After coming close to a trade yesterday, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers have worked through their “glitch.” That deal has now been completed, with Patric Hornqvist heading to Florida in exchange for Mike Matheson and Colton Sceviour. No salary has been retained by either team.
Panthers GM Bill Zito’s statement on the move reveals exactly why he targeted Hornqvist:
A proven winner and champion, Patric brings a level of competition to our club. He is a talented veteran presence who plays with an edge and we look forward to what he can add to our group.
That championship resume is not something that many other players on the Panthers have and something that Zito will obviously value as he looks to turn around Florida in his first time as a GM. Hornqvist is also arguably the best player involved in the trade, even at his age.
Likely turning 34 just as the next NHL season gets underway (his birthday is January 1), Hornqvist has plenty of miles on a body that is routinely used to battle in front of the net and in the corners. The physical forward has scored 238 times in his career, including 84 goals from his net-front spot on the powerplay. It’s not like things have gone downhill of late either, as Hornqvist recorded 17 goals and 32 points in just 52 games this season.
Of course, for the Panthers this deal is about a lot more than just adding pedigree and leadership. Getting out from under Matheson’s contract will be seen as a big win, even if he’s able to turn around his career in Pittsburgh.
The 25-year-old defenseman had fallen completely out of favor in Florida since signing an eight-year contract in 2017. That deal carries a cap hit of $4.875MM through the 2025-26 season, and actually has a partial no-trade clause that will kick in next year. The Panthers had scratched Matheson several times and even tried him at forward as they attempted to squeeze some value out of the deal, but it just wasn’t working. In 299 games with the team he had registered 91 points, but routinely posted underwhelming defensive and possessions statistics.
A part of the deal that wasn’t reported yesterday is Sceviour, who shouldn’t be entirely overlooked. Even if he isn’t a household name, there’s no doubting Sceviour’s ability to serve a depth role in the bottom-six and help a penalty kill. He’s been a regular NHL player for the last six seasons, good for about ten goals and 25 points a year.
It is notable though that with Sceviour’s addition, the Penguins aren’t even actually opening any cap space in this deal. Hornqvist’s $5.3MM cap hit is actually surpassed by the combined totals of Matheson ($4.875MM) and Sceviour ($1.2MM) next season, though obviously, they take up two roster spots now.
More likely, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford saw this as an opportunity to reshape his group and considered Hornqvist too expensive to serve the third-line role he was likely penciled moving forward. The acquisition of Kasperi Kapanen pushed him down the lineup, plus Rutherford has been clear that he felt this group needed a drastic change if they wanted to compete for another Stanley Cup.
The question now becomes how exactly Matheson fits in. The Penguins already had four defensemen making at least $3.25MM, plus youngster John Marino who has taken hold of a top-four role. There very well could be another move coming, but for now, it is a crowded (and expensive) blueline.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
No idea why the Pens need Sceviour. So much for salary savings
Makes no sense at all. So now they didn’t open a spot up and the cap savings don’t kick in until 2021 and 2022. We’ll have to wait and see how they use that combined 3 million, but is that really worth taking on 6 years of a player like Matheson?
Matheson will still be younger than Horny is now when that deal ends.
Does anyone think there was a better offer on the table for him? Or even another offer for him?
I really don’t have an issue with Matheson. Schultz is gone so he slides in, likely meaning the trade of another defenseman.
I think the addition of Sceviour means the departure of someone like Simon or another RFA who won’t be tendered. Right now this is a jumbled mess. I think there are going to be 3 or more trades before the start of next season.
Honestly didn’t they turn hornqvist money into 2 players who will fill hornqvist and Schultz role? Matheson might still be able to turn his career around too, and sceviour takes hornqvist spot for a year then drops off the cap, seems less terrible than the comments I have read seem to believe
It really just comes down to locking yourself into 6 years of Matheson. Yes, he could turn his career around. But you could say that about a lot of guys who never do that. If he doesn’t, you just locked yourself into a long term deal for a 6th or 7th defenceman.
That’s how I see this
Parx gets it.
And the term doesn’t matter to the Pens. When these deals turn really ugly, we’ll be trying to win the lottery not the Cup.
Roll the dice that Matheson turns it around using an aging sunk cost.
Hard to overstate the impact Horny had on our 16 and 17 Cup wins. But, without a time machine, it’s time to move on.
Sceviour is an interesting throw in. I could see Tanev moving to left wing with Blueger and Sceviour with either Aston-Reese being traded or having to fight for his job when he heals up. Replaces a little bit of Horny’s jam.
Pens in manic mode
If anyone can offer any logical explanation for this trade return from a Pittsburgh perspective I would like to hear it.
They gave up a high mileage 33 year old 4th line winger for a 26 year old 3rd pair defenseman who might get better (like Cole, Schultz, Oleksiak, etc.) and a 31 year old 4th line winger better suited for bottom six duty than the one they dealt.
And now, they can either dump Johnson or trade another D man for a different asset.
The arguments I have heard against this trade involve either pretending Horny is the same player he was four years ago or judging this trade against the imaginary ones that exist in peoples’ heads where “they should have gotten more”.
Well said forwhomjoshbelltolls. Summer it up correctly. Can’t lose to MTL, call for change and just rearrange lines. Gain a puck mover and a penalty killer. Good return considering Horny’s pending expiration date. Better to sell early than to be stuck
Well put all the way around.I think still more trades coming in Pittsburgh. Maybe 2 years left for a cup; I don’t see coming. I see 1st round exit’s for them.
Matheson was pretty good two years ago but he has been a complete train wreck since then. Especially last year, which was basically a 60 game blooper reel of defensive misplays.
He has some talent and can skate but man oh man was he bad last year in terms of defending.
He was also pillow soft to play against, especially in front of his own net.