STEMPNIAK TO PITTSBURGH
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired winger Lee Stempniak from the Calgary Flames for a third-round draft pick in 2014.
What does it give the Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have issues on the wings, so the addition of Stempniak here should be a solid move. He's a bit of a streaky scorer, but could get an opportunity to play on the team's first line with {P Sidney Crosby} and {P Chris Kunitz}. At worst, he upgrades Pittsburgh's third line--another problem area thiseason. Stempniak doesn't have a huge contract, so he might be easier to sign than other (failed) trade targets.
What does it give the Calgary Flames
Getting a third rounder for potential unrestricted free agent Stempniak is pretty good for a Flames team that's looking to rebuild. This will give some of their younger forwards, including {P Joe Colborne}, {P Markus Granlund}, {P Max Reinhart} and {P Corban Knight}, a chance to earn more playing time down th stretch. Overall, this deal looks good on paper for both teams.
Fantasy impact
Stempniak is streaky, so when he's on he has good fantasy value anywhere. A chance to play with Crosby, even in the short term, could see his stock skyrocket by season's end. Most fantasy leaguers will look to
pick Stempniak up from now until the end of the season, and rightfully so.
