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Jim Rutherford

Golden Knights Notes: Lehner, Fleury, Trade Deadline

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The Vegas Golden Knights finally got presumptive starting goaltender Robin Lehner back on Tuesday, activating the newly re-signed net minder from the Injured Reserve. Lehner had missed more than a month, leaving veteran Marc-Andre Fleury to carry a heavy load in this season’s condensed schedule. There was some confusion as to why it took Lehner so long to return from what was initially considered a minor lower-body injury. Unfortunately, some of that speculation brought up Lehner’s previous struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues. Looking to set the record straight, Lehner spoke with the media today and revealed that he not only was rehabbing his lower-body injury, but had also suffered a concussion. Lehner noted that normally he would not have disclosed this information, as teams and players are not typically open about injuries beyond what is required, but he felt that needed to clear his name, even though he was disappointed it had reached that point. Fortunately, Lehner appears to have moved past both injuries and is expected to return to action shortly now that he is back on the active roster.

  • As for Lehner’s partner in net, if former Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford would have had his way, Fleury would not even be in Vegas this season. Speaking with The Athletic’s Josh Yohe, Rutherford explained that he heavily pursued his former starter this past off-season. Despite a difficult 2019-20 season for the veteran, Rutherford was hoping to bring Fleury back to Pittsburgh to pair with young Tristan Jarry in the wake of Matt Murray’s departure. Rutherford began planning even before the off-season began, contacting the Knights during the playoffs to inform them of his interest. Rutherford also stated that he even went so far as to buy out Jack Johnson primarily to open up cap space to add Fleury. At the end of the day, trade talks never went too far, with Rutherford implying that they could not make the cap implications work. However, Vegas owner Bill Foley also previously hinted that he may not have signed of on a Fleury trade anyhow. Foley knows that Fleury is the face of the Golden Knights franchise and could not be happier about it. For his part, Rutherford told Yohe that allowing Fleury to go to Vegas in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft was the hardest thing he ever had to do as GM.
  • In just a few short years, the Golden Knights have shown that they are not afraid to make bold moves, such as signing Lehner to an expensive, long-term deal even with Fleury’s heavy contract already on the books. So, while the club looks to have few holes this season, don’t be surprised to see another eye-popping transaction ahead of the trade deadline. Even in what is shaping up to be a quiet trade market, TSN’s Frank Seravalli labels Vegas as one of just eight team that are considered to be legitimate buyers. He believes that they could target a top rental center to solidify their depth down the middle.

Snapshots: Rutherford, Tortorella, Wolf

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It’s still not exactly clear what made Jim Rutherford suddenly resign his post as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this year. Given that he still has “the bug” to help a front office, as he told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic recently, some have wondered if there was perhaps a philosophical disagreement between Rutherford and his Pittsburgh bosses. When asked on the Cam and Strick Podcast about whether he had tried to trade Kris Letang but ownership stopped it, the legendary executive denied any rumors:

Nope. Not accurate. As a matter of fact, I’ve said publicly a few times. Because you get to a point in a player’s career–should you trade ’em, get something young for them or not–but I’ve actually took the position that because the core guys won Stanley Cups, three Stanley Cups, that [Sidney] Crosby, [Evgeni] Malkin and Letang should play their whole career in Pittsburgh. I wish I could say the same thing about [Marc-Andre] Fleury, but we got squeezed on the cap at an earlier time. But those four guys should have played their whole career in Pittsburgh. There’s three of them still there. That’s how I felt then, that’s how I feel now.

If Letang and Malkin are to play their whole careers in Pittsburgh, they’ll need new contracts before long. Both players are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after the 2021-22 season. Crosby meanwhile is signed through 2024-25, which potentially could cover the end of his career already. He’ll be 34 this offseason, meaning his contract takes him through his age-37 season.

