I was engrossed in conversation with Other Rick at Wright’s Gym yesterday and the topic quickly veered toward our Penguins as it so often does. I began to expound on what I believe is the intent behind Kyle Dubas’ less-than-inspired moves of late when my colleague cut me off mid-sentence.
“Dubas could’ve improved the team,” Other Rick insisted. “We could’ve gotten (Nikita) Zadorov.”
His assertions stopped me in my tracks.
Could we have signed a marquee free agent or two…players who might have improved our chances…instead of going the Filene’s Basement route?
Let’s rewind to the start of free agency, or more accurately two days prior. According to PuckPedia, we had roughly $15.2 million in available cap space. Add Valtteri Puustinen and Jack St. Ivany to the mix, and we’re down to roughly $13.6 million. Still enough coin to make some noise.
Then came the Kevin Hayes trade (fiasco), one I believe will live in black-and-gold-infamy among the worst of all-time, and everything shifted. Hope for better things ahead flew out the window faster than a swallow lighting out for Capistrano.
