Re: #HAWKS (Blackhawks)
Pens trade defenseman Ben Lovejoy to the Anaheim Ducks for 5th Round Pick.
So since I know Ring General Daniels is a Ducks fan, I share my analysis having watched Lovejoy over the past couple years: you will love Ben Lovejoy the man and like Ben Lovejoy the player. He's famous for his swelled up face on HBO's 24/7 a few years ago but Benny was very well liked and seemed like an enthusiastic great guy.
As a player, he could be maddeningly frustrating. There were a lot of times Lovejoy seemed tenative and unwilling to use his big frame. There were other times when he seemed very confident with the puck and often joined the rush on offense to great success, it just did not happen enough. Lovejoy was dominant in the AHL but never seemed to carry over that confidence to the professional level. He has very good mobility. It just became a numbers game on the Pittsburgh blueline. Letang, Martin, Orpik, Niskanen, and Despres are not going anywhere. Bylsma loves Engelland's toughness. Bortuzzo has been making an impression and must clear waivers now. Someone had to go.
It's a tribute to how likeable Lovejoy was that I typed that much about an 8th defenseman but I really hope he finds success. He's one of those guys you root for and unfortunately it never quite worked out for him in Pittsburgh. At least GM Ray Shero was able to get something in return for a player who might have gone on waivers anyway.
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