Ducks trade Hagelin to Penguins for Perron, Clendening

The Anaheim Ducks traded Carl Hagelin to the Pittsburgh Penguins for David Perron and Adam Clendening in an agreement finalized in the wee hours Saturday morning.

Though Clendening, a defenseman, has NHL service, the trade essentially swaps underperforming 27-year-old wingers on desperate teams - and, though the same age, perhaps on opposite sides of their career arcs.

Perron, in his ninth season and an unrestricted free agent this summer, was on pace to post his worst offensive totals since his rookie year with one of the more talented forward groupings in the league.

He's been in and out of Pittsburgh's top six, ultimately unable to build a rapport with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin since coming over from the Edmonton Oilers for a first-round pick.

Meanwhile, Hagelin's wings were clipped in Anaheim. The speedy winger was expected to thrive in the Ducks' scheme, but has mustered just four goals and eight assists since coming over from the New York Rangers last summer. He signed a $16-million extension upon his arrival, being paid quite well in his fifth NHL season.

He'll return to the Metropolitan Division and once again be under the tutelage of Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, who was an assistant with New York before joining the Penguins organization.

Pittsburgh has three more seasons of control with Hagelin at $4 million, while Anaheim, a budget team, gains flexibility (and a prospect) moving forward with the soon-to-be-unrestricted Perron.

The Ducks and Penguins pulled off a similar one-for-one trade last summer when Ben Lovejoy was returned to Pittsburgh for Simon Despres. Though Despres has been out for most of the season with a concussion, that deal most certainly favors Bob Murray's Ducks.