  • John Tortorella got the infamous vote of confidence from his general manager earlier today, as Jarmo Kekalainen explained he isn’t looking to make changes to the coaching staff and trusts this group to get the Columbus Blue Jackets out of their recent slump. The Blue Jackets have lost five straight and sit fifth in the Central Division, only ahead of the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, and Dallas Stars (who have only played 16 games, the fewest in the entire league). Tortorella, though respected as a strong systems coach that can get a lot out of a mediocre roster, has been known to eventually have players tune him out in his previous stops. Kekalainen, as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic writes, hasn’t seen that kind of thing yet. A Stanley Cup champion with the 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning, Tortorella has been the head coach of the Blue Jackets since the 2015-16 season and has had a winning record in each season with the club.
  • Dustin Wolf has been reassigned back to the WHL, re-joining the Everett Silvertips after a short taste of professional hockey. The 19-year-old goaltender played three games for the Stockton Heat, winning two of them and posting an .895 save percentage. A seventh-round pick in 2019, Wolf is an extremely intriguing prospect trying to break through despite a significant disadvantage–he stands a (generous) 6’0″ and would be one of the smallest goaltenders in the NHL, should he ever make it. So far that size discrepancy hasn’t stopped him, winning CHL Goaltender of the Year and recently taking home a World Junior gold medal. Now that the WHL is returning, Wolf is no longer eligible to play in the AHL.

Snapshots: Skinner, Rutherford, Matthews

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Jeff Skinner has been relegated to the taxi squad in Buffalo, not even skating with the active roster on a regular basis. His agent recently spoke with the team’s GM to voice concerns, but Skinner spoke to the media directly today. When asked by Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News whether he would want to be on a different team he was clear:

No. I love being a Sabre. I love the city of Buffalo. I wouldn’t have chosen to stay here if that wasn’t the case, so that answer is simple.

Skinner handled the questioning as professionally as possible, not willing to detail any of the conversations he’s had with head coach Ralph Kreuger. Unfortunately, professionalism isn’t really the issue here, production is. The 28-year-old didn’t score a single goal in his 14 games earlier this season and is still sitting on just 24 points since signing the $72MM extension.

  • Jim Rutherford still has “the bug” to work in a hockey front office again, as he explained to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The legendary executive resigned his position as GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this year, replaced by Ron Hextall. That transition seems to have been his plan all along, as he tells LeBrun he suggested Hextall to Penguins CEO David Morehouse as his eventual replacement several times both before and after his resignation.
  • Auston Matthews has been dealing with a wrist injury for the Toronto Maple Leafs and today was absent at the team’s practice. Head coach Sheldon Keefe listed him as day-to-day but wouldn’t rule him out for tomorrow’s match against the Edmonton Oilers. The team did have some good news as Joe Thornton, Jack Campbell and Jake Muzzin (with a full shield after breaking a bone in his face), returned to practice.

Penguins Notes: Crosby And Malkin, Pryor, Attendance

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Though it should come as no surprise, Pittsburgh Penguins ownership consulted their biggest stars before making the recent hires of Ron Hextall as GM and Brian Burke as President of Hockey Operations. The Athletic’s Rob Rossi writes that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were informed of the Hextall-Burke possibility and endorsed the move, according to sources close to the players. While owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle typically do not intrude on hockey operations matters, the once exception over the years has been an insistence on keeping Crosby and Malkin in Pittsburgh at all costs. This why the pair, despite being 33 and 34 years old respectively, were consulted on a front office move that could outlast either’s career. Ownership’s lone mandate to Hextall and Burke is that they would like Crosby and Malkin to retire as Penguins if they so choose. Crosby is already signed through 2024-25 and has never given the team any reason to want to move him. Malkin however has not been as consistent and will be a free agent after next season. He has previously expressed a desire to sign on for three more years in Pittsburgh at the conclusion of his current contract to line up with the expiration of Crosby’s deal, allowing the two iconic Penguins to potentially retire together. Whether this is the same expectation shared by Hextall and Burke remains to be seen, but it appears as though the duo have been asked by their new bosses to treat Crosby and Malkin differently than the rest of the roster.

