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Penguins Explain Hallander-Stastney Trade; Another Move Coming
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- Penguins Explain Hallander-Stastney Trade; Another Move Coming
Penguins Explain Hallander-Stastney Trade; Another Move Coming
WASHINGTON, D.C. —The Pittsburgh Penguins cleared up the logjam at the forward position, at least temporarily, Wednesday when they traded Filip Hallander to the Edmonton Oilers for lefty defenseman Spencer Stastney .
The Penguins were not bound to make a move because the NHL granted winger Andrei Kuzmenko non-roster status while he deals with the death of his father and catches up after missing preseason. But had they not made a move, one was due soon as the team activated Bryan Rust Wednesday afternoon.
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The roster is full at 23 players, but another move will need to be made when the team is ready to activate Kuzmenko.
Penguins assistant GM Jason Spezza answered questions via email from the beat writers Wednesday afternoon, including Pittsburgh Hockey Now.
Of note, while Spezza certainly did not mean to impugn Hallander's ability, he did use the word "expandable."
-Why was Hallander the player that was moved to make room on the roster? Did Hallander indicate that he wanted a trade?
No, Filip did not ask for a trade. We had to make a move due to our depth at forward, and by looking at past performances and future potential, Filip was the player we determined was expendable. In our trade discussions, the Oilers had interest in Filip, while we had interest in Stastney. We hold Filip in high regard as a player and person, especially after the adversity he faced and overcame last season, but we had to give up a player of his quality in order to get Stastney in return.
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-What kind of player are you getting in Stastney and where do you see him fitting?
Stastney is a great skating defenseman who is at his best when he is asserting himself defensively and offensively, using his legs, retrieving pucks, and moving pucks into the forwards' hands. Stastney adds to our depth as a left-shot defenseman that has experience playing on the left or right side, and he will be competing with our existing defensemen for ice time.
-You still have to clear a roster spot to activate Andrei Kuzmenko eventually. Do you anticipate more moves or having to waive someone currently on the roster?
A subsequent move will have to be made once Kuzmenko is activated off non-roster, but we have to get through the next two games and determine where our roster stands at that point before making any decisions.
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