- After acquiring Nathan Beaulieu at the trade deadline, Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review suggests it’s likely that the defenseman will leave the Penguins without ever suiting up for them. Pittsburgh picked him for a conditional draft pick that they ultimately retained as the conditions weren’t met. Beaulieu was added as injury insurance for the playoffs and while he was close to suiting up, he wound up being a healthy scratch in the postseason after being activated off LTIR. The 29-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and after playing in just 24 games with Winnipeg this season while averaging less than 11 minutes a game, it’s unlikely the 2011 first-rounder will be able to command much more than the minimum salary.
Penguins Rumors
Latest On J.T. Miller, Bo Horvat
When Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin took over the Vancouver Canucks, things seemed dire. The team was at the bottom of the standings, the cap situation was a mess, and many of the team’s top players were underperforming. Trade speculation immediately exploded, most notably regarding the trio of J.T. Miller, Bo Horvat, and Brock Boeser. There was no way the team could keep them all, while the group struggled to even stay competitive on the ice.
A few months and one spectacular late-season run later, things don’t appear to be nearly as chaotic in Vancouver. Bruce Boudreau will be back as head coach and there is at least some optimism that the team can get back to the playoffs as soon as next season.
Of course, there is still the issue of that trio of expensive forwards. Boeser is a restricted free agent this summer, while Miller and Horvat are both in the final year of their contracts. The latter two are extension candidates well ahead of that UFA status, and Rutherford spoke to CHEK TV today about both, explaining that while the plan is to sign them, nothing is decided yet:
We’re already in a tough situation cap wise, and we’re trying to gradually untangle that so we can add new players. So any player that has a contract that’s up, or in the future, we are going to project where they fit within our cap so we can add more players and make this team better. It’s not just about J.T., it’s all players.
I really like Bo. I’ve always liked him back to his junior hockey days. There has been good discussions with him after the season. He had a good year this year, 30-some goals. He’s got a lot of good hockey left in him. He’s a character guy. He’s a center that’s hard to find. We believe he should be part of our team going forward.
On Boeser, who recently lost his father, Rutherford explained that the team is letting the family go through a grieving period before taking a look at next season, and wouldn’t really go into contract negotiations other than to confirm that the team believes they can fit in the $7.5MM qualifying offer that’s due as a restricted free agent.
The most interesting part of the interview may be the idea that the team is trying to “untangle” their cap situation, especially given the whispers that they are trying to find a market for Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The $7.26MM cap hit that Ekman-Larsson carries for the Canucks (the Arizona Coyotes are retaining a small portion of his full $8.25MM hit) makes it much more difficult to sign players like Miller and Horvat long-term, as the veteran defenseman is signed through 2026-27. Still, even then there should be some wiggle room, with Tyler Myers, Tanner Pearson, and Jason Dickinson all coming off the books in 2024.
Officially, extensions with Miller and Horvat would not be possible until after the hockey calendar rolls over in July when free agency opens. One of the last things Rutherford said today was that he understands people are impatient but stressed the need for his front office to take things step by step and avoid making a mistake as they look to turn things around.
Pittsburgh Penguins Extend Taylor Fedun
It turns out there’s a second piece of news regarding a Pittsburgh Penguins depth defenseman today. The team announced Wednesday morning that Taylor Fedun has agreed to a two-year, two-way contract extension that runs through the 2023-24 season and carries an average annual value of $762,500.
The news comes after news broke that Juuso Riikola had left the organization as an unrestricted free agent, opting to play in Sweden for 2022-23.
Fedun, now 33, last played in the NHL during the Dallas Stars’ run to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final. After he ended up spending the entire 2020-21 season with the Stars either on the taxi squad or in the AHL (only two games), Fedun signed as an unrestricted free agent with Pittsburgh this past offseason. He spent the entirety of 2021-22 with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, serving as captain and tallying five goals, 11 assists, and 16 points in 44 games.
The Edmonton-born defender will stick around in the AHL as a valuable mentor for up-and-coming Penguins defensemen, and he can still be a decent call-up option in the case of injury.
Undrafted, Fedun first broke into the league as a 25-year-old with the Edmonton Oilers in 2013-14. Since then, he’s appeared in NHL games for the Stars, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, and Buffalo Sabres. Over seven separate seasons, Fedun has 127 NHL games under his belt with eight goals, 27 assists, and 35 points. He’s seen limited usage in those games, averaging a career number of 13:56 per game.
Juuso Riikola Signs In Sweden
The Pittsburgh Penguins won’t be getting at least one depth defenseman back next season. IK Oskarshamn of the SHL has announced the signing of Juuso Riikola for the 2022-23 season.