Interestingly, that even includes defenseman Kris Letang. Rossi reports that previous GM Jim Rutherford had been told that any trade involving Letang would need to be approved by ownership. However, Hextall and Burke are not operating under the same mandate. Rutherford had allegedly been gauging the trade interest in Letang around the league prior to his resignation and Hextall and Burke may be similarly interested in moving the veteran defenseman, whose expensive contract expires after the 2021-22 season. While Lemieux is still believed to prefer extending Letang, it seems he would be okay with moving the career Penguin “the right way”.

  • Rossi also notes that, while no other front office moves were made alongside the additions of Hextall and Burke and the return of interim GM Patrick Allvin back to his role as Assistant GM, permission was given to make an addition to the staff. Hextall reportedly asked that he be allowed to hire his former assistant with the Philadelphia Flyers, Chris Pryor, before accepting the position with the Penguins. Pryor was fired alongside Hextall in Philadelphia and has since been working as an amateur scout for the Nashville Predators. It is unclear why Pryor has not yet joined the Penguins and if the Predators have anything to do with the hold up. However, the expectation is that Pryor will eventually become a second Assistant GM for Pittsburgh, resuming his role as Hextall’s draft guru. Rossi does not believe that any other changes to the front office are imminent until after Hextall and Burke handle the numerous major tasks ahead – in-season trades, entry draft, expansion, etc. – and have time to review the department.
  • The Penguins continue to play in an empty building, but they might have 4,500+ in attendance before too long. Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune writes that the team has made requests to the Pennsylvania Department of Health as well as the Governor’s office to allow for PPG Paints Arena to open to fans at 25% capacity. He adds that quarter capacity for the venue is 4,596 spectators, a far cry from the current 500 players and personnel maximum currently allowed on game days. With COVID rates on the decline in the state and neighboring New York opening sports venues to 10% capacity, the Penguins’ request is not unrealistic. The team has already undertaken a number of health and safety measures at PPG in anticipation of crowds. The club certainly hopes that those with the power to allow Penguins fans back in the building will take all factors into account and grant their request.

More On Jim Rutherford’s Resignation

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The biggest question that arose from yesterday’s shocking news that Jim Rutherford had resigned as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins was simple: why now? The season is just a few weeks old, the Penguins are keeping their heads above water even while dealing with a rash of injuries and Rutherford was still the unquestioned head of the front office. In fact, the front office was a lot thinner on experienced names these days, after former assistants like Tom Fitzgerald, Jason Botterill, and Bill Guerin had all taken their own gigs somewhere else. ’Why?’ was the question that kept coming up, though a health-related issue was quickly ruled out by reporters and Penguins executives.

This morning, Colin Dunlap of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh tweeted that multiple sources had Rutherford working on a trade of Kris Letang, which was squashed by ownership, leading to the resignation. Rob Rossi of The Athletic however almost immediately threw cold water on that, reporting that Rutherford was “not working on a trade of any player that management/ownership halted.” Rossi went so far as to say that the resignation had nothing to do with roster-related matters.

Speaking to Rossi and colleague Josh Yohe, Rutherford said “it was just time” for him to leave, but others from the organization admitted they are now scrambling. Patrik Allvin has taken over as interim GM but was only just promoted to assistant GM a few months ago.

In response to the thought that his resignation perhaps had to do with a lawsuit filed by former AHL assistant coach Jarrod Skalde, Rutherford also explained the two were not connected in any way. Rutherford was on the final year of his contract as GM, but contract talks also appear not to be the reason for the resignation.

Much of the speculation has now been addressed directly, but even through Rossi’s thorough reporting one question still remains. Why now?

