Penguins Acquire Alex Kovalev from Senators

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that they have acquired right wing Alex Kovalev from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a conditional seventh round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft. The pick will become a sixth rounder if the Penguins win the first round of the playoffs and Kovalev plays in at least fifty percent of the games. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Kovalev, who lifted his no-trade clause to facilitate the trade and will begin his second stint with Pittsburgh, has 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 54 games this season. Not a bad depth move for the Penguins, as Kovalev will bring plenty of offensive depth down the wing for the injury-ravaged team, but only as a playoff rental. The enigmatic forward will also bring some depth to the power play and lots of playoff experience to the team. Plus, the Penguins gave up next to nothing to get him, which shows the market for Kovalev was pretty dry.