We all wait every season, and for pretty much every sport for the blockbusters that could happen around the trade deadline every year. Teams that feel they are missing that “one final piece” can usually broker a deal for a star player without mortgaging their future. Wednesday night, Ray Shero and the Pittsburgh Penguins did exactly that.
Jarome Iginla, captain of the Calgary Flames, face of the franchise and one of the greatest power forwards to ever play the game was dealt to the Eastern Conference leaders for the equivalent of a half filled bag of bird seed. Granted, Iginla is hardly in the prime of his career, but the deal that Shero pulled off borders on pure sorcery.
What makes the transaction particularly entertaining is that the Boston Bruins were convinced that they had already negotiated a deal for the Flames’ all time leading scorer. It was reported all over the internet by ESPN, Fox and CBS Sports that Iginla was headed to the Bruins. Twitter exploded around 2 a.m. with the correct trade reports including some very upset Bruins fans, and well, hockey fans in general.
It is still unclear who exactly nixed the deal with the Bruins, but the fact is Jarome Iginla will be joining the most potent offense in the NHL. As if the Penguins needed to supplement a roster that had just acquired the captain of the Dallas Stars, Brenden Morrow, they get a proven warrior in Iginla who burns just to sip from Lord Stanley’s Cup. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Chris Kunitz, James Neal, Kris Letang are getting a teammate who will fit seamlessly into a lineup that will surely improve with their new toy.
Make no mistake, Jarome Iginla will be renting and not buying when he arrives in the steel city. This was a move to acquire a willing mercenary in Iginla, but when his contract expires in June, expect him to return to Calgary. This type of experiment in Pittsburgh has had mixed results over the past few years. Late season “rentals” can pay huge dividends or disrupt chemistry and create enormous expectations.
The move means that Pittsburgh expects nothing short of their second Stanley Cup in the last five years. Loading a roster with talent is certainly a step in the right direction, but the 16 wins required to lift the cup will be earned through blood, sweat and tears. There are absolutely no guarantees in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Every round is a best of seven coin flip. The Penguins can enjoy the spoils of their bartered prize for now, but come May, the bullseye will be squarely on their backs.