Derick Brassard is in Pittsburgh, finally. Even if his flight from Toronto was delayed two hours the night before, he is here. And he says he’s ready to get to work for his new team.
He skated with the Penguins on Tuesday morning and he is expected to make his debut tonight against the Devils at PPG Paints Arena.
Since being acquired from Ottawa on Friday night, the veteran center’s status had been in limbo as he awaited his immigration papers to clear. He described the past five days as a whirlwind of emotion.
“Even if it’s my 10th year in the league, I showed up to the rink this morning and I was a little bit nervous, but it was all good stuff,” Brassard said. “I’ve been like a little kid since I heard about the trade, just the chance to play with some great players on this team. It’s pretty surreal.”
And now that he’s here …
“I’m really excited. It’s obviously a great opportunity, to be with the team that’s won the last two Stanley Cups. I don’t want to do anything different, not change my game, just try to help the team win games. And I … I still really can’t believe that I’m here right now.”
The two-way forward is expected to center a line with Conor Sheary and Phil Kessel. At least for tonight and the first few games, the plan is to keep it simple with Brassard.
“We’re not going to convolute his mindset with too much information,” Mike Sullivan said. “We’ll give Derick what he needs that will give him a basic framework. We just want him to go out and play and act on his instincts and trust his instincts.”
Brassard’s instincts will rely, at least initially, on his experience against the Penguins.
“Yeah, I faced this team four straight years in the playoffs,” he said. “I know they like to play a high-paced game. They have a lot of skill, puck possession, and they want to make plays. That fits perfectly with my game. I’m going to try to keep it simple the first couple games and just go from there.”
Brassard’s versatility could allow him to play wing on occasion and he could fill in for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in a top-six role.
“Our intention is to play him at the center ice position,” Sullivan said. “It gives us a lot of depth which we think is important for us moving forward, but I do think it’s not out of the realm of possibility and anything is an option for us right now.”
Friday’s blockbuster trade reunited Brassard with Sullivan from their time in New York with the Rangers. Sullivan was an assistant coach under John Tortorella, working primarily on the defense and penalty kill.
“I know he’s a pretty intense guy, but he’s fair and that’s what you’re looking for in a coach,” Brassard said.
Sullivan has been a big part of the Penguins’ success, leading them to back-to-back championships. His team plays an aggressive game based on speed and puck possession, two attributes that mesh well with Brassard’s game.
Brassard has been on the losing end of playoff series against the Penguins each of the last two years, with the Rangers in 2016 and the Senators last year. He says he knows exactly why the Penguins have had success.
“They have four lines than can skate and score and can compete every night,” he said. “I think it starts with leadership with them. They’ve had the same core for a little while, and I think that’s why they’ve had so much success. It’s going to be good to be on this side.”