Riikola spent four years in the Penguins organization but spent most of his time in the AHL for the first time this year. He signed with the team in 2018 as a free agent after a six-year stint in the Finnish Liiga with KalPa. However, Riikola had played just seven NHL games over the past two seasons combined, playing just two in 2020-21 while spending the entire season on the taxi squad.
Over the past four NHL seasons, the 28-year-old Riikola played 80 games, tallying three goals, 10 assists and 13 points. While a reasonable option to slide into the lineup in case of injury, at his age, Riikola will likely opt to stay in Europe long-term, playing out his prime years in a more sizeable role.
Updates On Bryan Rust, Team Direction
- The Penguins recently extended forward Bryan Rust on a six-year deal worth just over $5MM per year. Today, Penguins GM Ron Hextall had some other news regarding Rust, stating that the forward had undergone a “clean-up” surgery. Hextall downplayed the importance of the operation, stating that it was only a minor procedure and that Rust will be ready for the start of next season. Given the amount the team has now invested in Rust and his health, it’s important for Rust to be on the right health footing at the start of next season so the Penguins can hit the ground running on their next chance to win a Stanley Cup.
- With the pending unrestricted free agencies of Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin looming, some believe that next season could be a transitional one for the Penguins, where they perhaps take a small step back from true contention in order to re-tool and extend their overall competitive window. Today, Hextall spoke on that idea and clarified the direction of the Penguins franchise. He stated, as relayed by Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that the team is going to “continue on trying to win the Stanley Cup,” and that their new owners, Fenway Sports Group, are “totally on board” with this all-in approach. Despite the contract uncertainty of Malkin and Letang, two players Hextall deemed “generational,” it looks as though the Penguins will not be embarking on the re-tool some fans believe they need and instead will be doubling down on their chance to win a Stanley Cup with their current core.
Pittsburgh Penguins Extend Bryan Rust
The Pittsburgh Penguins have agreed to terms with pending free agent forward Bryan Rust, keeping him in the organization long-term. Rust has agreed to a six-year contract worth a total of $30.75MM, an average annual value of $5.125MM. Penguins general manager Ron Hextall released a statement explaining:
Bryan exemplifies what it means to be a Pittsburgh Penguin. Since being drafted by Pittsburgh, he has developed into a versatile player and leader on our team, capable of contributing in any situation. His leadership qualities and experience as a two-time Stanley Cup champion is an important piece of our team.
While Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang take up most of the headlines in terms of pending free agents in Pittsburgh, Rust sat as arguably the most valuable of the three, at least when it came to a long-term extension. The versatile forward turned 30 just a few days ago and has been one of the team’s most consistent offensive performers over the last three seasons.
Consistent of course, only when Rust was actually in the lineup. When he played every game in the shortened 2020-21 campaign, it was the first time he’d accomplished the feat in his career. With a career-high of 72 games, and only 60 this season, there’s a fair argument that Rust–or at least the way he plays–brings more risk than the average player on a contract like this.
Still, an average annual value under $6MM for a forward that has been close to a point-per-game player for three years running is a nice bit of business for the Penguins, even if it does come at the cost of a few extra years. Rust has scored at least 22 goals in three straight and had 58 points this season. His play in the postseason has also been strong, with 21 goals in 79 career playoff games, including the two Stanley Cup runs in 2016 and 2017.
It’s that playoff-style hockey that is so appealing about Rust’s game, and what would have likely drawn plenty of interested parties had he reached the open market. Now, with him firmly in the mix for the next six years, the team can turn their attention to Malkin and Letang once again.
Darren Dreger of TSN broke the news that the two sides were close, while Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff filled in the details.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Has Kasperi Kapanen Done Enough To Avoid Being Non-Tendered?
It was a tough year for Penguins winger Kasperi Kapanen. He had just 11 goals in 79 games and managed just two more points than he had in 2020-21 despite playing in 39 fewer contests. However, Dave Molinari of Pittsburgh Hockey Now posits that the 25-year-old may have done enough in the playoffs to convince management to give him one more chance instead of non-tendering him this summer. Kapanen is owed a $3.2MM qualifying offer and also has arbitration eligibility which complicates things as he’s unlikely to be awarded a deal that’s above the walkaway threshold. Molinari suggests Pittsburgh try to offer him a deal with a reduced salary in the hopes that Kapanen opts for that over testing the open market with a non-tender in July. If they can’t agree on a new deal, GM Ron Hextall is going to have a big decision on his hands on whether or not to qualify him.
Rickard Rakell Open To Re-Signing With Penguins
- Penguins winger Rickard Rakell told Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he’s definitely open to re-signing with Pittsburgh for next season although no contract talks have been held just yet. The 29-year-old did well after being acquired from Anaheim at the trade deadline, collecting 13 points in 19 games during the regular season before being injured and missing most of the first round. Rakell is coming off a deal that paid him $3.8MM over each of the last six seasons and while he hasn’t come close to matching the 34 goals and 35 assists he had in 2017-18, he should be able to land a bit of a higher price tag on the open market this summer.
