Zucker-burgh

After repeated attempts to pry the player away from the Minnesota Wild, the Pittsburgh Penguins can finally claim they've been Zucker-burghed as the Penguins acquired 28 year-old Jaosn Zucker from the Wild in exchange for underperforming Alex Galchenyuk, prospect defenceman Calen Addison, and a conditional 2020 first-round draft pick. After offering up Phil Kessel in the summer, it seems odd that the player the Penguins got in return for Kessel's move to Arizona - Galchenyuk - is the player going to Minnesota, so I guess Pittsburgh got what they wanted in the end for the same asset they were willing to trade months ago. In any case, expect the Penguins to be better with Zucker on the wing than they were with Galchenyuk to this point.

The conditional pick could see the 2020 pick become a 2021 pick if the Penguins were to miss the playoffs, but that scenario seems highly unlikely considering the Penguins' current standing and the addition of a player who will contribute to the overall success of the team. While the salary exchange between the two teams was nearly equal, the Wild will get the freedom that comes with Galchenuyk's expiring contract after this season, freeing up $4.9 million in cap space annually. Zucker, comparably, has three more years at $5.5 million that the Penguins will need to add into their plans moving forward.

Perhaps more important than the cap space for the Wild are the other pieces as they add a first-round pick to the mix this season while acquiring the Penguins' second-round pick from last season in highly-touted defenceman Calen Addison. Addison was a solid player at the 2020 World Junior Championship this season where he had nine points in seven games with Team Canada, and his work on the Lethbridge Hurricanes' blue line has been exceptionally good with ten goals and 33 assists in 39 games thus far. For a team that has discussed the possibility of moving Matt Dumba, Addison might be the player who could replace Dumba's offensive capabilities in the Wild lineup if he is moved.

While the future looks bright for the Wild in what they reaped in return for Zucker, it seems the Penguins are going to squeeze every last drop of compete out of their aging core in one or two more playoff runs. Crosby, Malkin, Letang, and, when he returns from injury, Guentzel should be helped by the speed and scoring that Zucker has shown in the past. He goes into high-traffic areas, and his defensive awareness is fairly high. All in all, getting Zucker after chasing after him for months finally feels like closure after the Wild flirted with trading him to the Penguins for a while. General manager Jim Rutherford finally got his man, and we'll see how Zucker fares in the Steel City alongside some very competent and skilled centermen.

Among one of the intangibles that comes with acquiring Zucker is the acquisition of his amazing wife, Carly, who gave her time to so many community and charitable causes in and around St. Paul. Carly and Jason were heavily involved in a lot of Minnesota Wild initiatives, and I suspect they'll continue on with those efforts as a part of the Penguins organization as they look to endear themselves to the fans in their new city. While there may some details to work out before Carly can officially move to Pittsburgh, I would suspect she'll be making an impact alongside Jason in the Pittsburgh community sooner than later. Getting Carly as part of the trade only makes the Penguins better off the ice as much as it does on it.

If one was grading this trade in terms of a winner and loser, I'm not sure there is a loser here as the Wild are looking to retool their roster and need to shed cap hits and get younger to do so while Pittsburgh is still in win-now mode and believes that Zucker is a piece that will help them achieve that. If both teams are happy with the return they received and both seem to have achieved what they desired in making the trade, wouldn't both teams be considered winners based on what they were seeking?

As a fan of the Penguins, I'm not excited about giving up Addison, but Jason Zucker is an intriguing piece who is signed long-term and will help the team. The jury will be out on whether this is a good trade, a bad trade, or a steal for the Penguins based on the results over the next year or two, but I like the deal as a fan and I'm excited to see what Zucker can do in the 'Burgh.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!