The Penguins recovered from a major speed bump. Last night at the NHL Draft, coincidentally in The Steel City, it was announced that forward Jordan Staal was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for the 8th overall pick in this year's draft (used on defenseman Derrick Pouliot from the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League), Brandon Sutter, and Brian Dumoulin, a defenseman prospect.
Staal, at 23 years old, is one of the best defensive forwards in the National Hockey League. He was a nominee for the Frank J. Selke Trophy (given annually to the best defensive forward during the regular season) after the 2008-09 season, when Pittsburgh won the Stanley Cup.
This trade unites Jordan with his brother Eric Staal, who is also an elite talent in the NHL. Jordan had reportedly declined a 10-year mega-extension the day before, and this is looking like a trade that benefits both teams. Let's break it down.
What it Means for Carolina
As previously noted, this trade unites two-thirds of the Staal brothers (the other is in New York and will remain there for the foreseeable future) Theoretically, they won't play much together except perhaps on the powerplay since both of them are centers, but they're going to be dangerous either way. Staal will enter as the #2 center alongside Tuomo Ruutu and 2011 Calder Memorial Trophy winner Jeff Skinner, and that line could produce a lot of goals, and a lot of wins for a long time. There is, in my opinion, no way that Jordan does not re-sign with Carolina after this season (scheduled to become a FA in the 2013 offseason) and he is just about to enter his prime. 23 year olds, with nearly 500 games of NHL experience, Selke-caliber defense, huge size, and a shot that is constantly improving don't exactly grow on trees. Carolina definitely is getting a great, great player.
What it Means for Pittsburgh
Obviously, the hit from losing Jordan Staal will be sizable and noticeable. The haul the Pens got for him though will most certainly lessen the blow, though. Brandon Sutter is a proven two-way forward and will make strides with the talent around him in Pittsburgh. Derrick Pouliot, the player that the Penguins drafted with the pick from Carolina, is being heralded as a dynamic offensive-minded defenseman. He's fleet-footed, somewhat undersized (5'11", 192 lbs.) but he can lead on the powerplay and can prospectively do a damn good job at it. As for Dumoulin, he too much like Pouliot acording to Hockey's Future is another playmaker at the defenseman position. He's very reliable in the defensive zone, picking up an impressive plus-minus in 2009-10 and 2010-11 (+40, ++23 respectively). He also helped Boston College win a National Championship, too. As if it could get better for Pittsburgh, they cleared up a lot of cap space with this trade and could be in play for the likes of Devils forward Zach Parise, which would be a Devils fan's nightmare, or defenseman Ryan Suter of the Nashville Predators, who is set to become a free agent on July 1.
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