Before the Penguins’ 2016 Stanley Cup run, Nick Bonino was largely known as a guy who seems to be thrown into big trades. In 2014, the Canucks acquired him from the Ducks in a deal for Ryan Kesler. A year later, he was moved by the Canucks to the Penguins for Brandon Sutter.
But after playing a major role on last season’s Stanley Cup winning team, posting four goals and 18 points in 24 games on the HBK line with Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel, Bonino has put himself on the map. This summer, he’ll head into free agency for the first time in his career, hoping to ride that playoff performance to a major payday.