Chirps from Center Ice

Because of the NHL Lockout, this years NHL Draft was a one day affair. Here’s a look at the haul Pittsburgh got for the future…

First, the news started early as the Penguins traded away Tyler Kennedy to the San Jose Sharks for the 50th pick in the draft in the second round.

But then the Pens traded that pick, as well as their third round pick (89th) to Columbus to pick 44th.

They selected goaltender Tristan Jarry from the Edmonton Oil Kings from the Western Hockey League.

Some notes on the kid from those in the know…

https://twitter.com/IanAltenbaugh/status/351473051671605248

Scouts consensus is that Jarry has an undeniable specifications for a starting goaltender in the NHL. Just hasn’t gotten the reps.

— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) June 30, 2013

Jarry is ranked third among North American goalies by Central Scouting and went 18-7-0 with six shutouts, a 1.61 GAA and a .936 SV% with Edmonton last year. Here’s a scouting report from the ever solid The Goalie Guild.

Then in the third round, the Penguins selected Jake Guentzel at #77. He will head to Nebraska-Omaha in the Fall. Here’s a few blurbs:

Guentzel a very, very smart playing. Heading to Nebraska-Omaha this fall as evidence of that. All around solid toolbox offensively.

— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) June 30, 2013

Guentzel has virtually no size. Has to bulk up to be effective. Can’t be successful on the perimeter at UNO. Size majorly hampers his game.

— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) June 30, 2013

The remaining picks by Pittsburgh were all kids heading to college in the fall.

In the fourth round they selected defenseman Ryan Segalla, a high schooler destined for University of Connecticut in the Fall. Segalla was born in 1994, or my freshman year of high school.

Penguins had no pick in Round 5, but had two in Round 6. They drafted defenseman Dane Birks. The seventeen year old is committed to play at Michigan Tech next year.

The second pick that in the sixth the Penguins drafted was center Blaine Byron, who is committed to the University of Maine.

The final pick for the Penguins in the seventh round was center Troy Josephs, who is heading to Clarkson University in the Fall.

I am not going to pretend like I know anything about these kids that were drafted other than the links I provide you to those that do. They are all too young to play for Wilkes-Barre or make any immediate impact for Coal Street for years. So with this draft class, we just wait and see.

The Penguins announced today that they have acquired Harry Zolnierczyk in exchange for Alex Grant.

A couple things jumped out at me as the news broke this afternoon…

1) The Penguins were a-ok with letting Alex Grant walk this offseason. After what many could say was a disappointing tenure with the Penguins organization coupled with untimely, backbreaking turnovers in this years Calder Cup Playoffs, his departure is not surprising at all.

2) Looking at Zolnierczyk’s body of work, he is a versatile winger that can play all four lines in the AHL and a third or fourth line in the NHL. He also knows how to use his speed as evidenced by this clip shared by Michael Cignoli from The Saratogian.

That’s all well and good, but Zolnierczyk has baggage. A lot of it.

First, on ice, a four game suspension this season for a hit on Ottawa’s Mike Lundin that left Lundin with a concussion. Zolnierczyk did this as a member of the Philadelpia Flyers.

He was later traded to the Anaheim Ducks for Jay Rosehill.

Second, off ice in 2008, Zolnierczyk was given probation for production / distribution of a pornographic video of an underage girl. After completion of his sentence, the charge was expunged from his record.

The move seems like an “un-Penguinlike” move to me. Zolnierczyk is a restricted free agent. Pittsburgh has until next Monday to extend a qualifying offer of $660,000 in order to retain his rights or else Zolnierczyk becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Zolnierczyk may never be seen in Wilkes-Barre. If Matt Cooke finds work elsewhere this offseason, one would assume that Zolnierczyk could assume that rat role that Cooke played so well for Pittsburgh during his tenure.

Regardless, at the end of the day, it seems that the move was a “change of scenery” trade for both Grant and Zolnierczyk. We just have to sit back and see what happens.

The 2013 Offseason Moves chart has been updated.