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Snapshots: Anderson, Henderson, Letang

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Partway through the game against the Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens forward Josh Anderson’s absence was noticeable. It wasn’t clear at all what had forced him from the game, but afterward, Claude Julien gave an update that no one wanted to hear.

Anderson had been pulled with flu-like symptoms. The power forward tested negative for COVID-19 but will be tested again tomorrow. Hopefully, further testing continues to come back negative and Anderson will be able to get back into the lineup in the coming days.

  • That likely won’t be true for at least one player in the Henderson Silver Knights-San Jose Barracuda preseason contest, given that it was suspended mid-game due to COVID protocols. Henderson was winning 1-0 as the teams came out to start the third period, but they were sent off the ice and the game was canceled. More information will come as the team gets it. UPDATE: The Silver Knights say the game was not suspended because of a positive COVID test from any Henderson players or staff.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins were already down most of their starting defensemen heading into tonight before Kris Letang suffered a lower-body injury and was removed from the game. Head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters that Letang is still being evaluated. The Penguins still managed to win the game in overtime, but losing Letang would be a huge blow for a team already scraping the bottom of their depth chart.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Pittsburgh Penguins

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We’ve now made it past the holiday season but there is still plenty to be thankful for. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, things are just getting underway. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for with the calendar having now flipped to 2021.

What are the Penguins most thankful for?

Their dynamic duo down the middle.

Yes, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin aren’t in the primes of their careers anymore but they still form one of the more formidable one-two punches at center.  Both are sure-fire future Hall of Famers and in Crosby’s case, he still has five years left on a contract that has wound up being a team-friendly one.  Malkin’s deal is up after next season but it’s safe to say there will be interest in keeping him in the fold.  Both players are off to a bit of a quieter start than usual this year but while there are some valid question marks surrounding other elements of the team, Pittsburgh fans should be quite confident in believing that those two will be able to produce more in the near future.

Who are the Penguins most thankful for?

It would be easy to pick Crosby – too easy perhaps – so let’s go with Jake Guentzel instead.  When he signed his five-year, $30MM contract, it was a deal that carried some risk given that he had only been a full-time NHL player for one season.  However, he has produced just under a point per game since the day the contract was signed.  In this environment, a $6MM price tag for a point per game front-line player is a bargain.  Pittsburgh’s veteran core has turned over considerably in recent years and there will likely still be some changes to come but Guentzel should be around through that and then some with three years left on a below-market contract still to go.

What would the Penguins be even more thankful for?

A return to form from Tristan Jarry.

After being on the trade block at the start of last season, Jarry got off to a great start, earning an All-Star Game nod and outperformed Matt Murray.  With their cap situation, they were only going to be able to afford to keep one of the two and opted for the cheaper one in Jarry, a decision that was certainly the expected outcome but one that carried risk given his inexperience.  They’re currently seeing the downside of that right now as the 25-year-old has struggled considerably in his first six starts this season.  That cap situation also limited them to having Casey DeSmith as the backup, someone who is relatively unproven.  They need Jarry to turn his performance around if they want to be battling for top spot in the East.

What should be on the Penguins’ wish list?

Before their rash of injuries, they could have benefitted from some defensive upgrades.  Now, with multiple injuries, they really need some defensive upgrades and more depth on top of it as they’ve had to go ten-deep on the back end already.  Can they really afford an impact upgrade?  Not really and the fact they’ve had to dip into LTIR already is eating into the limited cap room they do have.  Low-priced depth additions like Yannick Weber’s recent signing is more of what they’re going to be able to do so interim GM Patrik Allvin is going to be working the phones if he hasn’t been already since taking over for Jim Rutherford to try to get something done on that front sooner than later.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ron Hextall And Scott Mellanby To Interview For Pittsburgh’s GM Position

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The Penguins aren’t wasting time when it comes to their sudden GM search.  Rob Rossi of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that Pittsburgh has already received permission to speak to two of their desired candidates in Los Angeles (Ron Hextall) and Montreal (Scott Mellanby).

Of those two, Hextall is the only one with general manager experience at the NHL level as he held the post with Philadelphia from 2014 through late 2018.  He had been out of the league since then until rejoining Los Angeles as a senior advisor; he had previously served as their assistant GM before getting the job with the Flyers.

As for Mellanby, he has been with the Canadiens since 2012 after leaving St. Louis as an assistant coach.  He was promoted to assistant GM back in 2014 and has held that role ever since.  He has been a candidate for most vacancies around the league the last couple of years although he hasn’t gotten that opportunity just yet.

Meanwhile, current interim GM Patrik Allvin will get the first interview for the position.  He has been with Pittsburgh since 2006, holding several different roles along the way.  Rossi notes that Pittsburgh already has a shortlist of five external candidates to consider (although Rangers assistant Chris Drury isn’t likely to be granted permission to interview) although they will cast a wider net from there.  Their hope remains to have a decision made within the next month.

