Penguins acquire Derick Brassard ahead of trade deadline

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired center Derick Brassard from the Ottawa Senators for Filip Gustavsson, Ian Cole and a first-round pick ahead of the NHL trade deadline.

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is giving his team another piece down the middle as they chase their third consecutive Stanley Cup. Ahead of Monday’s NHL trade deadline, the Penguins acquired center Derick Brassard from the Ottawa Senators for Ian Cole, Filip Gustavsson, and a first-round pick. The trade instantly makes the Penguins one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, while Ottawa begins what could be a massive fire sale ahead of the trade deadline.

Acquiring Brassard gives the Penguins more depth at center as they attempt to become the first team since the early 1980s New York Islanders teams to win three straight Stanley Cups. Brassard will likely slot in as the Penguins third line center behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and give them another scoring option.

This season with Ottawa, Brassard has 18 goals and 38 points in 58 games. The trade for Brassard represents an upgrade over Nick Bonino, who fill the role for the Penguins the last two season but left free agent for Nashville in the summer.

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The Senators got a very good return for Brassard, getting a prospect and a first-round pick. Goalie Filip Gustavsson was selected in the second round of the 2016 draft but still plays in Sweden. This season with Lulea, Gustavsson has 2.16 goals against average and a .917 save percentage.

The 19-year-old could ultimately be the goalie of the future in the Canadian capital but is likely a year or two away from the NHL. The Penguins have been trying to trade Ian Cole for most of the season after he fell out of favor with the team. The 29-year-old defenseman is a free agent after the season and was added to the trade to help the Penguins fit Brassard and his $5 million salary under the salary cap.