Ducks trade Hagelin to Pittsburgh for Perron, Clendening

Apparently NHL general managers don’t sleep.

The Ducks and Penguins announced that they had enacted a trade that would see Carl Hagelin sent to Pittsburgh in exchange for David Perron and Adam Clendening.

That’s certainly true for coach Mike Sullivan, who was an assistant with the Rangers during Hagelin’s first two seasons. What is also important to note is that he makes about $3,81M this year and becomes a UFA at season’s end. Hagelin averaged more than a minute of shorthanded TOI per game with the Ducks.

However, if Murray can bring in a guy like Jonathan Drouin, this trade will then be a huge win for Murray and the Ducks. The Pens are hoping Hagelin’s speed delivers. And to make a point, both Etem and Hagelin were traded after they were traded for each other. Perron posted a career-best 57-point season in 2013-14 for Edmonton, which traded him to Pittsburgh last January for a 2015 first-round pick and Rob Klinkhammer.

Perron, 27, had no goals in his last 19 games with the Penguins and had four goals, 16 points and a minus-13 defensive rating in 43 games.

That didn’t happen for Hagelin in an underwhelming stint with the Ducks, scoring four goals with eight assists in 43 games.

He was originally drafted by Chicago in the second round (36th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 17 games for Vancouver, but was assigned to Utica of the AHL to help them on their playoff run. The 28-year-old Slovenian star has 230 goals and 415 assists in 725 games over 10 seasons.

The native of Sherbrooke, QC, finds himself on his fourth squad in his career having played with the Blues, the Oilers, the Penguins and now joining the Ducks. If you ask me, I think Pittsburgh should have held onto him. That did not work out. Perron spent six seasons with St. Louis before being dealt to Edmonton back in July 2013. These stats are not what you’re exactly looking for to give a jolt of energy to your lineup, but perhaps a change of scenery and a return to the Western Conference will rejuvenate his career.

I was harking earlier this week that the Ducks needed some secondary scoring in their lineup as the team is still last in offensive production this season.

Murray, meanwhile, said the following about Perron, but it could have easily been about Hagelin: “He should be motivated”. Yeah, of course I do. Hagelin, plays left wing, while Perron preferred the right side and constantly battled with Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist and, when healthy, Beau Bennett, for playing time on the right side. “I’m not going to put this all on Carl”.

Hagelin is under contract for three more years, beyond this one, at a cap hit of -million. Ducks get Perron, Clendenning and contract flexibility.