Penguins acquire Joseph Blandisi from the Ducks

Some say sleep is overrated or for the weak and apparently Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford ascribes to one of those two theories. In the early hours of Thursday morning, Rutherford was busy on the phones and made some waves with a late night trade.

In a deal with the struggling Anaheim Ducks, the Penguins acquired forward Joseph Blandisi in exchange for fellow forward Derek Grant.

Drafted in 2012, Blandisi is a 24-year old center who has spent most of his career bouncing between the AHL and the NHL. His most significant playing time in the NHL came with the New Jersey Devils from 2015-2017 where he played in 68 games over the course of two seasons.

In November 2017, Blandisi was dealt to the Ducks along with Adam Henrique in exchange for defenseman Sami Vatanen. Since joining the Ducks organization, Blandisi has spent most of his time in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls, playing only six games with the big club.

His career totals include a total of 74 games played at the NHL level and a modest 26 career points (8G, 18A). His full career stats at all levels can be found in the graphic below courtesy hockeydb.com.

Given the pieces of this trade, one can expect Blandisi to fill Grant’s role on the fourth line and provide the Penguins with some extra depth once Zach Aston-Reese and Patric Hornqvist return to the lineup. Blandisi will join the team in Arizona but his status for Friday night’s contest was not made immediately available.