The Penguins know precisely what they gave up when right winger Alexei Kovalev was traded to the New York Rangers yesterday.
A world-class talent. A first-team all-star. A proven game-breaker.
Exactly what they got back -- and where those players will fit into their 23-man puzzle -- is more of a mystery.
They don't have to worry about adding defenseman Richard Lintner to the mix right away -- he was assigned to their minor-league team in Wilkes-Barre -- but defenseman Joel Bouchard, right winger Rico Fata and right winger Mikael Samuelsson all figure to move directly into the lineup.
"It's hard to say how they're going to work out," Coach Rick Kehoe said. "We just hope they can [fill] certain roles on the team."
The one who might have the most immediate impact is Bouchard, who has overcome some horrific medical scares during the past few years and played well enough this season to join Tom Poti on New York's top offensive pairing.
Bouchard (6 foot 1, 200 pounds) contracted meningitis in 2000, not long after Dallas claimed him on waivers from Nashville, and doctors discovered a tumor below his ear last year. A few days before training camp, tests showed it was benign.
Although Bouchard, 29, was a big point-producer in junior hockey, Calgary, which drafted him in 1992, convinced him his future was as a stay-at-home type.
He adapted well to that role -- Nashville Coach Barry Trotz routinely matched him against opponents' top forwards -- but has begun to return to his offensive roots this season, putting up five goals and seven assists in 27 games for New York.
Penguins General Manager Craig Patrick acknowledged that Bouchard "has gone through some rough times physically and emotionally in the past couple of years," but insists his skating and ability to move the puck will be valuable for the Penguins.
Offense aside, Bouchard is reputed to play a gritty, intelligent game that makes him an underrated asset. He will make $475,000 this season, the final year of his contract.
Samuelsson's personal statistics -- eight goals and 14 assists in 58 games -- bear scant resemblance to those of Kovalev, but he is the top point-producer the Penguins got in the trade.
He is 26 years old, 5-11 and 211 pounds, and a good penalty-killer who is strong and reliable in the defensive zone. Earlier in his career, he was projected as a scorer, although he now appears to be best suited to play on a third line.
Patrick, though, feels Samuelsson is capable of filling a more prominent role.
"He's just starting to make his imprint in the NHL," Patrick said. "He's playing stronger hockey all the time. He's a big, strong kid. We feel he can be very effective on our top two lines."
Samuelsson makes $500,000 this season; $550,000 in 2003-04.
Fata, claimed by Calgary with the sixth choice in the 1998 entry draft, might be the most intriguing player the Penguins acquired.
He has exceptional speed, but has yet to fully harness it. Or to develop the scoring touch needed to take advantage of it, as least at this level.
Fata's workload -- and confidence -- rose in recent weeks, when he did some good penalty-killing with Mark Messier. Although Fata had just two goals and four assists in 36 games with the Rangers, Patrick noted that he is coming off a strong 2001-02 season in the American Hockey League -- he had 35 goals and 36 assists in 61 games with Hartford -- which he contends reflects Fata's promise.
"He's finding his way," Patrick said.
Fata, who is 6-0, 210 pounds and turns 23 tomorrow, has spent most of his pro career in the minor leagues, and might be headed there again if finances are a factor in the decision. His NHL salary this season is $1,072,500, but he makes $53,000 in the AHL.
If Fata goes to the minors, he'll be reunited with Lintner, a 25-year-old who has the body of a defensive defenseman -- he is 6-4, 213 pounds -- but not the style. He's an excellent skater who is creative offensively, but can be a liability in his own zone.
"We will definitely get a look at him before too long, because we can use a highly skilled guy like that," Patrick said.
Lintner makes $450,000 this season, with a club option for $650,000 in 2003-04.
How much the newcomers can contribute to the Penguins' playoff drive is conjecture. Kehoe, though, is adamant that his team's aspirations didn't leave town with Kovalev last night.
"That's what we're here for," he said. "It's a matter of getting everyone on the same page, all the new guys coming in, and going from there.
"We're right in the thick of things, and anything can happen."
Dave Molinari can be reached at 412-263-1144.
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