NHL Trade Rumors 2015: Blackhawks Get Rob Scuderi, Send Trevor Daley to Penguins
The trade between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins, involving Trevor Daley and Rob Scuderi, on Monday is seen as nothing but a move to clear cap space. The Blackhawks have long been shopping Daley, a defenseman who hasn't really produced that much for the team, and now they're getting a veteran in return in the person of Rob Scuderi.
With the trade, the Penguins will have to retain a third of Scuderi's existing $3.375 million salary, while Daley for his part is owed $3.3 million. As a result, Chicago will see itself freeing about a million in salary cap space because of the deal.
The 32-year-old Daley was part of the Patrick Sharp trade with the Dallas Stars, which saw him perform the best in his career, at least at the offensive standpoint, producing 16 goals and 38 points. He, however, couldn't make an impact with the Blackhawks, a team that is more inclined to winning games through its defense. In his stint with Chicago, Daley didn't score any goals and only produced six assists for 29 games, a big difference to what he contributed as a member of the Dallas Stars.
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The veteran Scuderi, on the other hand, is nearing the twilight of his career at 36. He is currently playing his third year with Pittsburgh on a second stint. He actually played for the Penguins from 2003 up to 2009, eventually winning a Stanley Cup with the team in 2008-2009. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1998 NHL Draft.
With someone like Scuderi who has played majority of his career in Pittsburgh, it should be painful to go, and hardcore Penguins fans are also expected to get disappointed. However, should the team want to improve next season, they have no other choice but to get more cap space in order to sign younger prospects in the near future.
