NHL Trades: Why Maxim Lapierre Won't Help the Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins made some noise on the trade front on Tuesday, as they dealt Marcel Goc to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Maxim Lapierre. However, with the Penguins looking to solve depth issues, this signing may not be in their best interest.

When the Penguins said they needed to improve their depth, they specifically needed a checking winger and some versatility. While this was acquired in 2013 with the signing of Goc, and more recently David Perron, the latest deal has spiraled away from general manager Jim Rutherford’s mandate.

Additionally, the Pens already have the grittiness that they wanted when they signed Steve Downie, and this latest swap draws questions as to why another agitator is needed in Pittsburgh’s bottom six.

The Goc signing was engineered by former general manager Ray Shero in his final season on the job. Goc gained a reputation as a team player, and as Rutherford told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Josh Yohe, it was tough to let him go.

“It's never easy when you lose a player, especially someone like him,” Rutherford said. “He's such a good guy and a good team guy.”

Rutherford eventually alluded to a lack of physicality that spelled the end for Goc in Pittsburgh. 

“It certainly seems that we're getting into more physical games than I would have expected,” Rutherford said to Yohe. “So, yeah, (Lapierre) will help the Downies, (Zach) Sills and (Robert) Bortuzzos.”

Rutherford’s comments insinuate that the Penguins are putting grit and antics ahead of heart and likability in the locker room for the purpose of protecting Sidney Crosby and the other stars in the lineup.

This is the wrong way for the Penguins to build.

Consider the presence of the three tough guys Rutherford alluded to in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Downie, for example, was brought in to do exactly what Lapierre does: agitate. This can result in undisciplined penalties if a referee decides to hammer down on agitators' antics.

An example of this is when Downie cost the Pens a win over the New York Islanders earlier this year by taking two avoidable and undisciplined penalties late in the game.

None of what Downie did helped protect the Penguins' stars or added grit to their lineup. All it did was cost the team two crucial points in its battle for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division.

Lapierre has also earned a reputation as a loose cannon, as noted by Chris Stevenson, formerly of QMI Agency, and it seems that one is enough for the Penguins. Lapierre definitely wasn’t worth giving up another player.

One positive for Lapierre, though, has been his playoff performances. While he has had some notable playoff efforts in the past, specifically with the Montreal Canadiens, they don’t discount the efforts of the man the Penguins traded away.

In the Florida Panthers’ 2011-12 playoff run, Goc proved to be one of the most impactful players on the team, pulling in five points in the seven-game series, according to HockeyDB.

While Lapierre may perform well in the playoffs, Goc has a history of doing the same—and Goc comes at a much lower risk.

The, second-most penalized team in the league has added another player with an undisciplined history. While Goc’s two-way ability is lost, Lapierre’s familiar agitating is inserted into a Pens lineup that does not need it.