Snapshots: Penguins, Lapointe, WHL

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The vacant general manager position in Pittsburgh is a tricky but appealing role for many executives around the hockey world, and Pierre LeBrun rattled off an early list of candidates on the latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading. Jason Botterill, Chris Drury, Mark Hunter, Tom Fitzgerald, Ron Hextall, Peter Chiarelli, Scott Mellanby, Mike Gillis, Laurence Gilman, John Ferguson, and Mike Futa are all on Pittsburgh’s radar and LeBrun believes the team wants to have the next GM in place over the next few weeks.

In the same segment, Darren Dreger speculates on the future of Pittsburgh’s star players and believes whoever comes in would owe it to Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang to have a conversation about the direction of the franchise. Don’t jump to conclusions and think that Crosby is all of a sudden on the trading block, given CEO David Morehouse’s claim that the team is still in “win-now” mode, but if Pittsburgh misses the playoffs this season they will be a fascinating situation to keep an eye on.

  • One front office member likely not on that list of candidates? Martin Lapointe, who has signed a three-year extension with the Montreal Canadiens to continue as director of player personnel through the 2023-24 season. Lapointe will also take on the role of director of amateur scouting, making him even more integral to the operation in Montreal. The former NHL forward was first hired as director of player development in 2012 and has worked his way up the front office ladder. He is on track to be a GM of his own down the road if he wants to be.
  • The WHL has been granted approval to return to play in the province of Alberta, starting their season on February 26. The five WHL clubs based in Alberta—the Red Deer Rebels, Edmonton Oil Kings, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Medicine Hat Tigers, and Calgary Hitmen—will form the Central Division and play a 24-game regular season entirely within the province. The league continues to work with the health officials in the other provinces and states to try and establish a start date for East, B.C., and U.S. divisions this season. There are WHL teams based in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Washington, and Oregon.

Pittsburgh Penguins Make Several Transactions

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The Pittsburgh Penguins, who seem to be dominating the headlines lately, have grabbed another one by making several transactions ahead of their game against the Boston Bruins. Kevin Czuczman has been recalled under emergency conditions, while Sam Lafferty is up under a regular recall. Drew O’Connor, who had previously been up under emergency conditions, is now on a regular recall. Zach Aston-Reese, Juuso Riikola, and Evan Rodrigues have all been placed on long-term injured reserve retroactive to their last game played, while Marcus Pettersson has been moved to injured reserve.

Anthony Angello, Frederick Gaudreau, Will Reilly, and Yannick Weber have all been assigned to the taxi squad. All of these moves were announced by interim GM Patrik Allvin.

Czuczman is expected to be in the Penguins lineup for the first time tonight, returning to the NHL after nearly seven years. The last time he suited up at that level was April 13, 2014 with the New York Islanders, but the 30-year-old defenseman at least knows the Penguins’ system from spending the last three seasons with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Perhaps the most interesting addition of all is Reilly, who joins the taxi squad before ever playing a professional game. The 23-year-old defenseman was a seventh-round pick of the Penguins in 2017 and signed his entry-level contract last spring after finishing his senior season at R.P.I. While Weber is going to meet the team in New York this weekend, Reilly is really just an injury or two from being forced into the NHL lineup for the Penguins. He was a strong performer in college, recording 22 points in 34 games last season, but there’s little reason to believe he should be jumping onto the roster at this point.

Snapshots: Dumoulin, NWHL, Engelland

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are looking for a general manager after Jim Rutherford’s abrupt resignation yesterday, but perhaps more urgent is their search for an answer on defense. Head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed that Brian Dumoulin will be out “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury after exiting Tuesday’s game early. Newly signed defenseman Yannick Weber got caught in a snowstorm, meaning he won’t be available to the club until they travel to New York on the weekend, meaning things are awfully thin on the back end.

Kris Letang, John Marino, Cody Ceci, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Chad Ruhwedel, and Kevin Czuczman seem to be the only healthy options the team has with them at the moment, leaving quite a bit to be desired over their season-opening group. The organization doesn’t even have a lot of NHL-ready options in the minor leagues meaning if any other players go down tonight the Penguins might be forced to make a move.

  • The Metropolitan Riveters have withdrawn from the 2021 NWHL season after several members of the organization tested positive for COVID-19. The Riveters were taking part in the Lake Placid bubble, where the league’s six teams were playing out the regular season and playoffs. After being removed from a game yesterday, the Riveters will now be removed from the tournament completely and forfeit their bid for the Isobel Cup. All league games scheduled for today have been postponed and the NWHL will resume play on Saturday.
  • With the Henderson Silver Knights coaching staff filling in for the Vegas Golden Knights, recently retired defenseman Deryk Engelland stepped in to run the AHL practice today, according to Jesse Granger of The Athletic. Engelland announced his retirement last month but remained with the Golden Knights organization as a special assistant to the owner. In times like this, that apparently also means substitute practice coach.

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?

