Trading for a disgruntled player can be a two edged sword. In the 90s, the Red Wings had a disgruntled player they flipped to the Hartford Whalers. After the team moved to Carolina, he wasn't happy there either. So, the team sent him to Philadelphia. Keith Primeau became a major cog of the Flyers for the next six years until serious injuries took their toll. While he never took the team to hockey's Promised Land, he came close a few times and everything that made him "disgruntled" was a thing of the past he became a popular guy in the locker room and with fans.
This season, Emil Pieniniemi felt that he had paid his dues and did not want to go back to the juniors. The Penguins agreed. While he isn't NHL ready, Pieniniemi felt he was bound for Wilkes Barre and the AHL after his numbers in juniors. That didn't happen. In fact, the Penguins assigned him to their ECHL team in Wheeling. Apparently he didn't like this and has yet to join the team. He has since been suspended by the Penguins.
When a player is a young prospect, however, that could be a portend of things to come. A player who thinks too highly of himself could become more absorbed with themselves and less of a team player. Or, it could be a player who sees his own skills in a different light than the team that owns his rights does.
Currently, the Flyers' interdivisional and interstate nemesis, the Pittsburgh Penguins, have a player that is feeling a certain way about things and it is starting to go south. It's a situation that the Flyers could take advantage of.
The Pieniniemi Situation
Pieniniemi was a third round pick by the Penguins in 2023; drafted 91st overall, between the Flyers picks of Yegor Zavragin (87) and Denver Barkey (95). He is a 20 year old defender who hails from Finland. He stands at 6'3" and weighs about 180 lbs. The Penguins liked his size and speed, but still felt (at the time) that he was raw, but could grow into something special.
Last year, he played for the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL. It was his first time appearing in North America and he took off. In 60 games, he scored 10 goals with 50 assists; good for fourth on the team.
Now, there is a possibility he could be released. However, if the Flyers want to get a claim on him, they could probably do so at minimal cost.
A Potential Trade
The Penguins have a logjam ahead of Pieniniemi is apparently not happy with. This is why, after all, he was sent to the ECHL instead of the AHL. At the same time, the kid has talent that the team likes and needs. Likewise, the Flyers have a logjam at the top with some prospects that could use a change of scenery.
Perhaps a flip of an Emil Andrae, Helge Grans, or Egor Zamula could make sense. Pieniniemi will need a year or two at the AHL level before he could be ready to go. He wants to play at the AHL, but the Penguins weren't prepared to put him there yet. Giving up Andrae, Grans, or Zamula would give them an NHL ready youngster with some experience that could use a fresh start somewhere.
A trade like this gets rid of a prospect who could be problematic for Pittsburgh while allowing them to get something in return. For the Flyers, they get a prospect who could make an impact with the size the team is going for and the offensive talent they are hoping for. Likewise, it helps to shed a prospect that may not be panning out.