Eric Tangradi

Eric Tangradi was a big time prospect for the Pens.  They picked him up as part of a trade with Anaheim that also brought Chris Kunitz (in exchange for Ryan Whitney).  After watching Tangradi play a few times and seeing his ability with the WBS Penguins organization, I had huge hopes for Eric to make the team.  This was, of course, back in 2009.

Fast forward to today...Eric was allowed to slip and eventually was traded to the Winnipeg Jets for the 194th pick in the draft (which later became the 164th pick because of the playing conditions involved).  Bottom line, it wasn't his play that sent him packing.  It was the fact that the Pens have too much depth on their team, too much depth on the AHL team, and his talents were being wasted.  Where he was a fourth line guy or a scratch fill-in in Pittsburgh, he is a bonafide starter in Winnipeg.

I think you can pin his downfall on the elbow to the head from Trevor Gillies back in 2011.  That incident not only started a riot on the ice, but sent Eric to the sideline for almost two months.  He just never really looked the same after that.

Despite all that, he is still part of my PC as I liked to watch Big Dog play.  I still do despite the fact he is north of the border now.

I figured I had to add at least one card of him on the Pens Auto Project.  If you would like to see the rest of my budding Eric Tangradi PC, head over to my other website.