NHL Trade Deadline: Did Pittsburgh Give Up Too Much?

It came down to the wire.  

With about two minutes to go until the NHL trade deadline was reached, the news came down about the future of Marian Hossa.  

Up to that point, the main players in the Hossa trade talks were the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens.  Analysts speculated who would be giving up what for the Thrashers wingman: one rumor had Michael Ryder, Maxime Lapierre, and Mikhail Grabovski - recalled earlier from Hamilton.  In a hockey-hungry town like Montreal - and across the country, really - media waited anxiously clutching their Blackberries for any indication where Hossa would go, fans stayed close to radios and televisions hoping, maybe those hockey gloves really were for the Slovak. 

There was visible shock when, flashing across tiny Blackberry screens in bold font and regurgitated by TSN and RDS, Hossa had been traded to Pittsburgh.

It's a blockbuster deal, sending Hossa and winger Pascal Dupuis to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for prospect Angelo Esposito, forwards Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen, and a first-round pick.

Currently sitting fourth in the east, only two points out of first, securing Hossa solidifies Pittsburgh's immediate future, although, the team's future was never in much doubt.  Hossa, with 26 goals and 56 points already this season, joins a team that has stepped up big time in the absence of its captain, Sidney Crosby, still sidelined by a high ankle sprain.  All the credit for the recent surge goes to Evgeni Malkin, who is currently the league's scoring leader.  With Malkin, now Hossa and the return of Crosby shortly, the Pens' offense has become that much more deadly.  

Why the deal comes as such as shock is that it wasn't necessary. Pittsburgh General Manager Ray Shero indicated, just prior to the deadline, he wasn't inclined to make any changes to the roster, nor did he need to.  Of course, one never knows what a general manager has up a sleeve, and it's now clear Shero was holding an ace. 

There are some concerns that will be raised, however, and the obvious question in Pittsburgh will be did the Penguins give up too much to secure a rental?   Armstrong has been solid for the team, scoring nine goals and chalking up 15 assists and is currently ranked third on the team with a plus-eight rating.  Christensen is strong on the faceoff and is a great player to have in a shootout situation, having notched five goals in eight shootout attempts this season.  Esposito is unproven in the NHL but has put up some impressive number in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.  Finally, a first-round pick is not something many GMs were willing to give up this year come the deadline for the simple fact that this year's crop of young players has such promise, guys like Steve Stamkos, Drew Doughty, and Alex Pietrangelo, although it's unlikely the Pens would've snagged any of them. 

There's also the fact that Hossa never has put up strong numbers in the playoffs.  Regular season heroics get you to the dance but post-season performance gets you the girl everybody wants. 

To use a tired cliché, only time will tell if this deal will be a boon for Pittsburgh, but, in the short term, for a flightless bird, the Penguins are soaring.