Jan Rutta

Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Hart, Chatfield

March 16, 2023 at 11:52 am CDT | by Ken MacMillan Leave a Comment

According to Rob Rossi of The Athletic, a pair of Pittsburgh Penguins have seemingly dodged a bullet when it comes to injuries. The Penguins appeared to be in a difficult spot when Jeff Petry and Jan Rutta both left Tuesday night’s game early with injuries. It seemed unlikely they would have the cap space to make a recall and even find six healthy defensemen for their game with the New York Rangers tonight.

However, somewhat surprisingly, it sounds like both Petry and Rutta will be good to go tonight. Both players participated in morning skate and said afterwards that they expect to be in the lineup this evening. The team even said forward Ryan Poehling is likely to be activated from long-term injured reserve and play for the first time since February 11.

Olivia Reiner of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Carter Hart was back with the Philadelphia Flyers at practice this morning. Hart missed the team’s last game with an illness, but appears to have recovered quickly and could be in goal when they face the Buffalo Sabres tomorrow night. Hart has a 2.96 GAA and a .906 SV% in 48 games this season.
Walt Ruff of NHL.com reports Jalen Chatfield is back as a full participant for the Carolina Hurricanes. The right defenseman was skating on the third pairing with Shayne Gostisbehere with a regular jersey on instead of the no-contact jersey he had been using. Chatfield has not played since March 7, but head coach Rob Brind’Amour says he hopes Chatfield will be ready to step back into the lineup either when the Hurricanes take on the Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow night or the Flyers on Saturday.

Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Hughes, Ersson, Svechnikov

March 15, 2023 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 5 Comments

With Jan Rutta and Jeff Petry both leaving Tuesday’s game against Montreal with undisclosed injuries, the Penguins were forced to finish that contest with four blueliners. As Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette points out, they might not be able to dress six for Thursday’s contest against the Rangers. Even with Dmitry Kulikov going on LTIR earlier today, that still only opens up enough cap space for one recall with Anaheim holding back half of Kulikov’s cap hit. That means that Pittsburgh could bring up Mark Friedman or Taylor Fedun from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Ty Smith is injured) but they would still have to play short a blueliner for a game before becoming eligible for a cap-exempt emergency recall. Of course, if one of Rutta or Petry can suit up against New York, they’ll be able to ice a full lineup.

Dmitry Kulikov Expected To Make Pittsburgh Penguins Debut Tomorrow

March 6, 2023 at 9:10 pm CDT | by Josh Cybulski 1 Comment

Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ron Hextall spent much of the week leading up to the trade deadline rebuilding a struggling bottom-six. However, lost in the shuffle was the acquisition of defenseman Dmitry Kulikov in exchange for Brock McGinn and a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Kulikov has spent most of this season playing over 20 minutes a night in Anaheim’s top-two, but Seth Rorabaugh of TribLive is reporting that Kulikov will shuffle into a spot in the Penguins lineup that is much more suitable to his skillset.

Kulikov spent much of the Penguins practice on Monday paired with Jan Rutta, supplanting P.O. Joseph on the third pairing. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan praised Kulikov’s size and strength, as well as his ability on the penalty kill.

Kulikov’s acquisition likely means less time on the penalty kill for fellow defenseman Brian Dumoulin. Dumoulin is creeping up on playing a career high in shorthanded minutes and has seen his game fall off considerably this season. Although he has been better in recent weeks, easing Dumoulin’s workload could be a positive development for the pending unrestricted free agent, and the Penguins playoff aspirations.

Kulikov doesn’t offer much offensively with just 15 points in 61 games, but is defensively conscience and should bring an awareness that has been lacking for the Penguins throughout this season.

Blues Claim Kasperi Kapanen Off Waivers From Penguins

February 25, 2023 at 1:03 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 6 Comments

Kasperi Kapanen is on the move as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that the Blues have claimed the winger off waivers from the Penguins.

The 26-year-old is in the midst of a tough season that has seen him record just seven goals and 13 assists in 43 games while being a healthy scratch on multiple occasions. When he has been in the lineup, Kapanen is averaging just over 12 minutes a night which is a career low. However, prior to this season, he has been a capable middle-six winger, ranging between 11 and 20 goals over the last four seasons between Pittsburgh and Toronto while he is one of the faster players in the league as well.

