GM to free agents: Test market, then talk to me
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Essentially, Rutherford said he told unrestricted free agents they should test the waters on the open market once free agency starts July 1. Then, if they want to come back to Pittsburgh, bring those offers back to Rutherford and see how close the Penguins can come from a financial perspective.
“Come back and say, ‘Here’s what we’ve got. Can you get to that number? Can you get close to that number?’” Rutherford said. “Then they can make a decision.”
Kunitz and Bonino — the only two of the four who spoke Thursday at the team’s locker clean-out day — expressed interest in at least trying to strike a deal with the Penguins.
“I think I’ve made it pretty plain. I love Pittsburgh, love the team here,” Bonino said. “We’ll see if we can get something done.”
Bonino, 29, might be the toughest of the four for the Penguins to bring back. His previous contract brought just a $1.9 million annual cap hit, but he almost certainly will get free-agent offers that more than double that. If a team is willing to offer Bonino a long-term deal north of $4 million a year, that might be more than the Penguins can comfortably swing.
Bonino admitted that, from a pure winning perspective, it’s hard to beat the situation in Pittsburgh. But, as a guy who has been traded three times in his NHL career, he’s looking forward to having some options for the first time.
“You take everything into account,” Bonino said. “Family, team, money. I think at the end of the day, I’ve never been in a situation to choose where I play, which is nice as a player. For most of our careers, we don’t have much say in that. The chance to choose is obviously alluring, but there’s a reason that we have 14 days here to see what happens. Like I said, I really like it here.”
Kunitz, too, said he planned to keep his options open over the next few weeks. Well, except for one.
At 37, there was some thought Kunitz could opt to retire after back-to-back Cup titles, but he emphatically shut that down Thursday.
“I feel pretty good out there, to be able to go out and compete and have fun,” he said. “I’d be extremely disappointed if that wasn’t going to go forward.”
If Kunitz does return to the Penguins, it likely would be on a short-term, relatively low-money deal — similar to the one-year, $1 million contract Cullen had this season.
Other teams could sweeten that pot by offering more years, more money or a bigger role. But Kunitz doesn’t sound as if he would leave Pittsburgh just because another franchise tried to sell him on a secondline role.
“People can always promise you the world,” he said. “You never know if it’s going to turn out unless you go out and perform. I don’t think that the grass is always greener on the other side. You have to go outthere and understand it’s a change. Going somewhere else, it’s going to be a different world than you’ve been extremely accustomed to the last nine years.”
Kunitz said his comfort level in Pittsburgh is “through the roof,” and that certainly will be a factor in his decision-making process. “It’s something that you have to definitely think about,” he said. “It’s not about whoever’s going to come calling, it’s about how it’s going to fit for you and your family and life going forward.”
Kunitz also has one very important backer hoping for his return. Captain Sidney Crosby said Thursday he was “trying to think positive” that Kunitz, his longtime linemate, will be back next year.
“He’s the ultimate teammate, for a lot of different reasons,” Crosby said. “The way he treats people. The way he handles himself. The way he plays every single night. I think that’s no fluke that he’s won four Stanley Cups.”
The two defensemen ready to hit the market, Daley and Hainsey, seem poised to be moving on this summer. Daley, 33, likely will receive offers for one more long-term contract, which the Penguins wouldn’t be able to match. Hainsey, 36, also likely will get a better late-career contract elsewhere.
Those two guys weren’t with the Penguins for very long — Daley for 1½ seasons, Hainsey for only half a season — but for all these pending free agents, it’s still tough to say goodbye.
“It’s going to be tough to see guys go,” defenseman Ian Cole said. “Unfortunately that is the business side of things. We know that, but I think looking back you can look back on pretty fond memories of what we have accomplished. We’ll be seeing each other for the Cup reunions, so that’ll be a plus.”