The Penguins should be OK without the assets they traded to acquire winger Ryan Reaves over the weekend for the same reason they’ve been fine without the assets they sent to Toronto for winger Phil Kessel in 2015.
They know better than anyone else what they have in their farm system.
Winger Kasperi Kapanen was one of the organization’s few forward prospects regarded highly by independent scouting services when he was traded, along with a first-round draft pick and veteran Nick Spaling, for Kessel. Though the deal was widely celebrated, it seemed like more of a Stanley Cup-or-bust mortgaging of the club’s future than it turned out to be.