Faux: Why was Staal Traded????

1) The title to this post is the refrain/header to about 500 + e-mails we have received the past 24 hours.  After all it was our assertion that the Penguins didn't intend to trade the 3rd line center but intended to deal the new Hart/Ross winner Evgeny Malkin instead.  So why were we so wrong?  In the end we stand by what we said. We knew what the Penguin brass/management wanted to do, but we couldn't know what was inside Jordan's head.  Evidently, and from what we have now learned, he and Eric conspired to put the Penguins in a corner.

2) The Penguins, as has now been widely reported, offered a 10 year 60 million dollar deal.  In our opinion WAY more than what Jordan is worth. In the end Jordan indirectly did the Penguins a favour in turning this down. In our opinion he's a very effective 3rd line/shut down/PK forward with some offensive skills but NOT worth top 6 forward money and NOT super star money as the pens were offering.  The Hurricanes will probably have to at least match the Penguins offer and will be wringing their hands in the end as to why they made such a dumb decision.

3) There is NO doubt in our mind that the Penguins made out in this deal.  Not only did they unload an injury prone, over paid 3rd line center who they would have lost for nothing next summer, but they added a probable/eventual top 4 defensmen AND the replacement for Staal in Sutter is someone who will likely fill te role Staal had, as 3rd line center with some offensive potential of his own. Additionally the Pens recieve Dumoulin, 20 who is a two-time NCAA champion at Boston College defenesemen, making this potentially a very one sided deal that Rutherford will regret for years.

4)  The shocker was to what extent Jordan was willing to part ways with a likely Stanley Cup contebder AND life time financial securiy (60 million) in order to play with his big brother's team.  Certainly the Penguins and we at Fauxrumors couldn't have anticipated the desire/stupidity of this move from both Jordan and the Hurricanes stand point.   As we have alluded to a few times in this post we believe in the end the Penguins were done a HUGE favour here and the Hurricanes set back their franchise with this move.    Oh, and no truth to the rumour that Rutherford has inquired about the avilability of Marc Staal!