Veteran defenseman Scuderi thrilled to join Blackhawks
When Rob Scuderi told his family that he had been traded from Pittsburgh to the Blackhawks - a team that's won three Stanley Cups in the last six seasons - they weren't exactly jumping for joy.
It's an understandable reaction when one considers that Scuderi, a 36-year-old defenseman who was acquired for Trevor Daley on Monday, is a father of four and had played for the Penguins for the last three-plus seasons.
"You're pretty anchored once your kids are a little older," Scuderi said before the Hawks played Colorado at the United Center on Tuesday. "I've got a 9- and an 8-year-old, so they're maybe not so thrilled."
As for Scuderi? Totally different story.
"Once you hear the team (that you're going to it), can't help but put a little bit of a smile on your face," he said. "You're coming to a team that's dominated its championship pedigree for five, six years now. To be a part of this group is an honor, and I hope I can contribute."
General manager Stan Bowman said he made the trade to gain some salary cap relief (the Penguins are picking up a third of Scuderi's $3.375 million deal that runs through next season) and because Scuderi gives the Hawks another solid penalty killer.
"That was pretty important for us," Bowman said. "Looking at the big picture, it's hard to trade defensemen for defensemen and also gain some cap space.
"They're different style defensemen totally, but they're both veterans and I think the fact that we were able to give ourselves some breathing room on the cap - now and going forward - was an important part."
The Penguins drafted Scuderi in the fifth round in 1998 and he began his NHL career in 2003. He won a Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009, spent the next four seasons with the Kings (where he won another Cup in 2012) and then went back to the Penguins for the 2013-14 season.
Scuderi, who has just 8 career goals, said his game is all about keeping it simple.
"I'm not a flashy and chances are if you notice me, it's either a nice play or a bad play," he said. "But most nights I'm kind of invisible and that means I'm doing my job."
Scuderi was paired with Michal Rozsival during the Hawks' 3-0 loss to Colorado at the United Center on Tuesday. He saw 11:27 of ice time, took 2 shots on goal and was on the ice when the Avs made it 2-0 in the second period.
As for Daley, whom the Hawks acquired in the Patrick Sharp deal in the off-season, he didn't score a goal with the Hawks after hitting a career-high 16 last season with Dallas. Daley's average ice time plummeted from a career-average of 21 minutes to 14:46 this season.
Bowman wished Daley well and said he understood it can be "hard to get your game going when you play less than you're used to."
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville also weighed in, saying: "He was good in Dallas. He wasn't here long enough to get a good assessment. His offense in games was coming along fine for us. Defensively he was progressing as well.
"So (the trade) was a situation where both teams were probably looking for that type of defenseman to fit their needs."