Pacific Division Snapshots: Marleau, Miller, Oilers D
Prior to the start of the season, it seemed to be virtually a foregone conclusion that it would be Patrick Marleau‘s last in San Jose. After all, the veteran of 19 NHL campaigns will turn 38 before opening night in 2017-18 and will reportedly be seeking a multiyear pact this summer as a free agent. However, a recent hot streak that has seen Marleau record seven goals in his last five games may have moved the needle some on the likelihood he remains in Northern California. According to Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area, his return may ultimately hinge entirely on his willingness to accept a one-year deal worth something in the neighborhood of $3MM to $4MM.
Kurz compares the current situation with Marleau to that of Dan Boyle, who hit free agency at the age of 37 in the summer of 2014 and left the Sharks because the two sides couldn’t agree on the length of a new deal. Boyle would ink a two-year deal with the New York Rangers and as Kurz writes, the longtime Sharks blue liner was “devastated” to leave the Bay Area. Marleau has tallied 19 goals in 52 games this season and could attract multiyear offers on the open market this summer based on that strong production, in which case it’s probable he won’t be donning a Sharks jersey in 2017-18.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:
- Like Marleau, it seemed likely that Vancouver goalie Ryan Miller would have a new home by the time the 2017-18 season started. The Canucks were expected by many to be a lottery team in 2016-17 and with Miller in the final year of his deal he would have represented an interesting rental asset the team could have cashed in to advance their rebuild. However, with Vancouver surprisingly still in the playoff hunt and with Miller turning in a solid performance between the pipes, the chances of the 36-year-old sticking around for another year or two have increased, as Ben Kuzma writes in a piece for the Vancouver Sun. Kuzma notes that good teams need quality play in net, pointing out the difference between former Canucks bench boss Alain Vigneault and the recently fired Ken Hitchcock of St. Louis. Vigneault, who has been fortunate to have Henrik Lundqvist, Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo man the pipes during his coaching career, just inked a two-year extension and received a raise to $4MM annually. The Blues have received lackluster play in goal this season and that fact played a role in Hitch’s termination. If Miller is willing to take a short-term deal to stay with Vancouver, he could provide a solid bridge to top prospect Thatcher Demko.
- While the Oilers have received better play from their blue line in 2016-17, the team’s top-four has struggled of late, leading David Staples of the Edmonton Journal to suggest shuffling not just the defense corps but also the club’s forward lines. Staples tracks contributions that lead to scoring chances for and mistakes which lead to scoring chances against, and of late too many of the team’s key players are responsible for more of the latter than the former. The scribe feels the team could elevate Matt Benning and/or Brandon Davidson into the top-four, spreading the defensive responsibilities around some. Up front Staples thinks it’s time to split up Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, perhaps putting the struggling Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on McDavid’s wing. Ultimately, if the team continues to struggle, it’s possible Edmonton will circle back to the trade market to seek additional depth.
Minor Transactions: 2/2/17
Here is where we’ll keep track of today’s minor roster moves:
- The Capitals announced that they’ve assigned center Chandler Stephenson back to Hershey of the AHL. Stephenson got into a trio of games with the Caps over the past week and a half, being held pointless while averaging 8:45 per night. He has spent the bulk of the year at the AHL level, recording six goals and 18 assists in 41 games with the Bears.
- With goalie Antti Raanta taking a leave of absence to be with his wife gave birth to their first child earlier today, the Rangers announced that they have summoned Magnus Hellberg from AHL Hartford. The 25 year old netminder has played in 26 games with the Wolf Pack, going 10-9-5 with a 2.86 GAA and a .906 SV%.
- The Wild announced that they have recalled 2014 first round pick right winger Alex Tuch from Iowa of the AHL. Tuch is in his first professional season and has 11 goals and 11 assists in 34 games at the minor league level this season and has yet to play at the NHL level. He also was named to the AHL All-Star game which took place late last month.
- Anaheim has recalled defenseman Shea Theodore from San Diego (AHL), reports Eric Stephens (Twitter link). He has been back and forth plenty of times this season (this is recall number 12 for him) and has played in 25 games with the Ducks, scoring once while adding seven assists. He has fared better offensively at the minor league level with nine points (1-8-9) in 13 contests with the Gulls.
