Post by NJDevilsGM on Dec 19, 2023 14:47:38 GMT -5
Newark, NJ - The New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins hooked up on a deal yesterday, as the Devils sent long-time blueline Ryan Pulock to the Penguins in exchange for fellow defenseman MacKenzie Weeger in a move designed to bolster the clubs top end depth.
"We'd first like to tip our hat to Ryan, who was with our organization for eight years. It's so difficult moving a player who has been around for so long, but we also seen an opportunity for him to get more minutes in Pittsburgh and that was an important factor in making us more comfortable in the deal," stated Devils General Manager Trent Allen.
The Penguins also pick up a 2nd, 4th and 6th round draft pick in the deal, with unspecified future considerations going back to New Jersey.
In Weegar, the club hopes it's getting a top four two-way defender who can log over 20 minutes a night in all situations.
"Mac has had a strong career so far and we think he'll slot in nicely in our top six, giving us even more depth and talent to the backend," stated Allen.
This season, Weegar picked up two goals and six points in 14 games for Pittsburgh, while sporting a -11 plus-minus rating. Weegar logged 21:15 a night in Pittsburgh and Allen expects the time to be close to the same in Pittsburgh, though the role may be changed somewhat.
Pulock managed four points in 14 games while playing just over 15 minutes a night this year for Pittsburgh.
The trade comes after an offseason in which the Devils were aggressively pursuing a defenseman in free agency, though they came up emptyhanded ultimately in the end. The team was also reportedly in on discussions with several higher profile forwards and sources close to the Devils indicate Allen would still like to acquire an offensive-minded winger to round out his top six upfront.
The Devils are 8-5-1 and sit seventh in a tightly packed Eastern Conference that sees teams from third to 13th separated by just five points early in the season.
"We'd first like to tip our hat to Ryan, who was with our organization for eight years. It's so difficult moving a player who has been around for so long, but we also seen an opportunity for him to get more minutes in Pittsburgh and that was an important factor in making us more comfortable in the deal," stated Devils General Manager Trent Allen.
The Penguins also pick up a 2nd, 4th and 6th round draft pick in the deal, with unspecified future considerations going back to New Jersey.
In Weegar, the club hopes it's getting a top four two-way defender who can log over 20 minutes a night in all situations.
"Mac has had a strong career so far and we think he'll slot in nicely in our top six, giving us even more depth and talent to the backend," stated Allen.
This season, Weegar picked up two goals and six points in 14 games for Pittsburgh, while sporting a -11 plus-minus rating. Weegar logged 21:15 a night in Pittsburgh and Allen expects the time to be close to the same in Pittsburgh, though the role may be changed somewhat.
Pulock managed four points in 14 games while playing just over 15 minutes a night this year for Pittsburgh.
The trade comes after an offseason in which the Devils were aggressively pursuing a defenseman in free agency, though they came up emptyhanded ultimately in the end. The team was also reportedly in on discussions with several higher profile forwards and sources close to the Devils indicate Allen would still like to acquire an offensive-minded winger to round out his top six upfront.
The Devils are 8-5-1 and sit seventh in a tightly packed Eastern Conference that sees teams from third to 13th separated by just five points early in the season.