The Better Trade
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lightning or Penguins - Who's getting the better trade?
June 3, 2009
Giving up conditional draft picks for the right to negotiate with three highly touted free agents turned out to be better trades for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The NHL team was able to sign two of the players, losing only one to another team at the price of a throwaway draft choice.
Tampa Bay Lightning acquired the rights to forwards Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts from the Pittsburgh Penguins and forward Brian Rolston from the Minnesota Wild. Malone and Roberts signed with the Lightning, but Rolston ended up signing on with the New Jersey Devils.
Malone ended up re-signing for $31.5 million over seven years. Roberts signed a one-year deal for a base of $1.25 million, a figure that was loaded with incentives. Rolston wound up signing a four-year deal worth $20 million with New Jersey.
Malone played 70 games in the 2008-09 season, scored 26 goals and had 19 assists for 45 points The left winger spent 98 minutes in the penalty box. Roberts was limited to 30 games and scored four goals and three assists for seven points. Roberts, who had played in the NHL since 1986, retired when the season was complete; he finished his career with 1,224 games, 438 goals and 472 assists.
Rolston played 64 games for Minnesota, tallied 15 goals and 17 assists, but the Devils failed to make the playoffs.
So, did Tampa Bay make better trades in attempting to sign these three players? Absolutely! One out of three isn't a bad ration. The Malone portion of the deal turned out to be a sweet deal, as he certainly lived up to his billing, even though the Lightning didn't make the playoffs. Signing the veteran Roberts was more risky, given his age and physical limitations, but he was serviceable in spots. Losing Rolston hurt the Lightning, but not enough to hurt this better trade, since they gave up very little for the right to negotiate with him.
If they had it to do all over again, Tampa Bay would do the exact same thing.
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