After nearly a day of anticipation, it’s now official: the Florida Panthers have dealt forward Gary Roberts to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for young defenseman Noah Welch.
The deal was in place Monday morning but was contingent on Roberts waiving his no-trade clause, which didn’t occur until late Monday night.
This deal is a surprise, as many believed Roberts would only agree to move to either the Ottawa Senators or Toronto Maple Leafs. Indeed, last night there was talk of the Leafs offering a second and fourth round picks plus a prospect for Roberts but evidently that wasn’t enough to change things.
What also makes this surprising is that it doesn’t address the Penguins need for defensive depth and perhaps an enforcer to ride shotgun on Sidney Crosby’s line.
Roberts is an experienced veteran with years of post-season experience, who always brings his “A” game come playoff time, and that should prove invaluable for a rising young Penguins team.
Still, with Mark Recchi already on the roster, one would think the Pens have enough experienced leadership, and Roberts won’t improve their overall defensive game.
Welch is a promising return for the Panthers. A former NCAA all-star, he’s projected to become a top-four defenseman. He saw action in 22 NHL games this season and could see more next season with the Panthers.
I would think the Penguins would go overboard at the trade deadline...Here is why...This team could leave town next season, so why not make a huge run?? It would show the city and the fans that they need the Penguins there.
Atlanta and Nashville seem to be in the same boat.
Nashville gets Forsberg
Atlanta gets Chuck
Teams are overpaying to try and keep the integrity in their team
I don't think this will be the last move made by Shero today. Suddenly, the Pens have a surplus of forwards, especially with Ekman coming back from injury in a week or so.
I'd look for at least one more deal for defense before the deadline. At least, I hope so.
No, I don't think Souray is an option. For one thing, I don't really think the Habs will move him. And with the immergence of Ryan Whitney the PP unit is pretty solid.
They need another defenseman in the Mark Eaton mold to help shut guys down.
I agree. I dont think the day is done for the Penguins ... If Roberts replaces Malone on the first line, Malone might be able to be traded with a pick for a defensemen, be it Seabrook or someone else ... im not really sure that they can land Souray without giving up on more promising players (like Staal), which i dont see happening
Finally someone doesn't go overboard on a trade. Considering the original asking price was to include a first round pick. Wouldn't be suprised if the Penguins make another couple moves. I wonder if Laraque is still in the plans. I think his value has probably dropped since last week. If they get Souray the Penguins would jump up to one of the favourites in the west in my books. Another issue with Souray is why does Montreal want to keep him if they will lose him, they might as well trade him to the highest bidder.
Last edited by Ryan7878 on February 27th at 7:47 AM.
If Souray is not traded, then that tells me Gainey is convinced they will make a decent run in the playoffs or he is going to sign him in the offseason. Gainey is not stupid and will not let him go for nothing and without a fight. But he will not be traded to an eastern conference team
Last edited by #1habsfan on February 27th at 8:17 AM.
This is only a good trade if Gary Roberts can look Therien in the face and say that he really wants to be a member of the Penguins and that the delay in the trade going through was not because he was hesitant but because his agent was.
I still am not sure that Roberts is exactly what Pittsburgh needed, but I hope that he can click with these kids.
It also seemed pretty clear that Roberts would not go anywhere other than Toronto or Ottawa and that wasnt the case. So don't always believe everything you hear.
I think this is a good deal. There's a reason why the sens and the leafs were lining up for Roberts. His character, grit and leadership ability are unquestioned and it shows that this team is looking to be serious. He will be a presence in the dressing room as soon as he arrives. It's a statement: 'we intend to be serious about this, but we like what we have too'. They have a great young team and their chemistry from the top line to the fourth is high. They do have an extra forward and you could see malone moved. I dont think they should go for Laraque (check my blog listed on spectors homepage if you want to know why - Pens-Bruins Amateur Analysis).
They may try to add a defenseman, but there aren't a lot fo great upgrades, so it will be interesting to see what they can do there. Malone could be a pickup from a desperate contender who lost out on the big name winger sweepstakes, and so might trade a good young defender or quality stay at home guy ala Mark Eaton. They wont get Souray and dont need him. They have Gonchar and Whitney filling that role.
update: Laraque just waived his no trade to facilitate a trade to the Pens. Nice going guys. Dont like this move. What with the no wave clause.
Last edited by StuartS on February 27th at 8:38 AM.
No way Souray signs in Montreal.
His Pregnent wife/fiancee looked at my friend's (HUGE) house for sale here in Southern California, and name dropped him all over, and how he's gonna play for a local team, blah blah. My buddy called me to ask "Who the Hell is Sheldon Souray?".
So, Gainey's a fool to keep him, if Souray's Gal is house hunting on his and the Baby's behalf...
BTW- LOVE the Biron to Philly.
I hear Roenick/Larague to Pens for malone/pick.
I'm just saying it sounds very unlikely that he will resign in Montreal. From all the experts on canadian TV I haven't heard or read one of them say souray would stay, they all say gone to California or somewhere else out west
If the Pens make it to the Conference or Stanley Cup Finals I'll eat my words, but otherwise this was a mistake. Welch was the only D-man currently on the Baby Pens that was a sure thing to make the club next year out of camp. They don't have any 1-4 D-men in the system that could make the club next year. Kris Letang made a splash offensively in the early part of this season, but who knows if his defensive work will be up to par.
I'm holding out hope that Shero still has plans to bring in another D-man before the end of today. Ekman is coming back from an injury and I wouldn't mind losing him for a 4-5 D-man.
I'm still dissappointed to lose Welch. The Panthers made a great acquisition today for their future.
Yeah, I agree with you. I guess there was a sense that Welch had a bit of a set back this season, but for sure, he would have been up there eventually. Im wondering if they peddle Malone for the D-man, I doubt Ekman would get much of a return at this point.
Stuart,
You're right most GMs would pick Malone over Ekman, but I hope that Shero doesn't trade away another piece of the team's future in Malone. Losing Welch is bad enough. Welch was definitely better than some other full-timers (i.e. Melichar) but had a 2-way contract. So, it was him that made the bus trip callups instead of others this season. Mark my words, he will start for Florida next year.
Unless the Penguins believe that they can make it past the first round i dont get why they're doing this. They've definatly gotten tougher today with Roberts and big George.
I got to hear Roberts in a press conference tonight and I have to say I feel a lot better about this trade. Roberts said that the big thing for him was talking to Recchi and hearing him go on and on about how much fun it is to be on the team and how it's like drinking from the fountain of youth, etc. Roberts seemed genuinely interested in being a part of the magic and really mentoring the young guys.
Recchi mentioned that it's hard to get the young guys to leave the ice becuase they don't want to stop working and learning. Roberts talked about how uncommon that is and that he wanted to be a part of it. He is a health-nut and workout fanatic and will be a great addition on and off the ice.
Finally, Shero mentioned that he has seen some things in the farm system this year that makes him believe that there will be D-men that will be able to come in and take Welch's place. I don't know who these people are, but it's Shero's job to know, so I'll reserve my verdict 'till next year.
I'm Lyle Richardson, also known as Spector, Foxsports.com 's "Prince of Pucks".,which is based on the fact I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada and I couldn't think of a better byline. I've been an NHL hockey commentator since 1998 on my website, Spector's Hockey, and I'm a contributing writer for Foxsports.com , The Hockey News and Eishockey News. I'm also a regular on The Faceoff Hockey Show and a frequent guest on "The Late Crew" on The Team 1200 Ottawa.
