Offseason roster moves on GM’s radar

message in his trademark, humorous style, but he also offered a few more salient points in his season-ending news conference.

• There will be changes, and Rutherford feels like there are the ingredients here to make the right ones.

“We’ll have a chance to win again,” he said. “We have the nucleus to do that, and we also have the pieces in place — with players that other teams are going to want — that we’re going to be able to make those changes. Sometimes you don’t always have those players for cap reasons or different reasons. I think it’s fair to say this will be a different-looking team by the time we open next season.”

How so? Rutherford could entertain the idea of moving Carl Hagelin without letting him walk for nothing after the season. He could trade Kris Letang or Phil Kessel, though neither option seems likely at the moment, especially not the first one.

Matt Hunwick struggled to find a fit this season and could be moved should the Penguins find a suitor, while Rutherford has a young player in Tristan Jarry whom several goal tending starved teams could theoretical ly want.

“It doesn’t mean there’s going to be drastic changes or a lot of changes, but there will be changes in the areas that will become necessary,” Rutherford said.

• Phil Kessel was definitely hurt, but Rutherford and coach Mike Sullivan differed on what effect the injuries had. Rutherford said Kessel “dealt with injuries all year” and “some of the things he dealt with caught up with him.”

It’s possible Rutherford was hinting at Kessel’s Ironman streak — now at 790 games when you include the regular season and playoffs — and the fact that it was allowed to continue. None of Kessel’s injuries, Rutherford said, will require surgery.

Sullivan played down the idea of Kessel being hurt. Or at least to the point where it impacted his performance.

“He was dealing with bumps and bruises just like some of our other guys,” he said, refusing to reveal specifics. “It was nothing significant, I can tell you that.”

Kessel did not address reporters.

• Daniel Sprong will play an impactful role next year after scoring a Penguins rookie-record 32 goals in the AHL last season. Rutherford hinted that Sprong will be in the mix next year, then seemed to double-down a little bit later on in his answer.

“He should be a regular on our team,” Rutherford said. “We were very careful this year with him, as you know. We develop players in different ways. Certainly, he had the ability at certain times to come in and play an offensive role on our team.

“He needed to work on his all-around game. He did that. There were times in Wilkes-Barre when it dropped off a little bit, but I think it was more from disappointment he wasn’t called up here. He’s a very talented player who will score a lot of goals in this league. He will be a regular on our team next year.”

• Rutherford remains confident that once Derick Brassard is fully healthy — another injury that was not disclosed — he’ll find a fit in the Penguins system.

Similar to what Brassard and Sullivan said, a late-season injury disrupted all the progress Brassard had made.

“He was just getting to the point where he was starting to [produce], he was putting up points, then he got an injury that he couldn’t overcome,” Rutherford said.

• Many clamored for Rutherford to add a depth defenseman at the trade deadline, which he didn’t do, then brought that up as a reason the Penguins faltered. Not quite, Rutherford said. He was perfectly happy with fifth and sixth defensemen, Jamie Oleksiak and Chad Ruhwedel.

“Some of the things that people were concerned about for guys who hadn’t been in that position before — Oleksiak and Ruhwedel — those guys did not cost us the series,” Rutherford said. “Those guys did their job.”

That, however, won’t keep Rutherford from exploring all options via free agency.

“I won’t get into any specific player,” Rutherford said, “but I think if we can improve at defense and forward, and [if[ the right thing comes along, we’ll do it.”

“I think it’s fair to say this will be a different-looking team by the time we open next season.” — Jim Rutherford