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Reaction: Penguins' Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon Traded To Vegas For Another Righty
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- Reaction: Penguins' Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon Traded To Vegas For Another Righty
With one day to go until NHL free agency, there are a whole lot of big stories dominating headlines.
And, while the Pittsburgh Penguins trading a reliable yet unspectacular defenseman might not make the front page, it could, potentially, be setting up something much bigger.
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On Tuesday, the Penguins sent top-pair left defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for right defenseman Kaeden Korczak, who is under contract for three more seasons at an average annual value of $3.75 million.
In 78 regular season games for the Knights last season, Korczak registered three goals and 16 points to go along with a plus-6 on their third pairing. The 6-foot-3, 206-pound defenseman is a smooth skater, hard hitter, and has some upside offensive potential if given a bigger role in the right situation, and the Penguins' coaching staff gained a reputation for getting the most out of their blueliners.
It's a pretty curious move for the Penguins, who are already anemic on the left side and have several legitimate right-side options. Korczak will join Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, and promising rookie Harrison Brunicke on the right side, while Wotherspoon's departure leaves just Sam Girard and Ilya Solovyov with prospects Owen Pickering and Jake Livanavage in the mix.
Golden Knights Trade Defenseman To Penguins In Salary Cap Dump
Vegas Golden Knights are making moves. On Tuesday, they announced their second trade in as many days, sending defenseman Kaedan Korczak to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Parker Wotherspoon.;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;" data-yga="{"yLinkText":"Golden Knights Trade Defenseman To Penguins In Salary Cap DumpThe Vegas Golden Knights are making moves. On Tuesday, they announced their second trade in as many days, sending defenseman Kaedan Korczak to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Parker Wotherspoon.","yLinkElement":"context_link","yModuleName":"content-canvas","yHasCommerce":false}" href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights/latest-news/golden-knights-trade-defenseman-free-up-salary-cap-space" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Golden Knights Trade Defenseman To Penguins In Salary Cap DumpThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights">Vegas Golden Knights</a> are making moves. On Tuesday, they announced their second trade in as many days, sending defenseman Kaedan Korczak to the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> in exchange for defenseman Parker Wotherspoon.
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Of course, there's always the possibility that Dubas could target a cheap upside left defender in a trade or in free agency, similar to his targeting of Wotherspoon last summer. It would make sense, given Dubas's difficulty in engaging the price tags in the market for a top-four left-side defender.
However, I'm more inclined to think that this move is a precursor to a bigger one later. Three noteworthy defensemen, Zach Werenski, Alexander Nikishin, and possibly Thomas Harley, are on the trade block, and the Penguins have already been linked to the Dallas Stars, who employ Harley.
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Could the Penguins execute a trade for Harley? They are rumored to be in on Robertson, but could it be Harley and his $10.75 million AAV for eight years that comes back? He is a legitimate top-four defenseman who is only 25, which is the exact kind of mid-20s player Dubas covets.
Nikishin also makes a fair bit of sense, although there is a bit more uncertainty there despite the upside. He also plays both sides, which could be very useful for the Penguins, especially if Karlsson vacates either by trade or at the end of his contract next summer.
So, on the Penguins' end, it seems they need to make another left-side move one way or another, whether that's a small move or a higher-profile one.
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