Nick Bonino Trade Finally Proving It's Worth

After a 20 goal season from Brandon Sutter, the Penguins were in a pinch. Sutter had one more year left on his contract and was due a pay raise. With the Penguins already pushing the salary cap limit with the Phil Kessel trade, Jim Rutherford had to make a deal. Trading Brandon Sutter for the second time in his career, Rutherford brought in Nick Bonino and Adam Clendening from the Vancouver Canucks.

With this deal, Pittsburgh added a better puck possession player in Bonino, as well as adding a cheaper contract for longer term. The trade also brought a mid-level defensive prospect in Clendening as the Penguins just traded a defensive prospect in Scott Harrington. The deal also cleared enough cap space for the Penguins to sign Eric Fehr, giving the Penguins two quality third line centers.

The season didn't start too well for Bonino. After recording three goals and ten points in 40 games, Bonino suffered a broken hand. Expected to miss at least a month, fans and media both wondered whether the trade was worth it for Pittsburgh. Bonino was strong on the penalty kill, but his lackluster offensive production was a glaring stat of concern.

Bonino finally returned, and what a return it has been for him. After a slow start, Nick finally picked up production, leading up to a 5 point game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Scoring 15 points in 20 games, Bonino not only picked up his production, but has been a huge factor in the emergence of Phil Kessel. After playing with both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin this season, Kessel failed to find much chemistry with either player. For some unexplained reason, Kessel has found most of his success playing alongside Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino. This doesn't mean Bonino is a better player than Malkin and Crosby, because he's not. Bonino is a player that complements Kessel.

Phil Kessel is a star player, regardless of his stats this season. Everyone thought that playing him alongside Sidney Crosby could result in a 50 goal season for Kessel. That won't happen this year and most likely won't happen during his tenure here. What Kessel has proven is that he needs to have the puck more often. Kessel is a playmaker with great possession stats. He doesn't need other stars around him, more or less strong complementary players. Bonino fits that role perfectly, as Kessels stats have improved drastically.

Bonino is finally looking like a player that fits Mike Sullivan's expectations. While his offensive production has been low, he's been strong on the penalty kill and his hard work is definitely paying off. At times during the Penguins recent stretch, the Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel line has been the best line on the team, if not the entire league. The chemistry has been phenomenal and is continuing to grow, all in thanks to the hustle and determination of these players.

Being a third line center, it's crazy to think that a player like Phil Kessel could be your every game linemate. While much of Bonino's recent success has been a result of his own hard work, it's also not unfathomable to say that much of his success is the result of Phil Kessel. This is not to take away from Nick, but having an elite player like Kessel on your wing certainly helps.

Bonino is a third line center in Pittsburgh, but on most other teams, he's second line talent. For his salary cap (only 1.9 million), that is an incredible steal for Pittsburgh. With this season plus another left on his contract, Pittsburgh should move quickly to resign him. Bonino is going to be a key piece to their bottom six moving forward, and for the chemistry he has had with Kessel, he should remain a Penguins for years to come.

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