Shero Pulls Trigger

[vman]

Pens Acquire Kunitz, Tangradi for Whitney

Feb 26, 2009, 12:48 PM EST

The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired forward Chris Kunitz and prospect Eric Tangradi from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Ryan Whitney, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero.

Kunitz , 29, has 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists) and 55 penalty minutes in 62 games with Anaheim this season. The left winger ranks fifth on the Ducks with 16 goals and leads the team with 148 hits.

The 6-1, 198-pound Kunitz posted career highs with 25 goals and 60 points in 81 games in 2006-07, when the Ducks won the Stanley Cup. In 2007-08, he led Anaheim with six game-winning goals and ranked third on the team in goals (21), assists (29) and points (50).

Kunitz played parts of six seasons in the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks and the Atlanta Thrashers. He has tallied 192 points (81 goals, 111 assists) and 299 penalty minutes in 315 career games in the NHL.

The native of Regina, Saskatchewan played four seasons with Ferris State University appearing in 152 games and posting 175 points (99 goals, 76 assists) and 275 penalty minutes. Kunitz was originally signed by Anaheim as a free agent on April 1, 2003.


Eric Tangradi
Tangradi, 20, is in his third season with the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He ranks second the OHL with 87 points (38 goals, 49 assists) while ranking fourth in the league with 38 goals in 52 games this season. The native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania represented Team USA at the 2009 World Junior Championships in Ottawa.

The 6-4, 221 pound forward has played 173 games in the OHL, collecting 167 points (67 goals, 100 assists) and 130 penalty minutes. He was originally drafted by Anaheim in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2007 Entry Draft.

Whitney played 253 career games with the Penguins from 2005-09, recording 34 goals and 116 assists for 150 points. This season he had two goals and 11 assists for 13 points in 28 games.
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Vman was on record as being leery of moving Whitney......BUT Boi, they got exactly what they've needed.....Kunitz was an integral part of the Ducks winning a Cup just 2 yrs ago...size, grit & good hands/scoring touch & my beef has been that Sid is playing with marginal NHLer's like Dupuis on his wing.....Kunitz is what the Doctor ordered & I would not be surprised if he is a fixture for yrs. to come on Sid's line & nets 25 -near 40 goals /yr.....

Then throw in the prospect from Philly > great size & 2nd in OHL in scoring! Looks like a Shero coup to me; I would have made deal RW for Kunitz straight up!

Now let's make the Friggin' playoffs!!

[bballfreak2000]

In all honesty, after I learned that Whitney was scratched for "personal reasons" for the Isles game last night, I figured that he was done as a Penguin. I will say that, as dissapointing as Whitney has been this season, I was appaled that fans actually booed his name when the PA announcer was listing the "scratches" for the game. Do these people not realize that Whitney was an intregal part to the Pens making a SC run lat season? Yes, he never regained that form after returning from injury, but the guy is still only 26 years old. I have no doubt that Whitney has tons of good hockey left in him, and I wish him all the best in Anaheim. However it is about time that Shero goes out and gets someone who can be a fixture on Crosby's line. This may have been the move that the Pens needed to propel them to the playoffs.
LETS GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[The Ancient Enemy]

I'm not so sure. There's gotta be a reason why they let him go. They may have known he was never gonna be at his form again.

[vman]

TAE, understand that Kunitz is a top flight power forward (& wait till' you see him skate a few games - very fast on top of all the other skills/grit) and...... never heard of him before, but the 20 yr old from Philly looks to be a scorer w/ great size and tallied quite a few penalty minutes (obviously not shy)!

[The Ancient Enemy]

Was talking about Whitney.

[WALTER4]

I love this move! I hate Whitney and always thought he was overrated. To get one good winger and what sounds like a soon to be great forward for a player i think is only slightly above garbage, and on a team with an over abundance of defensemen, is a great move.

[ham55]

And it frees up cap-room for the pens. More big moves to come...?

[count2infinity]

kunitz scores his first game as a pen...his line currently has both goals for the night against chicago.

i love this trade. i was never a fan of whitney and i think that kunitz is a "heart and soul" kind of guy that the pens really need... the prospect looks like he's flourishing in the minors as well. good job shero.

[vman]

Had to attend a stuffy dinner; did see the OT period: awesome one timer from Malkin for game winner....how was overall play.....heard Kunitz paired w/ Stall & Kennedy (interesting)! Thoughts?

[count2infinity]

Kunitz, Stall, and Kennedy worked very well together, IMO. I still think staal is a 2nd line center and if they had kunitz, talbot, and kennedy on a line, it would be an amazing energy line, but once you put staal on the 2nd line, it's hard to figure out where everyone else belongs. If it were me, which it's not...but if it was, here's my line up:

Sykora-Crosby-Malkin
Satan-Staal-Fedetenko
Kunitz-Talbot-Kennedy
Dupius-Cooke-Godard

and then you have minard, wallace and thomas and wow... i can see how coaching would be difficult at this level, ha ha.