Forward Nick Bonino has been re-acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins from the San Jose Sharks. The 34-year-old center previously played for the Penguins from 2015 to 2017 and was a key member of their back-to-back Stanley Cup Championship teams in 2016 and 2017.
To make the cap work, the Montreal Canadiens were included as a third party. The full deal looks like this:
- To Pittsburgh: Nick Bonino
- To San Jose: Arvid Henriksson, conditional 2024 fifth-round pick (PIT), 2023 seventh-round pick (PIT)
- To Montreal: 50% of Bonino salary, Tony Sund, 2024 fifth-round pick (SJS)
Bonino played center on the team’s third line for both Stanley Cup victories, scoring 18 points in 24 games in 2016 while playing on the “HBK Line” with Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel. The trio gave the Penguins great depth, and Bonino will look to add some depth for them once again.
With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jeff Carter already lining up down the middle, Bonino likely takes on a fourth-line role this time around. Bonino has ten goals and 19 points in 59 games this season with the Sharks.
For San Jose, adding a couple of draft picks for an expiring contract is exactly the kind of work that needs to continue in a rebuild. Bonino was an important veteran voice in the locker room, but is nearing the end of his career and not much use to a club trying to reorganize around young talent.
The fifth-round pick will turn into a 2024 fourth-round selection if Pittsburgh advances to the Conference Finals this season.
They’ll also grab the rights to Henriksson, who is finishing up a four-year career at Lake Superior State after coming over to North America in 2018. The 25-year-old defenseman was a seventh-round pick by the Canadiens in 2016, and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if not signed to an entry-level contract by the middle of August.
Montreal grabs a pick for playing the middleman and the rights to Sund, an interesting inclusion in a deal like this. The 27-year-old signed an entry-level contract with the Sharks back in 2019-20 but never came over to North America. Now, he is playing with Rogle in the SHL, where he partners with Canadiens 2022 draft pick Adam Engstrom.
There’s a chance that Montreal has spotted Sund as a potential target to sign this summer while watching their young prospect, though his rights will expire at the end of the season anyway, given his age.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman broke the news early Friday morning.
Now if they can just get Kessel and Haeglin back, and somehow turn the clock back five years, they’re in business
On his worst day, he’s still an upgrade over 2023 Jeff Carter.
Pens are 8-0 in playoff series with Nick Bonino on their roster.
Letting him go over a 500K difference in contract negotiations was the biggest mistake Jimmy made here.
Still think the Jack Johnson contract was the worst and it’s not particularly close.
Again, show me an alternate universe where yinzers didn’t boo him and the media here didn’t berate him before his first shift and maybe I’ll agree that the guy who at times played top pair minutes for us during multiple long winning streaks and who helped the Avs win a Cup last year (and who they brought back again this year) was the worst move.
Until then, no…it was letting go of Bonino and Ian Cole (letting go of Cole was also the reason they signed Jack Johnson). Those were glue guys for our Cup teams.
But bringing in “this” Johnson at league minimum is a lot different than bringing in declining Johnson long term on a multi million dollar deal. Pittsburgh will be paying him more than Colorado this year and multiple more after. That’s really not ideal.
“Pens are 8-0 in playoff series with Nick Bonino on their roster.”
And George Armstrong Custer never lost a battle until Little Big Horn
To coin a phrase: “There’s a first time for everything”
Wow, now we have unknown 3rd party brokers involved in these deals. Rumors are the deal was consummated in an unmarked, non-descript building. :D
Bonino is good as long as you don’t overslot him in the lineup like the Preds did when they signed him.
I NEED BONINO!
I think you meant Jeff Carter clogging up the middle.