Pittsburgh Penguins: Analyzing the Derick Brassard Trade

This past Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins traded center Derick Brassard, along with Riley Sheahan and three 2019 draft picks to the Florida Panthers for forwards Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann in an attempt to climb to the top of the Metropolitan Division.

This move wasn’t too surprising, outside of maybe the number of draft picks, as Brassard, 31, has long been the subject of trade rumors due to his sub par play with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Brassard had just 15 points with the Penguins through half a season after 46 last year in 72 games. He has also posted just a .16 Goals Created per game, his lowest since 2009-2010.

Ever since joining the Pens a season ago, Brassard has failed to live up to the expectations that brought him here in the first place. In the 2017-18 playoffs, Brassard managed only 4 points in 12 games and finished -1 +/- with just the one goal leading to a win for the Penguins.

During the regular season this year, Brassard posted a -6.6 expected +/- and just a 43.9 Fenwick %, both of which are well below his career average. One could point to Brassard’s lack of starts in the offensive zone as a possibility of this, having just a 41.6% oSZ% with the Penguins, yet last season Brassard posted the same relative Fenwick with the Pens as he did this year, with both falling to -7.8%.

Riley Sheahan, 27, was a -7 on the season for the Penguins with just 9 points through 49 games despite putting up 32 a season ago. Like Brassard, Sheahan had the same relative fenwick with the Penguins this season and last at just -6.6%. He was also a -4.9 expected +/- with the Penguins and posted his second lowest Goals Created per game of his career.

In return from the Panthers, the Pens received 26 year-old Bjugstad, who has performed better with Florida than Brassard has with the Pens. Bjugstad had 12 points in 32 game with the Panthers this season along with a 2 +/- and 1.4 expected +/- as well. Just last season Bjugstad put up 19 goals and 30 assists to go along with a 4.6 expected +/- and 5 point shares. He also produced a relative Fenwick of 3.8%.  The Penguins will need Bjugstad to produce at that level again if the expect to come out of this trade as the winners.

Along with Bjugstad, the Pens also received 22 year-old Jared McCann, who is in his third full season in the NHL. McCann profiles as a better defender than scorer, with posting the same or greater defensive point shares when compared to offensive point shares during each season in the NHL. If McCann can provide solid defense for the Penguins, which they desperately need in their forwards, then this can turn out to be a very solid deal for the team.

McCann and Bjugstad are also signed through 2020 and 2021 respectively. Sheahan and Brassard each are free agents this summer.

The Penguins see McCann and Bjugstad as two players who can help the team run at the Stanley Cup over the next couple seasons and possibly in the future as well, especially after giving up two fourth round picks and a second round pick to complete the deal.