On Feb. 1, 2019, former Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford swung a multiplayer trade with the Florida Panthers.
Forwards Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann came to Pittsburgh and enjoyed varying levels of success.
McCann was by far the more successful of the duo in a Penguins jersey. In parts of three seasons with the team, he appeared in 141 games and scored 84 points (39 goals, 45 assists).
In the 2021 offseason, Rutherford’s successor, Ron Hextall, dealing with a flat salary cap because of the economic turmoil brought on by the pandemic and an expansion draft, opted to trade McCann to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who then allowed McCann to be selected by the new Seattle Kraken franchise.
With Seattle, McCann has become a prolific scorer, even reaching the 40-goal mark on one occasion.
As for Bjugstad, he occasionally showed offensive flashes, but a variety of injuries largely derailed any hopes of sustained success. Over parts of two seasons with the Penguins, Bjugstad had 16 points (10 goals, six assists) in 45 games.
During the 2020 offseason, Bjugstad was traded to the Minnesota Wild for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2021. The conditions of that trade were not met, and the Penguins did not receive that pick.
As for the Panthers, they took on underwhelming forwards Derrick Brassard and Riley Sheahan, each of whom left Florida as free agents during the ensuing offseason.
Also heading to Florida in that trade were three 2019 draft picks, one in the second round and two in the fourth round.
With the second- round selection, Florida chose defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok (No. 52 overall) during the draft in June. Three months later, he signed a three-year entry- level contract with the Panthers.
After never rising above the American Hockey League level within Florida’s organization, Kolyachonok was traded to the Arizona Coyotes in July 2021.
Kolyachonok bounced between the NHL and AHL levels while under contract to the Coyotes for three seasons then — when the Coyotes ceased operations in the 2024 offseason — he was part of the group of assets (players, prospects, draft picks, coaches, staffers, etc.) that were transferred in forming the new Utah Hockey Club franchise.
After struggling to find consistent playing time with Utah, he was placed on waivers Feb. 8.
One day later, he was claimed by Kyle Dubas, president of hockey operations for the Penguins, the team that traded that pick more than six years earlier.