The Penguins Wheeling Nailers situation is the real story today, but first, as we slowly creep towards Jason Robertson’s arbitration date, not much has occurred in terms of player movement. Most of the players that elected to go to arbitration have reached a settlement outside of the court system. However, Robertson remains unsigned. I still hold the belief that it’s extremely unlikely the Stars let him get into an arb meeting, whether they sign him or trade him beforehand is anyone’s guess. The trading of Robertson may have actually just become more difficult. In shocking news two days ago, Steve Yzerman officially stepped down as GM and President of the Detroit Red Wings. He is moving into an advisory role with the owner. The Yzerplan was basically a disaster in Detroit as they’ve failed to qualify for the playoffs in each season, he was in control of the roster. Yzerman was way too tentative at times, never showing his team, he was ready to go for it. At other times, like last season, he was foolish in his decisions (acquiring Faulk when it was very unlikely, they made the playoffs). It all eventually culminated in the team captain requesting a trade out of the city.
Most people believe that Larkin’s trade request had a lot to do with his deteriorating relationship with Yzerman. Both men took subtle jabs at one another over the past seasons and the relationship was bound to reach a tipping point. With Yzerman out of his current role, it might change Larkin’s mind on whether he wants to be traded. If Larkin were to relent on his trade request, it might be an issue for Dallas and the Robertson trade. Many people, including us at this site, have all thought a 3-way trade between Dallas-Detroit-Pittsburgh made a ton of sense. It only makes sense if Larkin wants out and is willing to go to Dallas. With the change of management in Detroit, that is all now in flux. For Pittsburgh, it might be a blessing in disguise though. Now Dallas is really under the gun, and they might need to accept Pittsburgh’s best offer, even if it’s below their standards, so they don’t lose the player for nothing after he signs a 1-year arbitration awarded contract. This saga has new twists and turns every single day despite nothing actually materializing.
The Penguins Wheeling Nailers Breakup Everyone’s Overreacting To
In much more expected news, the Penguins have a new ECHL affiliate. The Hoffman group, who formally purchased the Pens last month, own the ECHL’s Florida Everblades making it basically a forgone conclusion that the Penguins/Nailer relationship would end. Everyone knew this would happen, and yet people are still losing their minds. Who the hell cares? The Penguins aren’t losing any players due to this, and the Nailers aren’t going to cease to exist. If you love ECHL hockey, or more specifically Wheeling Nailer hockey, literally nothing has changed. Sure, some of the Nailers players will now have to move to Florida but its professional sports players move all the time. I understand that it’s mid-July and the sports calendar is slow, but my god people need to get a grip.
Several people, not just Dan above, said this was an “unforced error.” What is the error? Please someone explain it to me because I just don’t understand. Yes, travel logistics between Florida and Wilkes Barre will be more difficult than players coming/going from Wheeling, but does it really matter? Will anyone on an ECHL contract play for the NHL this season? This is the biggest nothing burger of all time. These affiliate agreements end literally all the time; the Penguins were the outlier for having a partnership for 29 years. Hell, even NHL-AHL affiliations change somewhat frequently.
The Penguins have actually made better use of the ECHL than other clubs throughout the years. Paul Bissonnette, Casey Desmith, Sergei Murashov, Tom Kuhnhackl, Avery Hayes, and Tomas Vokoun were all Nailers at one point before playing in the AHL.
There is one real wrinkle worth knowing with Gabriel D’Aigle. He finished this past season on an ECHL contract with Wheeling, not his NHL entry-level deal yet, so when Wheeling qualified him earlier this month, the Nailers specifically retained his ECHL rights. If the Penguins want him playing in Florida at that level, Florida would actually have to trade Wheeling for those rights first. It’s a procedural thing, not a sign his future with the Penguins organization is in any doubt, he’s still Pittsburgh property either way. So no, this split doesn’t mean players are getting lost in the shuffle, it just means there’s a little more paperwork on this one guy specifically. Wheeling is likely to become Columbus’ affiliate, and all the good people of Wheeling can go watch their favorite ECHL team as if nothing ever happened.
I know it’s mid-July, but people need to calm down. Nothing about your life is altered because of this change. Your life might be altered if the Penguins acquire Jason Robertson, let’s all focus our energy on that.