Trade Rumors: Penguins, Mete, Bjork

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Amidst the shocking news that Jim Rutherford had resigned as GM of Pittsburgh Penguins, it is easy to forget that this was a team that less than a week ago was reported as being active on the trade market. While ownership suddenly needs to focus on the long-term welfare of the franchise by finding a new GM, the Penguins are still in need of defense in the short-term. While Rutherford’s final move was to find a stopgap in free agent addition Yannick Weber, that might not be enough. The Pittsburgh blue line has been devastated by injuries early this season with Michael Matheson, Juuso Riikola, and Zach Trotman on injured reserve, Marcus Pettersson also officially out, and Brian Dumoulin injured in last night’s game. Even the thought-to-be-healthy John Marino was missing at practice today. What’s left is a group that is almost entirely right-handed, including the newcomer Weber, and includes a struggling Cody Ceci and an untested rookie in Pierre-Olivier Joseph. The Penguins need to to continue to be on the look out for help on the back end. With that said, NBC Sports’ Adam Gretz doubts that interim GM Patrick Allvin will have the authority to make a trade, until they potentially remove the interim tag that is. In the meantime, can the Penguins afford to stand pat in a shortened season facing tougher playoff odds and a more difficult division? Can they withstand extended absences from their current injured defenders? Unless owner Mario Lemieux decides to step in and pull the strings while also making a decision on his next GM, they may not have an option but to stick it out.

  • Through their first six games of the season, the Montreal Canadiens have yet to lose in regulation and have earned 10 of a possible 12 points. Everyone in Montreal is happy so far this year, that is except defenseman Victor Mete. With the team rolling on all cylinders, the Habs have had no reason to change out their starting six defenseman. In fact, there has been only one lineup change among skaters for one single game thus far. The Canadiens do not want to lose the promising, young Mete on waivers, but so far that has left 22-year-old sitting in the press box for every game. If Montreal continues to win and stay healthy, then there is also no reason for that to change. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has taken notice and he’s not alone. Friedman reports that there is interest in Mete across the league and offers will be coming to Montreal soon, if they haven’t already. After losing Noah Juulsen on waivers earlier this year, the Habs may be hesitant to part with another young defenseman whose career has been impacted by injuries but could be primed for a breakout. However, if Mete won’t get any opportunity to shine in Montreal, they may as well move him. After all, he will likely be available for free to the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft anyway.
  • If there is one thing that has quietly defined the Don Sweeney administration in Boston, it is that they are not afraid to move young forwards who are unable to carve out a consistent role in the lineup. In consecutive years, the Bruins have traded away Frank Vatrano, Ryan Donato, and Danton Heinen, each of whom was struggling and bouncing around the lineup prior to being moved. Now, Anders Bjork could be the next name on that list. The team has liked the upside of Bjork, 24, and made that clear with a three-year, $4.8MM contract this summer. However, injury and inconsistency has made it hard to get a good look at the player. Now healthy and in the starting lineup through six games this season, that look hasn’t been good. Bjork has played on several different lines and with different line mates but nothing has clicked. He has zero points and just two shots on goal and hasn’t made a major impact defensively either. With the emergence of rookies Jack Studnicka and Trent Frederic as NHL-ready assets and the upcoming injury returns of David Pastrnak and Ondrej Kase, there won’t be space left in the lineup for Bjork. Multiple sources are now reporting that in anticipation of this result, interest is growing in the young winger. Bjork may not be a fit in Boston right now, but as a player with positional and two-way versatility and under team control for several years, a number of teams could be interested in taking a chance. With a lineup that is looking pretty complete so far this season, Bjork may also come cheap with the Bruins opting for a pick or prospect rather than a roster player in return.

Snapshots: Laine, Penguins, Blues

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The Columbus Blue Jackets will get to see Jack Roslovic in action on Thursday evening against the Florida Panthers but are still waiting on Patrik Laine to even show up on the COVID Protocol Absences List, let alone the roster. Laine remains in Canada for the time being, though Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported this morning that the forward is in Ottawa now finishing paperwork with the U.S. consolute to acquire his work visa. Once all of the paperwork is finished, Laine is expected to take a private charter to Columbus, where he’ll enter the protocol. It could be as short as 48 hours, though that is not a guarantee at this point.

It will be interesting to see where Laine fits in once he does clear the protocol, especially after a very up-and-down start to the season for Columbus. The team has scored 18 goals in seven games, but also given up 22. The only reason they are leading the Central Division at the moment is that several other teams have only played three games, as the 2-2-3 Blue Jackets’ record isn’t really something to be excited about. Laine of course was dealing with a minor injury before the trade to Columbus and now hasn’t played since January 14.

  • Pittsburgh Penguins CEO David Morehouse spoke to Greg Wyshynski of ESPN and explained that the team is not heading into a rebuilding phase now that Jim Rutherford has resigned as GM. In fact, Morehouse doubled down on the “win-now” phrase and explained that the team will look for a new GM that will “come in and continue having us work towards winning another Cup.” The Penguins still have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, which is usually good enough for any front office to believe they can win the Stanley Cup.
  • The St. Louis Blues will be the fifth NHL team to allow fans into their building this season, announcing that 1,400 spectators will be allowed into Enterprise Center for their games beginning on February 2. Those will be in addition to the limited amount of frontline workers that had already been attending. The Blues credit the success of local and NHL safety protocols during the initial homestands this season as the reason for increasing capacity. As Sean Shapiro of The Athletic reports, The Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Arizona Coyotes and Nashville Predators have also allowed a certain number of fans into their arenas.

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.”

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