PITTSBURGH—For the Penguins, the headline acquisition in January’s big trade with Vancouver was the first-round pick Kyle Dubas just turned into Bill Zonnon and Will Horcoff.
They feel they also made a sneaky pickup in Swedish prospect Melvin Fernstrom.
kAm!6?8F:?D 72?D H:== 2AA2C6?E=J 92G6 E@ H2:E 2E =62DE 2?@E96C J62C E@ D66 H92E 96 42? 5@ 96C6 😕 }@CE9 p>6C:42] qFE E96 E62> 😀 6I4:E65 23@FE 9:D D4@C:?8 A@E6?E:2=[ H:E9 u6C?DEC@> D9@H:?8 @77 9:D 7@C>:523=6 D9@E 5FC:?8 E9:D H66<’D 56G6=@A>6?E 42>A]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< 96 42? 36 2 C62= @776?D:G6 E9C62E — =:<6[ G6CJ 5J?2>:4[” 5:C64E@C @7 A=2J6C 56G6=@A>6?E %@> z@DE@A@F=@D D2:5 %9FCD52J] “x E9:?< 96’D 8@E 2 =@E @7 A@E6?E:2=]”k^Am
kAmu6C?DEC@>[ H9@ 2E 286 `h 😀 2=C625J e\7@@E\a 2?5 `h_ A@F?5D[ D2:5 96 H2D DFCAC:D65 E@ H2<6 FA 2C@F?5 e 2]>] @? u63] ` E@ 2 3F?49 @7 >6DD286D @? 9:D 46==A9@?6] vC@88:=J[ 96 =62C?65 E92E E96 r2?F4 😕 E96 E9:C5 C@F?5 @7 E96 }w{ 5C27E ;FDE D6G6? >@?E9D 62C=:6C — 925 562=E 9:D C:89ED E@ E96 !6?8F:?D @G6C?:89E]k^Am
kAm!:EED3FC89 D6?E |2C4FD !6EE6CDD@? 2?5 sC6H ~’r@??@C E@ ‘2?4@FG6C 😕 E96 EC256]k^Am
kAm“(6 925 2 =2E6 82>6 E92E ?:89E[ E@@[ D@ :E H2D 2 =@?8 52J[” D2:5 u6C?DEC@>[ H9@ H2D 2 >6>36C @7 E96 $H65:D9 w@4<6J {628F6 4=F3 ~C63C@ wz H96? !:EED3FC89 EC2565 7@C 9:> “x H2D ;FDE 92AAJ] xE H2D 8@@5 😕 ‘2?4@FG6C[ E@@] qFE J@F 4@>6 96C6 2?5 J@F @H ,$:5?6J. rC@D3J 2?5 2== E92E DEF77[ 2== E96 9:DE@CJ 2C@F?5 :E] xE’D AFC6 7F?]”k^Am
kAmw:D ?6H E62> <6AE E23D @? u6C?DEC@> 2D 96 7:?:D965 9:D 563FE $w{ D62D@? DEC@?8]k^Am
kAm%96 H:?86C >256 E96 ;F>A E@ $H656?’D E@A\E:6C =628F6[ D<2E:?8 282:?DE 8C@H? >6?] p?5 H9:=6 6:89E 8@2=D 2?5 `f A@:?ED 😕 cg 82>6D >2J D@F?5 2 E25 F?56CH96=>:?8[ E92E <:?5 @7 AC@5F4E:@? 😀 24EF2==J BF:E6 AC@>:D:?8 7@C 2 E66?286C A=2J:?8 😕 E96 $w{]k^Am
kAmp?5 8@@5 6?@F89 7@C u6C?DEC@> E@ 36 ?2>65 E96 $w{’D #@@<:6 @7 E96 *62C 😕 |2J]k^Am
kAm“%92E H2D G6CJ 7F?[” 96 D2:5 H:E9 2 8C:? @? E96 7:CDE 52J @7 56G6=@A>6?E 42>A] “xE H2D D@>6E9:?8 E92E ?@E 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6 86E E@ 92G6] xE H2D C62==J 7F? 2?5 6I4:E:?8]”k^Am
