Some changes likely
“We hope so,” Rutherford said of a group that includes Riley Sheahan, Tom Kuhnhackl, Bryan Rust, Dominik Simon, Riley Sheahan, Jamie Oleksiak, Tristan Jarry and Daniel Sprong. “But it is a little bit difficult right now because we don’t know exactly whatthe cap is going to be.”
Some money could be saved by buying out Matt Hunwick, although Rutherford said that’s not a route the Penguins intend to go.
“We’re not buying anyone out,” Rutherford said.
In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette three weeks ago, Rutherford professed his desire to get a righthanded depth defenseman and achieve more balance throughout the Penguins’ four lines.
Nothing has changed there, Rutherford said.
The defenseman would, hopefully, keep Kris Letang’s minutes in check, and it would enable the Penguins to deploy a stronger third pairing. That guy could be Finnish prospect Juuso Riikola, although it’s more likely a need addressed through free agency.
Fixing the fourth line is probably an internal issue — getting more from Zach Aston-Reese or some line shuffling are the most likely scenarios — with an outside chance that Rutherford goes shopping.
“That is certainly the preference,” Rutherford said of adding a depth defenseman and fixing the fourth line. “Sometimes things come along that change that. We just have to see what’s presented to us and what opportunities we may have.”
The reasonable
Look at the Penguins roster, and six names pop out regarding trade possibilities: Hunwick, Jarry, Conor Sheary, Carl Hagelin, Derick Brassard and Phil Kessel.
Sheary has two years remaining on a contract that pays him $3 million annually. Hedid not score in the playoffs and went through a 44-game game stretch where he found the net just four times. But Sheary does have a history of clicking with skilled players, can skate and produced 23 goals just a season ago, at age 25. Surely someone could see something there.
The same for Hunwick, really. Just because he wasn’t a great fit with the Penguins doesn’t mean he’s a bad hockey player. He’s not. Another team easily could find value in a 33-year-old who’s a tremendous person and-decent skater.
Hagelin will be an unrestricted free agent next year and will likely look to cash out on his last, big contract, meaning the Penguins could choose to get something for him before he splits. His value — some of the NHL’s best wheels, penalty killing, a scoring punch as long as you’re not expecting anything right away — could make keeping Hagel in the smart play.
Brassard and Kessel aren’t terribly likely to go anywhere given the Penguins feel it was an injury that held Brassard back — not the fit — and Kessel’s value to the current team could easily trump what Rutherford would get for him in a deal, especially given his career-high 92 points in 2017-18, growing all-around game and how terrific Kessel can be on thepower play.
Jarry could be a super backup to Matt Murray, make 30-35 starts and provide insurance given that Murray has yet to prove he’s capable of not getting hurt for an extended stretch, but Jarry has also had focus and practice-habit issues when getting sporadic work.
It’s likely another team — Buffalo, ahem, Buffalo — could covet Jarry as its goaltender of the future and pay a decent buck to get him.
Not all boxes will be checked, but fans know Rutherford will do something. It’s notin him to sit on his hands.
“If you look at the group of guys we have now, and look at them as a healthy group, we could certainly put together four balanced lines right with the guys we have,” Rutherford said. “With that being said, I would suspect that therewill be a few changes.”
The hail marys
Believe the Penguins are going to make a run at UFA-to-be John Tavares at your own peril.
With Lou Lamoriello now in charge of the New York Islanders, it wouldn’t be surprising if Lamoriello persuades Tavares to stay. Moreover, it’s almost impossible to see the Penguins shoehorning oneof the league’s best centers in under the cap.
Jettisoning Kessel and Brassard straight-up likely wouldn’t be enough moneywise, and then what are you really doing? Robbing Peter to pay Paul. There’s also a tremendously small chance that Tavares — not terribly far behind Sidney Crosby, honestly — would accept a third-line center role.
A more realistic option could be left wing Max Domi, should Arizona decide to trade him.
Domi has been linked to the Penguins for a variety of reasons: his father Tie’s … well, to Mario Lemieux; some question whether Domi is truly happy in a budget conscious, non-traditional market; and the reality that the rebuilding Coyotes could probably get a haul for Domi, a 23-year-old former first-round pick (12th overall).
Two potential hangups here: Are the Coyotes willing to make such a move, which could theoretically short-circuit their rebuild? And could the Penguins make it work, bothin acquisition cost (steep) and in the likelihood that Domi would earn a sizable raise, should he produce.
But with Hagelin likely to leave, having Domi on Evgeni Malkin’s left wing wouldn’t be theworst thing.
Rutherford also has a lengthy history of resuscitating former first-round picks who have fallen on tough times — Oleksiak, Sheahan and defenseman Ian Cole to name a recent few.
As for the six potential trade chips, expect attention to be paid and conversations had. The Penguins circumstances deem it necessary.
“We need to get better,” Rutherford said. “We can’t just look at it as [losing to] Washington.
“There are other teams that are going to get stronger. There’s other good teams that get beat through the playoffs, too.
“Come opening night, I would like to think that we’re going to have a stronger team than what we did a year ago on opening night.”