There was talk late last week that the Pittsburgh Penguins could look to deal Russian forward Sergei Plotnikov, a guy who hadn't appeared in the Penguins lineup since Jan. 6 and has just 2 assists through 32 games this season. It turns out the Arizona Coyotes were interested in taking Plotnikov off Pens GM Jim Rutherford's hands.
In what will forever be known as the first trade of the 2015-16 NHL Trade Deadline, the Penguins shipped Plotnikov to the Coyotes for a conditional pick and a minor league player. ESPN's Craig Custance was the first to break the news of the deal and TSN's Darren Dreger offered clarity to the compensation.
Per Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the player headed to the Pens is Matthias Plachta. And Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the pick is a conditional seventh-rounder.
Plotnikov, a 25-year-old KHL defector, joined the Penguins this past offseason in a much-hyped move. Plotnikov had spent the past six seasons playing in Russia's top pro league, the KHL. He looked to be an ascending player with a physical presence, which is why Rutherford was willing to offer him a one-year entry level deal.
But Plotnikov didn't get off to the start anyone hoped and soon enough he was spending his days as a healthy scratch. It's unclear what his role will be the a Coyotes team that's out of contention, but it's clear that Arizona GM Don Maloney still believes, at least somewhat, in Plotnikov's potential and wants to get an up-close look for the rest of the year.
