The Pittsburgh Penguins began the Matt Murray trade market weeks ago by asking for a first-round pick and why not for a two-time Stanley Cup champion?
But as Friday’s free agency approached, they wisely took their best offer.
Because once the free-agent market opens Friday, you’ve got a deluge of UFA goalie options and Penguins GM Jim Rutherford would have lost more leverage in trade talks on Murray. Not to mention the fact the Penguins wanted a pick in this year’s draft, not next year, so they got that with the 52nd overall selection from the Senators (which they used Wednesday to select netminder Joel Blomqvist).
The Sens and Pens had talked about this deal for a few weeks but as one source said a few minutes after it was completed, it ramped up in the hour leading up to the second round of the draft opening Wednesday. That’s what deadlines do, they push deals along.
I’m sure Pittsburgh would have preferred…