Considering how well it worked out for him the last time Ray Shero traded with the Dallas Stars, you can understand why the Pittsburgh Penguins' GM might want to go back to that well.
According to reports, he's done exactly that, swinging a deal for Stars' captain Brenden Morrow.
If the deal goes through, Dallas would receive a package that includes Penguins' prospect Joe Morrow, a clever move that allows the Stars to recycle their captain's old jerseys with only some minor damage where the "C" used to be.
At the time of this writing, however, the deal is not yet official, as Morrow has yet to waive his no-trade clause, giving him the final say. With over 12 NHL seasons, all in Dallas, one can understand his reluctance to don a new jersey.
Presuming he waives to go to Pittsburgh, the move has to be a scary one for other clubs in the Eastern Conference, as a Penguins' forward corps that's already as formidable as they come adds another big forward to their top six. Suppose Morrow is placed on a line with Evgeni Malkin and James Neal: that line instantly becomes a lot tougher, as well as tougher to defend.
On the bright side, if this is the Penguins' big pre-deadline move, it could have been a lot worse. With the Penguins' reportedly on Jarome Iginla's list of acceptable trade destination, Pittsburgh's rivals have to be a lot more comfortable with the club settling for Morrow, who has just 11 points and is a minus-8 through 29 games this season and doesn't appear to be the same player he once was.
Iginla isn't either, but he remains a better player than Morrow.
Granted, James Neal and Chris Kunitz stands as evidence that playing alongside the Penguins' centres can do wonders for one's numbers, and really, it's not like Penguins need the extra offence. Morrow doesn't need to light the world on fire. Between Sidney Crosby, Kunitz, Malkin, and Neal, the Penguins have plenty of guys capable of doing that. If Morrow can create space for them to work, then he's going to help.
But wait! There's a bonus wrinkle in this story!
According to Rob Rossi, Morrow may not just be deciding to waive. He could also be deciding which club to waive for:
Tough call for Morrow.
If he's leaving Dallas, he's doing it for what might be his last, best chance to win a Stanley Cup. But if he's faced with a choice between Boston and Pittsburgh, that means deciding which of the two Eastern Conference rivals he thinks gives him a better chance.
Not even the pundits can make up their minds on that.
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