Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan talks about playing with confidence. When the Pittsburgh Penguins placed Kasperi Kapanen on waivers, it was almost assumed his bloated contract would clear and the team would still be on the hook for a sizable cap hit. The St. Louis Blues, however, swooped in and gave the Penguins the relief of claiming Kapanen and his entire contract. Why would the Blues take Kapanen at $3.2 million per year? He isn’t producing anywhere near that kind of worth. Well, some have speculated that another deal between the Penguins and Blues is in the cards. A few outlets have pondered the idea that Penguins general manager Ron Hextall went to Blues GM Doug Armstrong and had him take Kapanen with the impression that a smaller deal would come down the line. According to Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deadline-sunday/id1332150124?i=1000601889028] another general manager said he wouldn’t be surprised if a deal is somewhere in the cards. What’s left on the Blues to take, though? They’ve been selling off huge pieces for weeks. The Blues have already dealt Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O’Reilly, Noel Acciari, and Ivan Barbashev. Even Niko Mikkola was sent to the New York Rangers with Tarasenko. The Blues are in a weird situation because nine of their current roster players have some kind of no-trade clause on their contract. That handcuffs them a bit, but players are still moveable; if a trade is still in the works, maybe Sammy Blais or Brandon Saad are possibilities. The Blues did the Penguins a favor and without Kapanen, the Penguins have some breathing room to go out and make the trade they so desperately need. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Penguins vs. Predators: Going for Three [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-nashville-predators-going-three] Report: Penguins Linked to Pair of Pittsburgh-Area Players [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-linked-pair-pittsburgh-area-players] Former Penguins Goalie Compares Kirill Kaprizov to Sidney Crosby [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/former-pittsburgh-penguins-goalie-compares-kirill-kaprizov-sidney-crosby] Drew O'Connor Gaining Confidence, Earning Regular Role With Penguins [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/drew-oconnor-confidence-earning-regular-role-pittsburgh-penguins] Big Game Bryan Rust Is Back for the Penguins [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/podcasts/big-game-bryan-rust-back-pittsburgh-penguins] * undefined * undefined
