CAIRNS TO PITTSBURGH
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired enforcer Eric Cairns from the Florida Panthers for a sixth-round draft pick in 2006.
What does it give the Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins needed somebody who would make opponents think twice about taking liberties with the likes of center phenom Sidney Crosby. Enter Cairns, who is one of the premier pugilists in the NHL. Unfortunately, there isn't much else to his game. Though Cairns saw little ice time in Florida this season, he may see regular duty along the Penguins blueline for the rest of this year--which is a sad comment on the state of the Pittsburgh defense corps.
What does it give the Florida Panthers
Cairns had become rather redundant in South Florida, especially after the acquisition of both Alexei Semenov and Steve Montador. It leaves the Panthers without a true enforcer, but the club is still plenty tough as a team. Furthermore, the Cats received good value in a sixth-round draft pick this summer for a one-dimensional fighter.
Fantasy impact
