Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford said he wanted to add some snarl to protect stars such as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. You won’t find many - if any - forces more intimidating than Ryan Reaves.
That’s who the Penguins reportedly acquired in a trade from the St. Louis Blues, who suddenly became very busy toward the end of the 2017 NHL Draft’s first round on Friday.
MORE: Blues acquire Brayden Schenn for Jori Lehtera, picks
Moments ago, Gary Bettman announced the details of the move.
Penguins receive: Reaves, 51st pick of 2017
Blues receive: Oskar Sundqvist, 31st pick of 2017
Penguins’ perspective
Rutherford believed that the NHL was allowing teams to take liberties with star players, particularly Crosby and Malkin. Even after winning consecutive Stanley Cups, it was clearly something important to him.
Rutherford reiterated that thought after the move.
Jim Rutherford says it was a priority to add some muscle in the form of Ryan Reaves because of how hard teams play his stars.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 24, 2017
One can debate how much an enforcer such as Reaves really “deters” such behavior, especially since he won’t be on the ice with star players in most close situations. There’s little denying that he’s a fearsome fighter, with six in 2016-17 and as many as 10 in a single season.
Reaves carries a $1.125 million cap hit that expires after 2017-18.
A busy night for Doug Armstrong
Moments ago, the Blues drafted Klim Klostin with the 31st pick, grabbing a player some expected to go much earlier in the first round.
Blues made deal and will take Klim Kostin. Central Scouting had him #1 of Euro skaters.
— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) June 24, 2017
They also acquired Oskar Sundqvist, the 81st pick of the 2012 NHL Draft. The 23-year-old was unable to score a point in 10 games with the Penguins last season, but he was productive in the AHL, scoring 20 goals and 46 points.
Blues GM Doug Armstrong absorbed some serious criticism for protecting Reaves instead of David Perron, but now both players are gone. One would assume that’s likely by design, although it’s also possible that the Penguins simply provided an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Armstrong made another big splash by sending Jori Lehtera and draft picks to the Philadelphia Flyers for Brayden Schenn. Getting the 31st pick was helpful for the Blues after they sent the 27th choice to Philly.