Unless you're just now returning from a self-imposed Internet fast, you know that the Pittsburgh Penguins are interested in Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks. The argument in favor of acquiring him suggests that making a deal for the former Selke Trophy winner would return the Pens to their glory days.
The last time Pittsburgh made it to the Stanley Cup Final, it had Jordan Staal as its third-line center, while Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby took care of the top two lines.
While swinging this deal with the Canucks would certainly give the Penguins that sort of center depth, it would also be flat-out ignoring the true needs of the roster.
When Pittsburgh moved Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes for a package headlined by Brandon Sutter, the team was simply trying to manage the salary cap. Keeping three No. 1 centers on your team is costly, after all.
The Penguins have since failed to make much of an impact in the playoffs and last season's offensive dry spell against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Final seems to have been the final straw for general manager Ray Shero.
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Article written by Franklin Steele
Potential Ryan Kesler Deal Ignores Pittsburgh Penguins’ True Needs
March 4th, 2014 by Franklin Steele Leave a reply »
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