The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired forward Tanner Pearson from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for winger Carl Hagelin.
Mired in a disappointing stretch that’s seen Pittsburgh earn just one win in their last seven games, the club’s GM, Jim Rutherford, has been vocal recently about the need to shake up his roster and right the ship. The Kings, meanwhile, similarly find themselves in need of a change after starting the season with a league-worst 5-11-1 record.
“Our team is obviously not in a position that we are comfortable with in terms of how we are playing,” Kings GM Rob Blake said, via a release from the team. “This is a change to our line-up that gives us an additional amount of speed. With Carl Hagelin, his number one asset is speed and getting to holes, and we think he will play a big role on the penalty kill for us going forward.”
Pearson has two years left on a contract paying him $3.75 million per season. The 26-year-old has zero goals and just one assist through 17 games this season, after posting 15 goals and 40 points over a full 2017-18 campaign. His best showing in the big leagues came one year prior, when he potted 24 goals and 44 points for Los Angeles. Pearson was part of the Kings’ 2014 championship roster, posting 12 points over the course of that post-season run.
Hagelin, who was part of both the 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup squads in Pittsburgh, is in the final year of his contract, which paid him $4 million annually. The quick-footed Swede has one goal and three total points so far this season, and posted 10 goals and 31 points for Pittsburgh in 2017-18.
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