- Toronto has assigned center Frederik Gauthier back to the AHL’s Marlies, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston (Twitter link). Taking his place on the roster is center Ben Smith who had been out since late December with a hand injury. Gauthier has played in 18 games with the Maple Leafs this season, picking up two goals and an assist while winning just over 51% of his faceoffs. At the minor league level, he has a goal and three helpers in 17 contests.
- The Devils announced (via Twitter) that they have recalled forward Joseph Blandisi from AHL Albany. Blandisi spent half the season in the NHL last year, picking up 17 points (5-12-17) in 41 games. However, he has yet to see action with New Jersey this season. However, he has been productive with the AHL Devils this year scoring seven goals to go along with 16 assists in just 28 games.
Minor Transactions: 2/1/2017
Here’s where we will track the day’s less significant roster transactions:
- The Columbus Blue Jackets reassigned defenseman Dean Kukan to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, according to The Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline (via Twitter). The 23-year-old blue liner was recalled Sunday but did not appear in the Jackets wild 6 – 4 win over the New York Rangers last night. He appeared in eight games last season, his first in the NHL, but failed to register a point. The Swiss-born Kukan signed a deal with Columbus prior to the 2015-16 season after a lengthy pro career playing in his home country. In 37 games this year with Cleveland, Kukan has 13 points.
- Joe Haggerty of CSNNE has relayed that Zane McIntyre has been recalled by the Boston Bruins to replace Anton Khudobin as the team’s backup netminder. The Bruins are desperate for quality play in goal behind starter Tuukka Rask. McIntyre and Khudobin have combined to post a woeful record of 1 – 8 – 2 in 15 appearances with a GAA of 3.42 and a S% of 0.875. Boston has just two back-to-backs scheduled this month, suggesting they won’t have to rely on their backup much, provided Rask remains healthy.
- Defenseman Dylan McIlrath and forward Paul Thompson, each of whom was placed on waivers by Florida yesterday, went unclaimed and will remain in the Florida Panthers organization, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. George Richards, who covers the Panthers for the Miami Herald, later added that McIlrath was reassigned to Springfield, along with forward Jared McCann. McIlrath, acquired earlier this season from the New York Rangers, has seen action in just five games for Florida this season. The former first-round draft pick has had trouble earning regular playing time. Thompson, 28, has played in 21 games for the Panthers, registering three assists while averaging less than eight minutes per game.
- The Washington Capitals returned blue liner Christian Djoos to Hershey of the AHL, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic. Djoos was Washington’s seventh-round selection in the 2012 entry draft and has yet to debut in the NHL. He’s in the midst of a solid season for Hershey, tallying 26 points in 35 AHL contests.
Rangers Extend Alain Vigneault
The New York Rangers announced (Twitter link) that they have agreed on a two year contract extension with head coach Alain Vigneault. Vigneault was in the fourth season of a five year deal signed back in 2013 and this extension will keep him with the team through the 2019-20 season. The contract also carries a considerable raise from the $2MM he’s currently receiving. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun notes (Twitter link) that the final year of his existing contract has been ripped up and that he will now receive $4MM for 2017-18. He’ll also earn that amount in 2018-19 and $4.25MM in 2019-20. That will make him the third highest paid coach in the league behind Toronto’s Mike Babcock and Chicago’s Joel Quenneville.
The 55 year old is in his fourth season with the Rangers, who presently sit fourth in the Metropolitan Division with a 31-17-1 record through 49 games. That mark currently gives them the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Through 295 games behind the New York Bench, Vigneault has a 175-97-23 record with a Presidents’ Trophy in 2014-15 and a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2014. In that span, the Rangers have the fifth most points in the NHL and the third most in the East behind only the Capitals and Penguins. His 175 victories are the fourth most in franchise history; he’ll likely hit third place later this season as he’s just six wins behind Frank Boucher.
The Rangers are the third team Vigneault has coached in his NHL career having had spans with Montreal from 1997-2001 and Vancouver from 2006-2013. The Canucks finished first in points during the regular season twice during his tenure there while also making a Stanley Cup Final appearance back in 2011. His 597 career victories rank 15th in NHL history.
