Pens get Bill Guerin from Isles for a conditional draft pick

[RuthlessBurgher]

[url]http://www.tsn.ca/tradecentre/story/?id=269735&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_tradecentre[/url]

Bill Guerin is on the move once again, the Islanders trading the veteran forward to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Rumours began swirling Saturday night after Guerin was pulled from the Islanders' lineup right before their game against the Sabres, despite being healthy.

Two days before that, the 38-year-old had said he would be willing to waive his no-move clause under the right circumstances.

Guerin had 16 goals and 20 assists in 61 games with New York this season.

The native of Wilbraham, Massachusetts was dealt from the Blues to the Sharks at the 2007 trade deadline. He then signed with the Islanders as a free agent prior to the 2007-08 season.

With this deal, Guerin will be joining his eighth NHL club.

The 6'2, 220 pound veteran won the only Stanley Cup of his 16-year career with the Devils in 1995. He is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

[RuthlessBurgher]

About a half hour before the Guerin deal was completed, ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun reported in their trade deadling blog that the other option would have been to get back Jarkko Ruutu:

Meanwhile, just heard from a source who said the Penguins are looking at both Jarkko Ruutu in Ottawa and Bill Guerin on Long Island, and we're guessing they want just one of them. It's all about getting more grit. It's interesting the Pens have called Ottawa back on Ruutu because they were talking to the Sens earlier this week and then talks fell apart. But they're back in it now.

Jarkko was a quality pest that opponents loved to hate when he was here, so I would have not have minded getting him back, but Guerin can provide scoring and grit as well. I'd imagine that if they ultimately decide to use Kunitz on Crosby's line, they would use Guerin on Malkin's line (or vice versa) so that each of the top two lines have a new guy that offers both grit as well as some scoring prowess. That is, of course, assuming that they decide to break up the productive Kunitz-Staal-Kennedy line when Sid is ready to play.

[RuthlessBurgher]

On Jay Onrait's Deadline Day Blog on TSN.ca, Gord Miller reported at 2:06 p.m.:

Bill Guerin to the Pens for a 5th round pick... which can become a 3rd round pick if Pittsburgh wins a playoff round

[url]http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/jay_onrait/?id=269700&lid=sublink02&lpos=headlines_blogs-Jay_Onrait[/url]

[RuthlessBurgher]

On Jay Onrait's Deadline Day Blog on TSN.ca, Gord Miller reported at 2:06 p.m.:

Bill Guerin to the Pens for a 5th round pick... which can become a 3rd round pick if Pittsburgh wins a playoff round

[url]http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/jay_onrait/?id=269700&lid=sublink02&lpos=headlines_blogs-Jay_Onrait[/url]

It was clarified further in a TSN story later this evening:

The draft pick that Pittsburgh gives up will start as a fifth-round pick. If Pittsburgh makes the playoffs, it increases to a fourth-rounder. If they get to the second round, it becomes to a third round pick.

[url]http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=269735&lid=sublink01&lpos=headlines_main[/url]