Jim Rutherford Resigns As Pittsburgh Penguins GM

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In shocking news, the Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that Jim Rutherford has resigned as general manager, citing personal reasons. Patrik Allvin, the team’s assistant general manager has been promoted to interim GM while the team begins an immediate search for a new GM. Rutherford has been with the Penguins since 2014 and released a short statement on his departure:

It has been a great honor to serve as general manager of the Penguins, and to hang two more Stanley Cup banners at PPG Paints Arena. I have so many people to thank, beginning with the owners, Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux, and team president David Morehouse. There always has been so much support from everyone involved with the Penguins, both on the hockey and business staffs, and, of course, from a special group of players led by Sidney Crosby. The fans here have been tremendous to me and my family. I know it’s a little unusual to have this happen during a season, but just felt this was the right time to step away.

Allvin was only just named AGM in November, having previously worked with the team in several roles including director of amateur scouting. He has been with the Penguins for more than a decade, but will now be thrust into the spotlight as the team’s front office leader. The release indicates that Allvin will consult with Lemieux for input and advice during the interim period.

Rutherford has been a pillar of the NHL for decades, first as a goaltender that appeared in 457 NHL games over 13 seasons, and then as an executive. Named general manager of the Hartford Whalers in 1994, he remained with the team through their relocation to Carolina and won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006. During his tenure in Pittsburgh, he put together a team that won back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017. Rutherford was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that this was “absolutely” Rutherford’s decision, while Ken Campbell of The Hockey News reports it is not health-related.  The long-time manager leaves the Penguins in the midst of a unique season and with a 4-2-1 record early on. The team has lost several key players to injury but still sit in a playoff spot for the time being. Critics may say that success is in spite of Rutherford’s recent mistakes (of which there have been many), but there have been several outstanding moves by the veteran GM as well that have kept the competitive window open around Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. John Marino, for instance, was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers for a sixth-round pick, only to quickly turn into one of the best defensemen on the team.

Never one to shy away from a blockbuster, Rutherford’s departure from the ranks of NHL general managers will be a loss for hockey fans all over the league. It remains to be seen how Allvin operates, but he may not even be in charge very long. LeBrun notes that the Penguins will look at both internal and external options but doesn’t believe they will “want this to drag too long.”

Morning Notes: Chara, Gauthier, Nolan

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Zdeno Chara remains unsigned with just a few weeks until the regular season, but that doesn’t mean he’s looking anywhere other than Boston for his next deal. Matt Keator, Chara’s agent, told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic yesterday that more than 20 teams have reached out on the veteran defenseman, but his focus is still on the Bruins.

Given Keator even mentioned that Chara “still has the option to retire,” it seems very unlikely that the 43-year-old plays for anyone else this season. Still, it’s not a guarantee that the Bruins even have room for him. Team president Cam Neely told reporters including Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com that they “do want to take a look” at some of the younger, left-shot defensemen in the system, while also wavering on whether he thinks Chara would even want to return for the condensed season.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs decided not to give Frederik Gauthier a qualifying offer this offseason, bringing in more veteran options like Joe Thornton as depth down the middle. Now, the 25-year-old center could be heading for a professional tryout with the Arizona Coyotes, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Gauthier was never expected to be much of an offensive threat, even when picked 21st overall in 2013, but he has just 31 points in 176 NHL games and doesn’t skate well enough to be a true checking center. If he decides to take the PTO, he’ll have a tough battle on his hands in a crowded Arizona bottom-six.
  • Another player that will be fighting for an NHL job is Jordan Nolan, who signed an AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins earlier this month but will be invited to training camp with Pittsburgh according to GM Jim Rutherford. Nolan could earn himself another NHL contract with a strong camp, despite not playing a single game above the AHL last season. The powerful winger does have more than 400 games at the NHL level in his career but has never recorded more than ten points in a single season.

Pittsburgh Penguins Promote Patrik Allvin

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The Pittsburgh Penguins were short on assistant general managers for the upcoming season, but have decided to promote from within to fill the post. Patrik Allvin, who had previously served as director of amateur scouting for the club, has been promoted to assistant GM. GM Jim Rutherford explained the choice:

Patrik has made a lot of contributions during his 14 years with Pittsburgh, and has proven to be a valuable asset for us. We’ve been impressed with his hockey knowledge and work ethic, and I look forward to working more closely with him.

