It's not a bad deal, per se, because the Penguins are a win-now team dealing from a stockpile of top young defensemen, but the Brenden Morrow of 2013 is far from the Brenden Morrow of 2011. He was limited to 57 games last season and has, in short, been bad so far in 2013. Is that worth using a trade chip like the younger Morrow?

Something to keep in mind is the relative weakness of the trade deadline crop this season. Pittsburgh was one of four reported teams for which Jarome Iginla has waived his no-movement clause, but his price will be high. If Pittsburgh were to lose out on him to the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks or Los Angeles Kings, Morrow, crazy as it sounds, would have been the next player in line — and his cost would have gone through the roof. Making a move now guards against that, and potentially puts more heat on, say, the Bruins to overpay for Iginla.