Update On Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang
Earlier today Evgeni Malkin addressed his pending unrestricted free agency and future with the Pittsburgh Penguins, stating that he hopes to retire in Pittsburgh. For that to be possible, he must ink a contract extension with the only team he has ever known. Malkin, 35, has remained consistently productive as he has aged (42 points in 41 games this season) but has also struggled to remain in the lineup on a regular basis. So, his importance to the franchise and his strong production square up against the declining reliability of his health to make his upcoming contract situation an especially intriguing one.
Just as Malkin’s contract is expiring, so is the contract of another Penguins franchise icon: Kris Letang. Letang, who is also 35, is coming off a season where he posted a career-high in points (68) and managed to stay in the lineup for 78 games, his most since the 2017-18 season. With Malkin and Letang both up for new contracts, the Penguins’ front office (and new ownership group) has a fork-in-the-road opportunity to change the direction of the franchise.
Rob Rossi of The Athletic reported yesterday that the Penguins had offered Malkin and Letang matching three-year, $15MM extensions, offers that “did not sit well” with Sidney Crosby. While that is certainly a major development, if true, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet added some context to the situation in his recent 32 Thoughts blog. Friedman supported Rossi’s reporting on the Penguins offering Malkin a three-year term on his extension, stating that the team has symmetry with the three years left on Sidney Crosby’s contract in mind. He also reported that Malkin’s camp and the Penguins were “far, far apart” on the actual dollar value of the extension, a separation that could make Malkin’s return more challenging.
As for Letang, Friedman reported that his offer was larger than the one mentioned in Rossi’s report. Friedman says that the “last he heard” was that Letang was offered a four-year contract carrying an average annual value just “a bit less” than his current AAV of $7.25MM. Given the annual values of contracts other high-end defensemen have received (Seth Jones, Darnell Nurse, and Dougie Hamilton, as comparables, got at least $9MM AAV on deals with significantly more term) it’s an open question as to whether that reported offer will be sufficient to retain Letang’s services.
Letang did say, per Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that his “main goal” is to stay in Pittsburgh, so perhaps he will not enter the market eyeing a deal comparable to those other elite defensemen. But one does have to keep in mind that this very well could be Letang’s last chance at a massive contract, due to his age. At the very least, it seems from Friedman’s reporting that while the Penguins are apparently undertaking an earnest effort to retain their two franchise legends, there are still obstacles in the way.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Penguins Notes: Malkin, Rust, Rakell
When the Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs in seven games, it may have signaled the end of a significant era. Many of the team’s most recognizable players are pending unrestricted free agents, including Russian superstar Evgeni Malkin. When speaking to the media today in his end-of-year press conference, Malkin made his desire to stay in Pittsburgh very clear:
I love this city and I love these fans so much. If this team wants new blood and young guys and they say to me to move on, we will see… I believe in my agent and I trust him. I want to stay here. I want to play in the NHL… I hope I stay here. I hope I retire here.
The 35-year-old Malkin explained that he wants to play three or four more years in the NHL and was effusive in praising fellow Penguins legends Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang, the latter of which is also a free agent this summer. Malkin has spent his entire career to this point in Pittsburgh, a career that includes 981 regular season games, 1,146 points, a Calder trophy, Hart trophy, two Art Ross trophies, a Conn Smythe, and three Stanley Cup championships. Calling it his “second hometown” he is hoping that the two sides can come to an agreement on a new contract.
- One of the other extremely important pending free agents wasn’t quite as ready to call Pittsburgh his hometown, at least not in terms of a discount. Bryan Rust explained that he feels as though he has outperformed his contract the last few seasons and is looking for a “reasonable” deal if he’s to stay in Pittsburgh. There’s no doubt that Rust has produced much more than the average $3.5MM player the last few seasons, which have included three-straight years of at least 22 goals. The argument might be that he has yet to play more than 72 games in a single season, which has reduced his overall totals. The 30-year-old has never broken the 60-point mark, despite scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace in the last few years.
- Then there is Rickard Rakell, who only arrived a few weeks ago at the trade deadline. The former Anaheim Ducks winger fit in quite well in Pittsburgh and believes it is “definitely” a place he would like to come back to if possible. Rakell admitted that he understands the team has some bigger free agents to deal with first, but is obviously open to a contract extension with a club where he believes he can take his game to “the next level.” Rakell scored 13 points in 19 games down the stretch but was ultimately forced out of the first-round series and saw just 19 minutes against the New York Rangers.