Allvin has been with the Penguins in various roles since 2006, coming over from the Montreal Canadiens under then-GM Ray Shero. He will continue to oversee the Penguins amateur scouting efforts, while also taking on new responsibilities assisting Rutherford in the hockey operations department.

Just recently, the Penguins decided to fire AGM Jason Karmanos. At that time, many speculated that former AGM Jason Botterill, recently fired by the Buffalo Sabres, could be on his way back to the Pittsburgh front office. As of now, that hasn’t happened, with Allvin taking up residence as an AGM instead. It still seems likely that another addition is to come however, given Karmanos was set to serve as GM of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, a responsibility that is not listed in the Allvin press release.

In another move, the team has announced that Sam Ventura will assume the role of director of hockey operations and hockey research, while Erik Heasley will continue his role as manager of hockey operations and AGM of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Trevor Daley Retires, Joins Pittsburgh Penguins Front Office

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After the Pittsburgh Penguins announced they had relieved AGM Jason Karmanos earlier today, they now have brought in a new (though familiar) face to the front office. Trevor Daley, who won the Stanley Cup with the team in both 2016 and 2017, has decided to retire and join the organization as a hockey operations advisor. Daley had played the last three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, but will now hang up his skates and put on a suit. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford released a statement on the hire:

First, I would like to congratulate Trevor on an incredibly successful 16-year career. In addition to being a Stanley Cup Champion with us, he left us with a great impression due to his professional demeanor and quiet leadership qualities. Those traits, along with his desire to want to learn about the business side of the NHL, made him a great candidate to join our staff.

Daley, 37, played more than 1,100 games in the NHL, suiting up for the Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, Penguins, and Red Wings. A smooth-skating defenseman that could contribute at both ends of the rink, he racked up 309 points in 1,058 regular season contests including a career-high 38 in the 2014-15 season. After winning his second title with Pittsburgh in 2017 he signed a three-year, $9.5MM contract with the Red Wings, but dealt with several injuries and ended up playing in just 164 games with the team.

With the Penguins, Daley will assist with player evaluations and serve as an “eye in the sky” for the coaching staff during games. While this is just the beginning of his post-playing career, it does provide the Penguins with another set of hands in what had recently become quite a thin front office.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pittsburgh Penguins Fire Jason Karmanos

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have fired assistant general manager Jason Karmanos, who had been with the team since 2014. While the team searches for a replacement, Sam Ventura, the team’s director of hockey research, will assume the AGM duties. Erik Heasley, manager of hockey operations, has been named interim GM of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, which Karmanos had also been in charge of.

Penguins GM Jim Rutherford released this statement:

We would like to thank Jason Karmanos for his contributions to the organization over the past six years. I have been evaluating our hockey operations department and this is the first part of the process to re-organize our group. 

While assistant general managers are let go all the time in the NHL, this move is especially surprising because of the long history between Rutherford and Karmanos. Not only did they come to the Penguins together in 2014, but they also were together for more than a decade in the Carolina Hurricanes front office. Karmanos’ father was the owner of the Hurricanes at the time and has worked closely with Rutherford since the 80’s in various organizations.

The relieving of Karmanos from this post should not be taken lightly in Pittsburgh, though it will immediately bring up additional speculation about former AGM Jason Botterill. The former Buffalo Sabres GM cut his teeth in Pittsburgh under Rutherford and has been rumored to be a candidate to return to the Penguins since the Sabres let him go earlier this year.

Rutherford has actually been open about his desire to add to the front office this offseason, but with Karmanos gone it leaves a very thin group in terms of managerial experience. The GM was clear he was extremely disappointed by the team’s postseason performance and has already made sweeping changes to the front office, coaching staff and roster.

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