much as we need wingers... getting Ehrhoff at 4m is a steal. It's also a move that easily gives us the depth to move Scuderi with little thought (or buy him out if we can't move him).
As for making the team better... on paper no we're not. But it is a different line up. We'll likely score less in the regular season. However, I'd rather have Hornqvist over Neal in the playoffs. I still don't think we got full value for Neal, but whatever... it is what it is at this point.
I think that if you told most Pens fans before the fact that the return for Neal would be Hornqvist and a Spaling, they'd have laughed in your face.
When Neal was with Malkin he scored a lot, regular season or playoffs (a few games at the start of the last playoffs notwithstanding). When he wasn't, he didn't. The regular season/playoffs narrative with Neal is off-base, and Hornqvist hasn't shown anything to suggest he's better when it counts. That's really just what we're all crossing our fingers and hoping for to justify the deal.
Ehrhoff was good value. Would he make us a better team than Kulemin would if the right scoring wing isn't acquired between now and October? I doubt it.
