Anaheim Ducks Breakdown Of A Successful Trade Deadline

Ducks acquire forward Brandon Pirri from Florida in exchange for a 2016 6th round pick

Who is Brandon Pirri

Brandon Pirri is a 24 year old left shot forward that has the ability to play down the middle or on the wing. He is a former second round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks and was traded to the Florida Panthers at the 2014 trade deadline. Since the start of the 2013-2014 season, Pirri has 73 points in 150 NHL games.

A few weeks back Pirri nearly avoided breaking his ankle when he went into the boards akwardly. In a conference call Monday afternoon, Bob Murray told the media that Pirri will begin skating again in about two weeks.

Pirri may be a bit one dimensional in terms of his overall game, but he is a skilled offensive player that will surely give the Ducks added offensive help.

Why and how was this deal made 

Pirri is a restricted free agent this summer and Florida appeared to have no plans of re-signing him. Bob Murray spoke to the media a few weeks back claiming that he knew of a few available players that could help his team now, as well as a few years down the road and that is exactly what Pirri brings to the table. This is a deal that was made to give the Ducks more depth up the middle and on the wing now, as well as a deal to hopefully add future offense if a contract extension can be worked out.

Pirri’s ability to play center makes him a more versatile acquisition and the 6th round pick the Ducks surrendered was a small price to gamble on a guy that they absolutely have a chance of re-signing.

Plain and simple, this was a move to acquire a young player that may have a bright future ahead of him if he finds his game and stays healthy.

Statistically Speaking

According to Sportlogiq, Pirri generates 5.1 scoring chance generating plays per 20 minutes at even strength and 1.8 shots from the slot per 20 minutes at even strength. Pirri’s 5.09 power play points per 60 minutes leads all Florida forwards since 2013-2014.

This season Pirri has generated 6.6 individual scoring chances per 60 minutes of ice time at 5 v 5 and he ranks 1st amongst Florida forwards in individual corsi (all shot attempts) per 60 minutes of play at 5 v 5.

Number to know

49.

The most games Pirri has ever played in an NHL regular season before this season, he is currently at 52 games played.

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This can be taken one of two ways. One, a kid who can’t stay healthy enough to be a regular top 6 forward that consistantley produces. Or two, what if we haven’t seen what Pirri can really do yet? What if we have yet to see Brandon Pirri play to his full potential. Could he become a regular 50 point guy in years to come if he plays a full 82 games?

The fact he has yet to play the majority of games in one season also means that Bob Murray might be able to use that in contract negotiations in order to get Pirri to sign a favorable bridge deal this offseason. Gambling a 6th round pick on a guy that we have yet to see reach his full potential, a risk you should be willing to take.

Contract and business side of the deal

As I mentioned, Pirri is a restricted free agent this summer and he also holds player elected arbitration rights. What does that mean?

Well, If Pirri and his agent elect to do so, they can take contract negotiations to the arbitration process which will likely result in a one or two year deal. The Ducks have several other key RFA’s needing new deals this summer, Freddie Andersen also holds arbitration rights, so it may be somewhat tricky to work out a deal with Pirri.

Pirri’s expiring contract is a two year $1.85 million dollar deal, so it is possible however that Murray could work out a favorable deal this offseason as Pirri is not due to cash in on a big extension, not yet anyway.

Some believe that the arbitration rights aspect steered teams away from paying a big price to acquire Pirri, but Murray was willing to gamble a 6th round pick.

Trade grade and final thoughts

Grade =  A

Pirri is a very talented player first and foremost. Seeing that the Ducks were only forced to surrender a 6th round pick should not lead you to believe he is a bust or a bad player that hasn’t panned out. As I mentioned, the arbitration rights he holds seemed to have played a role in his departure from Florida and it also somewhat explains the low price Murray was asked to pay in this deal.

Pirri’s offensive talent is somewhat underrated, the statistics I compiled show that if he played a full 82 game season he could produce as a top 6 forward. The problem is he has never played more than 49 games in an NHL season, but who knows what he could do if he plays a full season.

Overall, this is a win for the Ducks. Murray gambles a 6th round pick on a guy that will absolutely help this team in the playoffs and if Pirri re-signs and doesn’t effect Murray’s chances of re-signing Lindholm and Rakell, then this will be a huge win for the Ducks and a move that we’ll look back on as one of Murray’s best deadline deals.

Next: Ducks acquire Jamie McGinn from Buffalo