GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Indeed, Jim Rutherford has dealt away one of his bottom-six centers.
Just not the one everyone thought.
In the wee hours of Thursday morning, Pittsburgh time, the Penguins traded Derek Grant to the Ducks, his former team, in a straight-up exchange for another forward, Joseph Blandisi.
It was the second time in the past 44 days that Rutherford was a trade partner with Anaheim counterpart Bob Murray. On Dec. 3, the Penguins sent Daniel Sprong to Anaheim in exchange for Marcus Pettersson.
Obviously, that deal has worked out quite well for Rutherford, but it remains to be seen exactly where Blandisi will fit with the Penguins. We will begin to know as soon as Thursday afternoon. Blandisi is expected to skate with his new team during their practice at Gila River Arena, where the Penguins will face the Coyotes on Friday night.
Blandisi, 24, appeared in three games with the Ducks in October, going pointless while throwing four hits with one shot on goal and averaging 10:39 per game. In 74 career NHL games with the Ducks and the Devils, he has eight goals, 18 assists and 68 penalty minutes.
Here, Blandisi is shown scoring an impressive between-the-legs goal on a power play against the Flyers on March 6, 2017:
A left-handed shot, Blandisi has played both center and left wing this season while also seeing time on the penalty kill. Though he's a modest 5-foot-11 and 187-pounds, Blandisi plays with a bit of an edge. He has eight pro fights over the last three seasons.
Physicality is one area where, despite his size, Grant (6-3, 215) never was a factor. With Zach Aston-Reese out of the lineup with a hand injury, the Penguins could use some grit and energy up front, and that's what likely drew Rutherford's attention. If he plays Friday, Blandisi would likely slot at fourth-line left wing, where Grant had been playing, alongside Matt Cullen and Garrett Wilson.
Grant signed with the Penguins as a free agent last summer on a one-year, $650,000 contract. He appeared in just 25 of the Penguins' 46 games, posting two goals and three assists. The 28-year-old journeyman enjoyed his most productive season last year with the Ducks, recording 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 66 games. He had gone the first 89 games of his career without scoring a goal with four previous organizations.
The 24-year-old Blandisi scored 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 27 games this season with San Diego, the Ducks' AHL affiliate. He is signed through the end of the regular season, at which point he can become a restricted free agent. His contract carries an average annual value of $680,000 at the NHL level.
Blandisi was originally selected by New Jersey in the sixth round of the 2012 NHL Draft but was dealt to Anaheim on Nov. 30, 2017, in the trade that sent Adam Henrique to the Ducks in exchange for Sami Vatanen.
With the Ducks in a free fall, having lost 12 in a row, Murray further shook up his team earlier Wednesday night by sending Luke Schenn and Anaheim's seventh-round pick to Vancouver in exchange for Michael Del Zotto.
Though the NHL's Feb. 25 trade deadline is still more than a month away, the Penguins are expected to be buyers and in need of an upgrade at third-line center. Our site has reported the team would welcome a chance to move Derick Brassard between now and then. Stay tuned.
For more on Blandisi, check Taylor Haase's special Drive to the Net.