Larry Brooks of the New York Post was first to report the deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Burmistrov Filling Need At Center For Coyotes
After an active offseason in which rookie GM John Chayka aggressively added pieces to supplement a talented young core, it was expected the Arizona Coyotes would be an improved team; maybe not quite a playoff team, but better than the group that finished the 2015-16 campaign with 78 points. Instead the club is on pace for a 65-point season, and much of the reason for the team’s struggles are related to the lack of quality NHL-ready centers.
Injuries to Brad Richardson and Martin Hanzal exacerbated the situation leading Chayka to seek help, both via the waiver wire and through trade. The Coyotes acquired centers Josh Jooris and Peter Holland from the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs respectively in a three day span in December. While those additions helped bridge the gap for the short term, it was a later acquisition that may prove out to be a steal for Arizona.
On January 2nd, the Coyotes were awarded their waiver claim on forward Alex Burmistrov, a talented but underachieving former first-round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers. Visa issues delayed his debut with his new team but in six games since entering the lineup, Burmistrov has tallied six points and as Craig Morgan writes in a piece for Fan Rag Sports Network, the 25-year-old is fitting in well with his new club.
Head coach Dave Tippett feels that the addition of Burmistrov, along with the improved play of Christian Dvorak has helped stabilize the center ice position in Arizona:
“We’ve stabilized our center ice a little bit with adding Burmistrov and the growth of [Christian] Dvorak,” Tippett said. “[Burmistrov] has filled a hole at center ice, where he’s good with the puck, he can distribute the puck and [he’s got] good skill and good vision.”
Prior to joining the Coyotes, Burmistrov posted just two points, both assists, in 23 games. While he’s shown flashes of high-end skill at times during his career, Burmistrov’s career-best single-season performance came during the 2011-12 campaign when he netted 13 goals and 28 points.
Burmistrov feels that the opportunity to play in different situations in Arizona has played a part in his strong start:
“That’s the way I grew up playing: in the key situations all the way around. Penalty kill, power play,” he said. “The big thing is coaching trust so I have to keep doing well and don’t let him down. This is a big opportunity for me.”
It should be noted that six games is of course a small sample and his previous coach, Paul Maurice, simply was unwilling to trust Burmistrov to kill penalties or play in key situations:
“Alex has a real strong view of what he’s good at,” Maurice told reporters after Burmistrov was waived. “That’s the most important thing: that a coach and player agree on what they’re good at and then the coach will put them in the position to succeed. Alex and I never would really agree on that.
“Alex and I have had a number of conversations about what he was hoping to have here. I just had other players ahead of him and the role he was looking for wasn’t here.”
Whether or not Burmistrov continues to excel with his new opportunity remains to be seen. However, the low-risk nature of the acquisition is exactly the type of move teams like the Coyotes, clubs who usually don’t spend to the salary cap ceiling, should always be willing to make. The type of skill Burmistrov boasts is hard to find on the open market and despite his inability to earn a regular role with the Jets sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery to turn around a player’s career.
Burmistrov’s solid play may also give the team more confidence as they entertain offers for Hanzal. If they do find a suitor willing to meet their asking price for Hanzal, instead of exposing prospects to too much too soon they have Burmistrov on the roster to take up some of the responsibilities.
Trade Candidate: P.A. Parenteau
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.
Now that the New Jersey Devils are all but eliminated from playoff contention – they are part of a four-way tie for fewest points in the Eastern Conference but have played more games than the three other clubs – it’s likely they will begin to market veteran players on expiring contracts, or other assets that can help speed up their roster rebuild. One player that fits the former mold, P.A. Parenteau, may well be on the move again, set to possibly join the seventh different NHL team since debuting in the league 10 years ago if the Devils decide a trade is worthwhile.
