The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired LW Tanner Pearson from the Los Angeles Kings for LW Carl Hagelin. The Penguins also have retained part of Hagelin\’s contract to even out the salaries.
For the Penguins, both players have been struggling, and the Penguins are 1-5-1 in their last 7 games. Looking for a wakeup, they get a younger player under contract for this season and the next two, for a pending free agent, who has never eclipsed 40 points in a season and 20 goals. Pearson scored 24 points in 2016-17, and the Penguins are hoping he can get back to producing like that.
Pearson, 26, has scored one point, an assist, in 17 games this year. In his NHL career, all for the Kings, Pearson has scored 69 goals and 75 assists for 144 points in 325 games.
For the Kings, they were looking for a shakeup, after a 5-11-1 start. But this wasn\’t the right move. I think they should have asked for 21 year old winger Daniel Sprong, who is stuck in a logjam in Pittsburgh, and has potential. Instead they get Hagelin, a speedy vet in the final year of his contract with next to no potential.
Hagelin, 30, has scored one goal and two assists for three points in 16 games for the Penguins this year. In his NHL career for the Penguins, Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers, Hagelin has scored 89 goals and 136 assists for 225 points in 504 games.
I think the Penguins win this trade. They get a younger, better player, with extra years left on his deal, and someone with a better chance of turning around than Hagelin.
CarterHud 