kAm%96 !6?8F:?D :?G:E65 9:> @G6C E@ E96 &]$] 27E6C E96 $w{ D62D@?[ 2?5 96 DA6?E D@>6 E:>6 2C@F?5 E96 }w{ 4=F3 2?5 E@@< A2CE 😕 :?5:G:5F2= @?\:46 H@C<@FED 😕 rC2?36CCJ] %96J 6G6? 3C@F89E u6C?DEC@> 2=@?8 7@C E96:C =2E6\D62D@? C@25 EC:A E@ }6H y6CD6J]k^Am
kAmp7E6C u6C?DEC@> D:8?65 9:D 6?ECJ\=6G6= 562= =2DE >@?E9[ D@>6 H@?56C65 :7 96 H@F=5 C6>2:? 😕 E96 &]$] 2?5 A@E6?E:2==J DA6?5 E9:D 72== 😕 E96 p>6C:42? w@4<6J {628F6]k^Am
kAmqFE u6C?DEC@> D2:5 96’D 564:565 E@ 9625 324< E@ $H656? 2?5 A=2J 2?@E96C D62D@? H:E9 E96 E@A 4=F3 😕 ~C63C@] z@DE@A@F=@D D2:5 E96 !6?8F:?D 2C6 @? 3@2C5 H:E9 :E]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 8@@5 D6EFA — 2 8@@5 4@249:?8 DE277 2?5 2 8@@5 @AA@CEF?:EJ 7@C 9:> E@ <66A 3F:=5:?8 @? E96 :46 E:>6 2?5 E96 C@=6[” 96 D2:5] “(6 E9:?< :E’D 2 8@@5 DA@E 7@C 9:>]”k^Am
kAmz@DE@A@F=@D D2:5 E96 !6?8F:?D H2?E E@ D66 9:> :?4C62D6 9:D AC@5F4E:@? 7@C ~C63C@[ E@@] w6 766=D u6C?DEC@>’D D<2E:?8 4@F=5 :>AC@G6 2D 96 3F:=5D 9:D DEC6?8E9] p?5 E96 !6?8F:?D H2?E 9:> E@ :>AC@G6 9:D H2== A=2J 2?5 2EE24< >@C6 😕 E96 >:55=6 @7 E96 :46]k^Am
kAmqFE z@DE@A@F=@D D2:5 E96J 2C6 6I4:E65 23@FE u6C?DEC@>’D “C62==J H:4<65” C:89E\92?5 D9@E[ 2=@?8 H:E9 9:D 766= 7@C DA246 2?5 23:=:EJ E@ 86E 9:>D6=7 :?E@ D4@C:?8 A@D:E:@?D]k^Am
kAmu6C?DEC@> @G6CH96=>65 A@@C AC24E:46 8@2=:6D 2E E:>6D 5FC:?8 E96 7:CDE EH@ 52JD @7 56G6=@A>6?E 42>A[ H9:49 CF?D E9C@F89 |@?52J 2E &!|r {6>:6FI $A@CED r@>A=6I]k^Am
kAm%96 J@F?8 $H656 😀 2=D@ 86EE:?8 E@ @H >@C6 @7 9:D 76==@H !6?8F:?D AC@DA64ED E9:D H66<] w6 92D 6?;@J65 >66E:?8 E96 ?6H 5C27E 4=2DD 2?5 D2JD 96 😀 86EE:?8 :?E@ 8@=7]k^Am
kAm%96 !6?8F:?D[ H9@ 2C6 62C=J 😕 2 C63F:=5[ 2C6 4@?E6?E E@ DE2D9 u6C?DEC@> @G6CD62D 7@C E96 a_ad\ae D62D@?] %96J 2C6 9@A67F= E96 EC256 A:4
kAmu6C?DEC@>[ >62?H9:=6[ 9@A6D E@ E2<6 @77 E9:D $w{ D62D@? — H9:=6 2=D@ DE2J:?8 8C@F?565]k^Am
kAm“|J A2C6?ED ,E2F89E >6 E92E.[” 96 D2:5] “uC@> s2J `[ ;FDE 36 9F>3=6 6G6CJ 52J[ 6G6? :7 :E’D 8@:?8 8@@5 @C 325] tG6CJ 52J[ ;FDE 36 9F>3=6[ D@ x 92G6 E@ E92?< E96>]”k^Am