Parenteau broke into the league during the 2006-07 campaign with the Chicago Blackhawks, appearing in five games. The winger was traded to the New York Rangers where he didn’t see any NHL action until the 2009-10 season, getting into 22 contests with the Blueshirts. He finally secured a full time role in the NHL in 2010-11 at the age of 27 as a member of the New York Islanders, for whom he would record his first 20-goal season. Parenteau has bounced around the last four seasons, spending time with Colorado, Montreal, Toronto and now the Devils, who acquired the nine-year vet via waivers just prior to the start of the 2016-17 campaign.
Contract
On July 2nd, Parenteau inked a one-year, $1.25MM deal to return to the Islanders where it was expected he would have a chance to earn a spot playing on John Tavares‘ wing following the departure of Kyle Okposo. Instead, Parenteau failed to make the team out of camp and was placed on waivers where he was claimed by New Jersey. He will again be an unrestricted free agent this summer upon the expiration of his current agreement.
2016-17
Parenteau has earned a top-six role with the Devils, seeing extensive action at both even strength and on the power play. He is averaging better than 15 1/2 minutes per game and has tallied 12 goals with 11 assists in 48 games this season. The 6-foot, 200-pound winger is tied for second on the team in man-advantage goals with four and his eight even strength markers rank third.
Potential Suitors
Any team looking for cheap secondary scoring might take a hard look at Parenteau. Most clubs in the league would easily be able to accommodate his minimal cap charge and his production this year has been solid. He’s probably not a top-six winger on a Stanley Cup contender but with everyone looking for scoring from all four forward lines, Parenteau should be able to slide in on a team’s bottom-six and produce.
Anaheim presently resides in third place in the Pacific and in possession of the guaranteed playoff spot that represents. However, just three forwards are currently on pace to net 20 or more goals this season and just six have registered at least 20 points. Granted, both Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are not producing up to their lofty standards but the team could use an offensive boost.
Los Angeles ranks 22nd in goals scored this season while Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik each have just five goals on the season. Kings GM Dean Lombardi likely doesn’t want to deal prospects or draft picks for a quick fix but Parenteau likely wouldn’t cost an acquiring team much more than a mid-round choice.
Chicago is thought to be on the lookout for someone to ride shotgun on Jonathan Toews’ line and if they strike out on preferred options such as Thomas Vanek and Patrick Sharp, Parenteau could represent a nice low-risk investment for the team.
Likelihood of a Trade
Parenteau is almost a lock to be traded unless the Devils see value in extending the 33-year-old winger. He has a solid pedigree of success and his contract can be absorbed into any payroll situation. Additionally, the low acquisition cost would appeal to any team unwilling to mortgage a significant part of their future for a trade deadline move.
Trade Currency: Surplus Draft Picks
Trade time is upon us, with the NHL deadline coming just a month from now. While the players take a few days off for the All-Star break, front offices are busy setting up a plan for the next few weeks – unless you’re Joe Sakic that is, who took part in the Celebrity Shootout this afternoon and tapped in a goal.
One of the things team’s use most during this time to add depth to their teams are draft picks. Last year, 13 picks changed hands on deadline day itself, with another handful in the days prior. For teams looking to add for a playoff run, draft picks feel much easier to part with than roster players.
Going into this deadline, some teams have more picks accumulated from prior deals to work with. Here is a breakdown of a few teams that might be buyers, and have extra 2017 picks to dangle in trade talks.
Carolina Hurricanes – New York Rangers’ 2nd-round selection, New Jersey’s 3rd-round selection.
Carolina acquired the Rangers’ second-rounder when they dealt Eric Staal at the deadline last year. The Devils’ third-rounder is one that came with conditions, though they were likely met when Andrei Loktionov went back to the KHL. The Hurricanes could use some help if they’re going to catch anyone in the Metropolitan division.
Chicago Blackhawks – Carolina’s 5th-round selection, St. Louis’ 5th-round selection, New York Islanders’ 6th-round selection.
The Blackhawks will be using anything they can to add at the deadline, meaning these three extra picks could come in handy. They could also use them to beef up a farm system that has continued to develop replacements for players lost to salary cap crunches.
Edmonton Oilers – St. Louis’ 3rd-round selection, Vancouver’s 5th-round selection
Both extra picks the Oilers have are conditional, but unless Nail Yakupov has a tremendous second-half, it looks like neither will change from this season. A team that hasn’t been a buyer in a long time, they have enough young players to sacrifice some draft talent.
