Yeah he still lives in town. I guess he's comparing the Smizeblog to any blogs that talk Pirates?

I don't get it but to each their own. There is some really silly posts over there. Did you catch the posters claiming credit for the Pirates hiring Hurdle and trading for AJ?

I haven't looked over there in a couple of months. Those people are higher than Paul Maholm's ERA.

Circumstances hemmed the Pens in. It got out that Staal wouldn't consider an extension with any other team except Carolina.

At that point it was useless to talk to any other team about a trade. They would have lost big with any other team.

To get the #8 pick, a 3rd line center and another player is about the max you could expect given the circumstances.

Did they get an equal player ? Of course not. Staal will thrive down there. But they cleared cap room and if they end up with Paresi and/or Sutter the Pens are a better team than the Pens with Staal.

There obviously wasn't a better package out there or they would have taken it.

And if he wouldn't sign with anyone but Carolina why would other teams give up a better package?

Exactly. there wasn't a better deal. This isn't Littlefield here. This is a real GM.

Not sure that is accurate. Teams have given up plenty for players they did not have a guarantee that they would sign.

"They would have lost big with any other team."

They lost anyways.

"Teams have given up plenty for players they did not have a guarantee that they would sign"

Sure but how many have given up a top 10 pick, a 3rd line center and a young defenseman for a one year rental that is way more than "not a guarentee to sign". I would imagine there was about a 1% chance he wasnt going to Carolina after next year and i think that went out the window when he turned down the 10 year contract.

"They lost anyways"

Maybe and maybe not. It looks like they got a solid 2 way 3rd line center, a possible top end power play quarterback type of dman and another high potential dman. Indirectly this also gives them room to trade some D in the future (look at the returns for average dmen like Goligoski and Whitney) and also opened up a lot of cap room for targets like Parise, Sutter, Weber and Ryan.