With that track record, it’s understandable that St. Louis would want to take a flyer on Kapanen to try to restore some value. However, it does come with a somewhat notable salary commitment as the winger is in the first season of a two-year contract that carries a $3.2MM cap hit. As a result of that claim, the Blues will take the entirety of that contract on. Prior to the claim, they had nearly $71MM of commitments on the books for next season per CapFriendly with this claim pushing that number up to nearly $74MM for 16 players. That won’t leave them with a lot of wiggle room to add to the back of their roster.

To make room for Kapanen (who won’t play today against his now-former team) on their roster, the Blues announced (Twitter link) that forward Nikita Alexandrov has been sent down to AHL Springfield. The 22-year-old has five points in 20 games with St. Louis in his first taste of NHL action while he has done well in the minors, picking up 12 goals and 10 helpers in 28 contests with the Thunderbirds.

Meanwhile, it’s a disappointing end to Kapanen’s tenure with Pittsburgh with the team moving a first-round pick to reacquire him from Toronto less than two and a half years ago. However, the move gives them some much-needed financial flexibility. Being claimed allowed the Penguins to activate Jan Rutta from LTIR without needing to make any other roster moves while they will now have a bit more space to try to add another piece before the trade deadline.

Kris Letang Activated From Injured Reserve

January 24, 2023 at 3:27 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Pittsburgh Penguins have their defensive leader back, activating Kris Letang from injured reserve. The veteran hasn’t played since December as he dealt with an injury and the death of his father.

To make room, the team has moved Jan Rutta to long-term injured reserve and Kasperi Kapanen to regular injured reserve. Both moves are retroactive, meaning they can be activated whenever ready to return.

Letang, 35, has been in and out of the lineup all season, playing just 29 games to this point. Incredibly, his 16 points during those games still lead all Penguins defenders, showing just how important he is to the group. While his average ice time is slightly down, Letang still sees more than 24 minutes a night playing in all situations.

The Penguins are welcoming in Florida this evening, as they try to get things rolling in the right direction. The 23-15-8 record they have so far is only good enough for fifth in the Metropolitan Division, though they do have some games in hand on Washington, who are immediately ahead of them.

Without Letang, the race for the playoffs would be incredibly difficult. Even at his age, he completely changes the look of the Pittsburgh defense corps and allows the others to fit into a more comfortable spot in the lineup. While there may be some rust, his return is a welcome one for Penguins fans.

Jeff Petry, Tristan Jarry Activated From Injured Reserve

January 20, 2023 at 3:28 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting both Jeff Petry and Tristan Jarry back, activating the pair from injured reserve today. To make cap and roster room for their return, Kris Letang has been moved to long-term injured reserve, Jan Rutta has been moved to regular injured reserve, and Dustin Tokarski and Taylor Fedun have been reassigned to the AHL.

It’s been more than a month since Petry appeared in a Penguins lineup, last playing on December 10 against the Buffalo Sabres. The 35-year-old defenseman had been seeing a ton of ice time for the club, averaging over 26 minutes in the five games previous to his injury. While that kind of usage may not immediately come into play, Petry’s return is an important one for the Penguins, who have struggled to get much consistent offense from their blueline this season.

Despite missing a month, Petry is still just one point behind Marcus Pettersson for second among Penguins defenders and sits ahead of Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Brian Dumoulin, and Rutta, who have all played at least 40 games. The veteran was practicing with the first powerplay unit today, as they await the return of Letang.

Jarry, meanwhile, hasn’t played since being pulled from the Winter Classic after just 15 minutes of action against the Boston Bruins. The 27-year-old netminder had been struggling for a few games before that outdoor action, and now hopefully will get his game back on track after spending the last few weeks on the sideline.

Through 25 appearances, Jarry has posted a .918 save percentage, almost exactly in line with last season’s performance that earned him some down-ballot Vezina consideration. Given his status as a pending unrestricted free agent, Jarry is essentially playing for his next contract and can’t be missing huge chunks of the season if he can help it.

