Confirmed with Link: [VAN/PIT] Mark Friedman and Ty Glover for Jack Rathbone and Karel Plasek
- Thread starter Zirakzigil
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Empoleon8771
Registered User
Really interesting to get Rathbone, Canucks fans were wildly high on him in the past but he struggled last year. I imagine this also helps alleviate WBS issue with a lot of veteran AHLers, because I don't think Rathbone is a veteran.
Yep Rathbone isn't even close to an AHL veteran yet, he only like 110 games of professional experience. Really interesting gamble if he can revert back to his old form, he was a legitimate OFD prospect as recently as 2022.
Yep Rathbone isn't even close to an AHL veteran yet, he only like 110 games of professional experience. Really interesting gamble if he can revert back to his old form, he was a legitimate OFD prospect as recently as 2022.
Big Friggin Dummy
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- Feb 22, 2019
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Yeah, I sorta suspect none of these guys turn out to be anything but I at least recognize Rathbone's name, so I assume he was at one time somebody noteworthy. 
SomeDude
Registered User
Probably will end up just AHLers for AHLers but Rathbone does have some interesting upside.
BlindWillyMcHurt
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Rathbone is a very pirate-y name.
That's all I got on this one.
That's all I got on this one.
SomeDude
Registered User
Also, finally the Vancouver / Pens trade we’ve been expecting since JR took over.
Empoleon8771
Registered User
Yeah, I sorta suspect none of these guys turn out to be anything but I at least recognize Rathbone's name, so I assume he was at one time somebody noteworthy.
Yeah he was a 4th rounder by Vancouver that blew up in college (53 points in 61 games with Harvard) and was terrific early in his pro career (49 points in 47 games in the AHL between 2020-2021 and 2021-2022). He fell off hard last year though, which is why he's now being traded for Mark Friedman.
Definitely a no risk, high reward gamble. Even if he doesn't pan out into a NHLer, this move helps WBS alleviate some of the AHL veteran issues that they're having.
Big Friggin Dummy
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- Feb 22, 2019
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So somebody else people can pretend Sullivan is either holding back or ruined.
Got it.Easy win if you evaluate this trade exclusively on how cool the names are.
Darren McCord
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I just like to see Dubas making trades to impact the AHL team. Would be nice to see WBS have some success
Deport Ogie
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It's a trade that makes sense anyway, As Emp said it helps with WBS vet problems and at worst it's a dman you weren't going to use for a younger dman you aren't going to use and at best, it's a dman you weren't going to use for a PMD that may rebound.
Does Rathbone make Ty Smith even more expendable? I was for tading Smith for a young forward in the same situation even before this trade.
Turin
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- Feb 27, 2018
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If I remember right, Hextall wanted Rathbone and a pick from Vancouver for Marino but they declined. Or it was that they went with NJ offer over that offer, don’t remember. Either way, lol.
BlindWillyMcHurt
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It's nice to have an active GM as opposed to one who taps his head and winks when asked what his plans are for the team.
SomeDude
Registered User
It’s just strange that we have such a logjam of LD with similar skill sets. Add Rathbone to the pile of Smith, Shea, Butcher, etc.
We certainly have a type. Ludwig and the recently departed Friedman stick out like sore thumbs.
CheckingLineCenter
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- Aug 10, 2018
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Usually I wouldn’t bat an eye but I actually find the trade a bit weird given Friedman is the only other RD outside of Letang/EK/Ruh that can take a NHL shift in the organization.
tom_servo
Registered User
Empoleon8771
Registered User
WBS has a stacked defense at this point, especially after signing Hajek to an AHL deal. Hajek is also not a veteran in the AHL, so that helps a bit too.
The organization as a whole is really deep on defense at this point. I don't know the exact pairs they're running with in WBS, but WBS now has Smith, Fedun, Ouellett, Rathbone, Hajek, Samukorov, Butcher and St. Ivany as pretty proven AHL defensemen or better. I think Fedun, Ouellet and Butcher are the only veterans of that group, and Butcher is injured right now anyway.
If I had to guess, I imagine WBS defense will be something like this until Butcher gets back:
Smith-Fedun
Rathbone-Ouellet
Hajek-St. Ivany
Samukorov
I imagine they'll rotate the defensemen to have all of them play. It seems like WBS has already been alternating Fedun and Ouellet, which may be due to veteran limits but it shows they will rotate through the guys.
Darren McCord
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I think they will be moving some defense too. Maybe they waive someone soon and this was for some more security
Zirakzigil
Global Moderator
Wish Rathbone was a right handed shot. Then there’d be slight hope Ruh comes out of the line up.
Empoleon8771
Registered User
It's also kinda funny that the Penguins actually have some young defensemen under contract at this point with these moves. It's far from a guarantee that any of these guys hit their NHL potential, but they have added Ludvig (23) and Rathbone (24) to a team who only had Smith (23) and POJ (24) as young defensemen.
If the organization's goal is to both build for the future and contend now, I think Dubas is making the exact kind of moves you want him to be making with that target. This team doesn't need flashy prospects and high 1st rounders to build out the young depth that the organization needs. They need guys to come up and be depth contributors, and accumulating buy-low young players is a good way to accomplish that.
Ruhwedel has been good this year so why should he be taken out?
If the organization's goal is to both build for the future and contend now, I think Dubas is making the exact kind of moves you want him to be making with that target. This team doesn't need flashy prospects and high 1st rounders to build out the young depth that the organization needs. They need guys to come up and be depth contributors, and accumulating buy-low young players is a good way to accomplish that.
Ruhwedel has been good this year so why should he be taken out?
CheckingLineCenter
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- Aug 10, 2018
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Shea-Ludvig
LD-LD
then your set up-
LD-RD
LD-LD
LD-RD
LD
Very convinced Psysk is getting signed when he recovers.
Rathbone was a top prospect a couple years ago but just hasn't developed and is a Group VI UFA this summer unless you guys give him 52 NHL games.
Undersized defender with nice skating/puck skills, a wicked shot for a little guy, and PP utility. But he just absolutely sucks defensively. Is always scrambling without the puck but also doesn't handle forechecks well and plays scared so isn't the transition defender you'd expect him to be given his skill level.
He wasn't helped by signing for the same organization that had Quinn Hughes in place as a skill young LHD but the team did try to give him opportunities and he just never looked remotely like an NHL player when he was called up. And then had a big regression in the AHL last year and was badly outplayed by Christian Wolanin.
Plasek is a dead contract slot.
Undersized defender with nice skating/puck skills, a wicked shot for a little guy, and PP utility. But he just absolutely sucks defensively. Is always scrambling without the puck but also doesn't handle forechecks well and plays scared so isn't the transition defender you'd expect him to be given his skill level.
He wasn't helped by signing for the same organization that had Quinn Hughes in place as a skill young LHD but the team did try to give him opportunities and he just never looked remotely like an NHL player when he was called up. And then had a big regression in the AHL last year and was badly outplayed by Christian Wolanin.
Plasek is a dead contract slot.
Dennis Reynolds
I have to have my tools!
Friedman is better than Ruhwedel, but whatever. It's not a big loss.
I'm just glad to have a GM who's being more proactive in shaping the makeup of the team.
I'm just glad to have a GM who's being more proactive in shaping the makeup of the team.
