PENS ADD LEOPOLD
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenseman Jordan Leopold from the Florida Panthers for a second-round draft pick in 2010.
What does it give the Pittsburgh Penguins
In Leopold the Pens get a veteran offensive defenseman who can help them with their push for a return to the Stanley Cup. After Sergei Gonchar the Pens' key offensive rearguards (Goligoski and Letang) are quite young, so adding a big-minute vet will help. Leopold's expiring contract is not expensive for the rest of this season but does give Pittsburgh some flexibility come summertime.
What does it give the Florida Panthers
Getting a second-round pick for a non-star player who becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer is a solid move by Florida. Leopold brought some offense but didn't provide much shut-down ability for the Panthers. With the likes of youngsters Dmitry Kulikov and Keaton Ellerby emerging, this non-contending squad could afford to let Leopold go and gets good compensation in return here.
Fantasy impact
Player focus
Florida Panthers
a second-round draft pick in 2010