Letang and Rutta have both been moved to injured reserve retroactively, meaning they can return much sooner. Letang’s LTIR stint is backdated to December 28, meaning his 24-day window is almost up. Rutta’s is backdated to January 14, meaning his seven-day minimum is also about to expire.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Jan Rutta

July 13, 2022 at 1:40 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 9 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins have added another defenseman, and this one comes with a Stanley Cup pedigree. Jan Rutta has signed a three-year contract with the Penguins worth a total of $8.25MM. That means an average annual value of $2.75MM, likely more than the Tampa Bay Lightning could afford.

While he likely doesn’t regret his time in Tampa Bay–he did win the Stanley Cup twice, after all–it’s been hard for Rutta to really show what he was capable of on the powerhouse squad. During 158 regular season games with the Lightning, he averaged fewer than 16 minutes a night and that number actually went down in the postseason.

The team’s heavy reliance on its top four left little for Rutta and others to cover, though when he was on the ice he was quite effective. Now in Pittsburgh, he currently projects in basically the same situation.

The Penguins have five defensemen that carry cap hits of at least $4MM, meaning Rutta’s signing only gives more credence to the idea that someone will be moved out in the coming days and weeks.

Snapshots: Robert, McCauley, Trotz

June 22, 2021 at 7:24 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 3 Comments

The Buffalo Sabres and their fan base are among those in mourning today, as the team revealed that beloved alumnus Rene Robert has passed away at 72. Robert had been hospitalized in Florida this weekend with a heart attack and died early on Tuesday. A member of the famed “French Connection” line with Gilbert Perreault and Rick Martin, Robert played seven plus seasons with the Sabres during the prime of his career. In 524 games with the team, he recorded 552 points, including a 100-point All-Star season in 1974-75. Robert also had two stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs and spent time with the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Penguins as well. However, his name will always be synonymous with the Sabres and Robert remained an active part of the organization long after his retirement. The team has released a statement calling Robert a “tremendous player, teammate, and person [who] truly loved this organization”. Owner Terry Pegula also called the new of the loss of his friend “devastating”.

In the midst of a postseason in which officiating has been a hot-button issue, the NHL is without one of its top referees for the time being and no one knows exactly why. Sportsnet reports that Wes McCauley, considered by one of, if not the best referee in the league is currently at home and will not work again during the semifinals. There is no word yet on if he will be available for the Stanley Cup Final. McCauley is not believed to be sick or injured, but is sidelined nonetheless. The league has not commented on the situation other than stating that they hope he will be available soon. In these playoffs, inconsistent officiating within series and even within games as well as a reluctance in the same or similar manner as the regular season has brought referees and the NHL under fire. McCauley would be a valuable asset for the championship round.
The officials were not wrong when they kicked the New York Islanders’ Mathew Barzal out of Monday night’s Game Five. A high-stick to the face of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jan Rutta earned him a five-minute major and game misconduct and the NHL Department of Safety agreed with the egregiousness of the penalty, additionally docking Barzal with a maximum fine. Who else agreed that Barzal’s play was a poor display? His own coach, in fact. Barry Trotz told ESPN’s Greg Whyshynski that he was “disappointed” in his star center and his decision-making. Even in the case of bad penalties, coaches usually refrain from such direct criticism, especially deep in the playoffs. It remains to be seen if Trotz will show his displeasure in his usage of Barzal or if Barzal’s play might slip as a result of his coach’s comments.

Snapshots: Coyotes, Seguin, Hintz, Lightning, Ryan

May 9, 2021 at 5:57 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

The Arizona Coyotes and head coach Rick Tocchet have mutually parted ways and the team announced they will begin the search for their next head coach immediately. However, knowing that Arizona is struggling financially, it’s seems likely that the team will be looking at cheaper options for their head coach.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun points out that the team has as many as 10 candidates already for their open head coaching position with a strong likelihood they will reach out to several interesting hires, including New York Islanders assistant Lane Lambert, San Jose Sharks associate coach Rocky Thompson and Providence College’s Nate Leaman, who recently coached Team U.S.A to a gold medal at the 2021 World Junior Championship.