Montreal Canadiens – Washington’s 2nd-round selection.
The Habs got a couple of second-round picks when they moved Lars Eller this summer, meaning they’ll have some extra currency when the deadline comes around. It’ll be interesting to see if Montreal uses their draft picks instead of prospect capital to make a move at the deadline.
Philadelphia Flyers – Boston’s 3rd-round selection, Philadelphia’s 4th-round selection.
The Flyers have had a rough stretch after starting so well, but after beating the Maple Leafs on Thursday night are currently back in a playoff spot. If they decide that they can still push, they could use these extra picks in a package. Goaltending and defense is on their mind, but they’d obviously have to include more than the mid-round picks.
Toronto Maple Leafs – San Jose’s 2nd-round pick, Ottawa’s 2nd-round pick.
The Maple Leafs already owe Anaheim one of the two picks from the Frederik Andersen trade last summer, but could still use the other one to help them back into the playoffs for the first time since the shortened season. The Shanaplan says to build slow through the draft, but with the extra pick the team could add some veteran depth to a blueline that still has trouble defending.
Minor Transactions: 1/26/2017
PHR is monitoring all of the day’s roster transactions and will update this post throughout the day:
- The New York Rangers have announced via their official Twitter account that they have reassigned goaltender Magnus Hellberg to Hartford of the AHL. Hellberg was called up 10 days ago to serve as the backup to #1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist after Antti Raanta suffered a lower-body injury in his last appearance on January 14th. Hellberg appeared in one game in relief of Lundqvist, stopping all four shots faced. The reassignment indicates Raanta will be ready to go after the All Star break.
- St. Louis Blues center Kyle Brodziak has been placed on IR with a right foot injury and will be out at least five weeks, according to Lou Korac of NHL.com. Korac adds in a separate tweet that the team has recalled Ivan Barbashev. Brodziak has tallied six goals and 10 points in 47 contests this season for St. Louis. Barbashev was a second-round pick of the Blues in the 2014 entry draft. He is in his second professional campaign and has registered 19 goals and 37 points for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. The Moscow native could make his NHL debut tonight.
- With Evgeni Malkin sidelined with a lower-body injury, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Carter Rowney from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, tweets Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Rowney, who has yet to appear in an NHL game, has tallied 10 goals and 21 points in 24 AHL games for the baby Pens.
- Jim O’Brien and Spencer Martin have been reassigned by the Colorado Avalanche to their AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, the club announced via Twitter. O’Brien was called up Tuesday but didn’t dress for the team’s game last night against Vancouver. Colorado doesn’t play again until next week Tuesday and obviously won’t need a backup goalie. The move will allow the team to bank some cap space and give Martin a chance to see some game action in the minors.
- Steve Oleksy, placed on waivers yesterday, has cleared, reports Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. At this point it appears he will remain with the team though he can be reassigned to the AHL at any point in the next 30 days without again being subject to the waivers process. Update (1:25pm): Oleksy has indeed been sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
- The San Jose Sharks have activated center Tomas Hertl from IR and also recalled forwards Kevin Labanc and Timo Meier from the AHL, according to Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area. Hertl last appeared for San Jose on November 17th and has missed the last 32 games. Labanc and Meier both were reassigned to the San Jose Barracuda yesterday in what was essentially a procedural move designed to allow the Sharks to bank a little extra salary cap space.
- The Anaheim Ducks have announced that they have reassigned blue liner Shea Theodore and forward Kalle Kossila to San Diego of the AHL. Theodore has been a frequent mention in these posts as he’s been recalled by the club eight times this season, only to be returned to the Gulls each time. Kossila, meanwhile, was called up yesterday and made his NHL debut last night. He didn’t register a point but played 6:54 in the Ducks 4 – 0 loss to Edmonton.
Kevin Hayes Out 2-3 Weeks
The New York Rangers will be without forward Kevin Hayes for the next 2-3 weeks.
Hayes had been on a hot streak as of late, with seven points in his previous six games before leaving Sunday’s matinée against the Red Wings in the third period. The Rangers announced that Hayes underwent an MRI on Monday morning and will be out of the lineup with a lower-body injury.
