The Marian Hossa Trade Revisited

So, was it worth it?

Hossa to Pittsburgh

Many might argue that the Pittsburgh Penguins gave up a whole lot to get superstar Marian Hossa from the Atlanta Thrashers at this past trade deadline in the National Hockey League. At first glance, their argument looks to be justified: Forwards Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen, prospect Angelo Esposito, and a first-round draft pick in this month's upcoming NHL draft. Pittsburgh received Hossa and Pascal Dupuis, two unrestricted free agents come July 1st.

Really, giving up two ready-made roster players for two others not guaranteed to play any more than twenty-odd games until the end of the season seems like a big price to pay. However, Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero's wallet was not as much emptied as it first appeared.

Price Put in Perspective

While no one can deny Armstrong and Christensen's contributions to the Pittsburgh lineup these past few years, those contributions were made more often than not as third and fourth liners. While there were times they had a chance to play with Sidney Crosby on the team's first line, especially Armstrong, anyone can be made to look like a regular top-liner when they play alongside 'The Kid'. The numbers really don't lie: Christensen: 143 games played with the Penguins, just 66 points scored, and a +/- rating of -9. Armstrong: 181 games played, 98 points, +- plus 23.

As for Esposito, his stock at last year's draft free fell after at one point being the consensus number-one pick. Most analysts had him being taken by the Montreal Canadiens if he was still around by the time they picked at number 12. Someone forgot to tell the Habs, though. Instead, he fell eight more picks, low enough for the Penguins to get their claws, or fins, on him. It was a good pick, no doubt, but because Esposito only put up superstar numbers during his rookie season with the Quebec Remparts in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (when a certain Alexander Radulov was his linemate) and because he had a history, albeit a brief one, of injuries, it was easy to argue that Esposito would never become the NHL superstar he had once been envisioned as becoming.

The only real asset Atlanta got in the deal was the first-round pick in a particularly deep draft. However, because the Penguins ended up the runners-up in the Stanley Cup Final, the Thrashers will have to wait until the second-to-last pick of that first round to reap the benefits of giving up their superstar player in Hossa.

No Home Like Pittsburgh for Hossa

Hossa is a superstar. Make no mistake about it. Despite his sub-par regular season, which can be attributed to playing with equally sub-par linemates in Atlanta, Hossa came alive during the playoffs. He put up 26 points in 20 games to finish third in scoring. Yes, he was playing with Crosby, who finished second behind the Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg, all the while. But he shed that non-playoff-performer tag that he was infamous for during his years with the Ottawa Senators.

He netted the overtime series winner against the New York Rangers, and put up the most points of any Penguin in the final against Detroit. Truth be told, Pittsburgh got their money's worth. For each additional home game in the playoffs that they likely wouldn't have played were it not for Hossa (and the revenue it generated), Shero was made to look like a genius. Atlanta gm Don Waddell's hands were undeniably tied in that Hossa likely wasn't going to resign with the Thrashers and continue to play second fiddle to Ilya Kovalchuk any longer. Still, he nonetheless got robbed in the trade and could probably have gotten more dealing with another partner.

Every Penny

Now, unfortunately, the point is moot. Waddell's burden is now Shero's, but no one can blame Shero for not doing his very best to give the Penguins every chance to win. If Hossa doesn't end up resigning with the Penguins, which is where all signs point to, Shero still did his job. As did Hossa.

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