What did the Penguins get back in the trade?

Looking at what the Penguins got for Drew O’Connor and Marcus Pettersson

The Penguins made a big move on Friday night, sending out Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor, their top two trading chips on expiring contracts. Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas talked about the moves in a statement:

The “young prospects, young players” involved were first round pick (via the NY Rangers) and prospect Melvin Fernstrom. If the pick falls in the top-13 of the draft, NYR gets to keep it, but will have to send an unprotected first rounder in 2026.

Fernstrom, 18, was drafted by the Canucks in the third round of last year’s draft.

Here are a few scouting profiles, as compiled by MyNHLdraft.com

Wheeler had Fernstrom rated as his 53rd overall prospect in last year’s draft (he wouldn’t be drafted in the real thing until pick 93), saying also:

I like the way he supports, tracks and gets the puck back defensively. I like the way he protects and shields it against defenders offensively. He’s a competitor who works hard and likes to mix it up (and occasionally takes bad penalties). There’s a good shell to work with.

A good shell to work with is a nice enough compliment indeed.

A Reddit user captured a screenshot that NHL Network used at last year’s draft to describe Fernstrom:

Fernstrom played four games for Sweden at this year’s World Junior Championship, recording two assists. As a composite from all these accounts would be that Fernstrom has good offensive tools and skills, but is lacking defensively, is unimpressive in the physical game and isn’t the fleetest of foot. The Penguins can use all the young skill they can get at this point, and Fernstrom is another chip in the pile for them to see how development goes in the years ahead.

Fernstrom already appeared in a World Junior championship this year at age-18, so presumably he should be a lock to return for Sweden in that tournament next year. He’s made some strides to advance to the top flight SWEHL competition at a young age, which bodes well for his ongoing development. It will likely take several years to see if he can matriculate up to be NHL quality, but Pittsburgh has nothing but time to wait for a player like this.

The Pens only selected one forward in last year’s draft within the top-200 picks (Tanner Howe). Howe is one of a select few forwards in the organization under the age of 22, joining Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen as the headliners and then some longer-term possibilities like Howe and Mikhail Ilyin going deeper into the organization’s depth chart that lacks much for ultra-young forwards at the moment.

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The other elements of the deal are decidedly not that young, though at least both are on the good side of 30. Danton Heinen is a known quantity to Mike Sullivan and the Penguins for having spent two seasons from 2021-23 in Pittsburgh. You know what you’re going to get from Heinen at this point, no world beater but he will put in an honest effort and is not a bad player who can easily fit into the middle-six role that O’Connor now departs. Heinen has better stats and generated more offense this season.

A downside is that Heinen is signed for next season, which means he could be sticking around in Pittsburgh for the near-term future. But the Pens do need professional-level players in that near-term, so it’s not going to be a major issue.

The most notable new addition for the Pens will be a hulking defender.

Desharnais is going to be fascinating to watch in Pittsburgh. The Pens badly need capable defensive defenders — doubly so after sending Pettersson out the door. Desharnais has his limitations in terms of taking too many penalties and handling the puck as if it were a live grenade, but he offers a profile of player that the team could use (let’s just hope it’s not on a pair with Ryan Graves for that whole not being able to play the puck issue).

Desharnais is less than a year removed from averaging 17 minutes per game in Edmonton’s playoff run last year over 16 games, and overall in the last two seasons he’s competed in 28 total NHL playoff games. That won’t be unnoticed by contenders. But Desharnais did not fit into Vancouver at all and struggled there, which will require time for something of a needed image rehab and makeover for him to find his footing.

This stint in Pittsburgh will also be Desharnais’ first taste of life in the NHL’s Eastern conference, adding to the allure of seeing how he will fare on a new team and in a new system. Traditionally, the Pens have managed to shelter and successfully shield their third pair defenders from big trouble (though some of those players lately have tested the limits of just how much that is possible).

The boom/bust potential for Desharnais in Pittsburgh is going to be limited in either direction, but will be a fun watch. Over the next 12 months he could put in some work for the team, help them, help himself and eventually be shipped off to greener pastures. Or maybe it goes the other way and his limitations prove to be too messy.

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In the big picture, for Pittsburgh this trade return will rise or fall based on what happens with the eventual first round pick they make from it either this summer or next. Until then, they get some warm bodies to help field an NHL roster and a long-distance, longer-term young prospect out of the transaction too. It’s a tidy piece of business for Dubas, with the potential to be a useful and important trade in the longer-term scope of the Pens’ ongoing rebuild.