The big forward is on pace to set career-highs in goals, assists, and points. Despite the prognosis, that’s still achievable thanks to the All-Star break. A two week absence would mean five games in the press box; three weeks would see him miss nine games. Hayes has 35 points in 47 games this season, good for third on the Rangers. He’s previously scored 45 and 36 points in his first two seasons.
It’s a tough break for the Rangers, who were just beginning to get healthy. Dan Rosen, of NHL.com, tweets that Hayes’ injury means Matt Puempel will be around longer, despite Rick Nash, Mika Zibanejad, and Pavel Buchnevich all returning to the lineup.
Breaking Down Potential Landing Spots For Kevin Shattenkirk
The trade deadline is just over a month away, and there will be a lot of names brought up as potentially on the move. Expiring contracts are the easiest to move, as teams go for a Stanley Cup run while others rebuild. The most talked about name all year and likely for the next month is Kevin Shattenkirk. The defensemen topped our mid-season list of 2017 UFAs and is having another excellent season.
It was recently reported by Darren Dreger that Shattenkirk would have interest in signing a long-term deal with Anaheim, Boston, Colorado, Detroit, New York (Rangers), San Jose, and Toronto this summer and many have suggested that one of these teams would be willing to be the top bidder at the deadline if they were able to work out an extension with him prior to the deal.
It doesn’t really make sense for some of these teams to make the deal, though the way the Eastern Conference is so tightly packed, everyone might think adding an elite right-handed defenseman would push them into a playoff spot.
A similar deal was made two years ago, when Keith Yandle was dealt to the Rangers. Though Yandle had one more year on his deal, he was a similarly productive offensive defensemen who logged huge minutes. The Rangers had to give up a young sniper in 19-year old Anthony Duclair, a (conditional) first-round pick and a second-round pick. The Rangers would go all the way to the Conference Finals that year, but get bounced out the next in the first round. Recouping some of their lost assets, they dealt Yandle’s rights to Florida where he signed long-term.
For Shattenkirk, imagine a slightly reduced package (unless an extension is reached) but still with substantial assets. Here are some Eastern Conference options for the Blues’ alternate captain.
New York Rangers
Would the Rangers go after another big-named defenseman at the deadline? Shattenkirk is from the area and many people believe they’re the early front-runners for his services this summer. The Rangers haven’t selected a player in the first-round since 2012, and if they go after the Blues’ defenseman they likely won’t this year either. Shattenkirk would look nice skating alongside captain Ryan McDonagh, but the team may not want to part with any young talent or high draft picks again this year.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins are slumping hard, losing again today 5-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Acquiring Shattenkirk may be a fun idea, but it likely wouldn’t be enough to fix everything that’s going wrong right now. It’s unclear who they’d even waive as bait, with Brandon Carlo being their best trade chip. Moving out a young right-handed defenseman for a rental doesn’t sound like the best managing.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs surprised everyone this year by being in the playoff hunt through the first half. Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have played better than anyone expected in their rookie seasons, and their secondary scoring has been consistent. They do have a huge hole on the right side of their defense, but all signs point to Brendan Shanahan and company sticking to the rebuild and not giving up young assets. They may be a player in the summer for his services, but it would be shocking to see them move a pick or prospect for him in-season.
Philadelphia Flyers
If Philly wants to make the playoffs this year, they have to do something with their defense corps. After a scorching hot start, they’ve been one of the worst teams in the league the last month or so and can’t seem to keep the puck out of their own net. Shattenkirk would perhaps help them more than any other team, as currently Radko Gudas is their only right-handed defenseman.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Yes, the Penguins already have a stud who plays on the right side, but Kris Letang has been injured for much of the year. A team who often makes a big splash at the deadline for the playoffs, they currently have Justin Schultz, Chad Ruhwedel and Steve Oleksy playing the right side. Though Schultz is having a career season, the playoffs are a different story. The Penguins shouldn’t be considered anything more than a dark horse in the Shattenkirk sweepstakes, but it would be an interesting fit to be sure.