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Penguins acquired Jokinen due to uncertainty over Crosby

Pittsburgh Penguins v New Jersey Devils

skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on April 25, 2013 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Penguins 3-2.

Bruce Bennett

With questions surrounding the health of super star Sidney Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins needed an insurance plan.

They acquired Jussi Jokinen, a veteran of now 579 NHL games, from the Carolina Hurricanes for a conditional draft pick at the trade deadline on April 3, while Crosby remained out of the lineup with a broken jaw.

On Sunday, two days after the Penguins were swept in the Eastern Conference final by the Boston Bruins, head coach Dan Bylsma told reporters Jokinen was brought in mostly as an insurance policy, with uncertainty still surround Crosby and a return to action.

Jokinen got off to a great start with the Penguins. He scored seven goals in 10 regular season games following the trade, but didn’t have the same impact in the playoffs.

In eight games this post-season, Jokinen had just three assists.

According to Capgeek.com, the 30-year-old Jokinen has one more year remaining on his three-year, $9 million deal