All three come with interesting resumes if the Coyotes can convince them to leave their current posts.

It looks like the season is over for two Dallas Stars. Head coach Rick Bowness said that forwards Tyler Seguin and Roope Hintz will not play in the team’s final two games, according to Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks. With no playoffs this year, the team will allow both players to rest. Seguin has appeared in three games after missing most of the season due to hip and knee surgeries. Hintz has been playing with a lower-body injury for months, so now that the team has been eliminated from a playoff berth, both will be held out to prevent any more injuries.
When asked whether Tampa Bay Lightning defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta, who are all considered day-to-day, would be ready for Game 1 of the playoffs, head coach Jon Cooper didn’t give a convincing answer, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required). “I don’t know,” Cooper said. “I hope so. We’re planning on it. But we’ll have to see.” Hedman is dealing with a lower-body injury, McDonagh with an upper-body injury, while Rutta is dealing with a lower-body injury. There is a report, according to Smith, that Hedman, who missed his first game of the season Saturday, was injured in a collision against the boards against Columbus on March 30 and had to be helped off. While he came back to the game not too long after, the rumor is that he might require surgery after the season, although Smith was not able to get that confirmed by Tampa Bay staff.
Despite briefly considering retirement before his triceps surgery, Detroit Red Wings forward Bobby Ryan said he is eager to return for a 15th season and hopes it can be with the Red Wings, according to MLive’s Ansar Khan. The 34-year-old, who signed a one-year deal last offseason with Detroit and will now be an unrestricted free agent, scored seven goals and 14 points in 33 games before going down with an injury on March 28. “I want to play hockey next year. I hope it’s Detroit,” Ryan said. “I haven’t had those conversations yet. I expect they’re going to come sometime down the line.”

Trade Deadline Primer: Tampa Bay Lightning

April 7, 2021 at 9:11 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

We are now less than a week away from the NHL Trade Deadline and talks are heating up. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning needed to look for a new challenge this season after stomping the competition in the 2020 postseason. They decided that if the league’s teams weren’t good enough to beat them, they would just take on the league itself. This season, the Lightning have stretched the NHL’s hard salary cap to it’s limit. Some might even throw the word “circumvention” out there. Tampa has managed to hold on to it’s extremely talented and fairly compensated roster due almost entirely due to the timely injury of Nikita Kucherov and the acquisitions of other injured players Marian Gaborik and Anders Nilsson. The Bolts have over $17MM in salary on Long-Term Injured Reserve – and they’ve used up all but $370,500 of it. There is zero space for the Lightning to do anything at the trade deadline beyond a minor depth addition, but they will get a major boost in the postseason with the return of Kucherov. Barring another opportunistic injury or a hockey trade that no one sees coming, the Bolts may have to settle for that this season.

Record

26-11-2, .692, 3rd in Central Division

Deadline Status

Stand Pat

Deadline Cap Space

$0MM in full-season space ($371K in LTIR space), 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: TBL 1st, TBL 3rd, TBL 4th, TBL 5th, TBL 6th, NJD 7th, NSH 7th, TBL 7th
2022: TBL 1st, TBL 3rd, TBL 4th, TBL 5th, TBL 6th, TBL 7th

Trade Chips

There is a difference between what the Lightning could offer and what they will offer, given that they are in no position to make much of a trade. It is unlikely that the team is going to move any of their roster players to open up space, so even though pieces like Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn may seem expendable, it is hard to imagine the team trading them in-season as opposed to waiting for the off-season.

As a result, Tampa has little space to work with and that means their targets will not be high-priced pieces. The most likely result for the Bolts is that they add a cheap depth piece in exchange for a late pick or low-end prospect. Those are the “chips” that will probably move, if there is any move at all.

In the event that Tampa tries to make a bigger move, using the very limit of their salary cap potential despite the risks, they will still be looking at a picks-and-prospects scenario in this buyer’s market. Without a second-round pick for the next two years, the Lightning’s first-rounders are probably off the table unless they are asking a team to give up one of the top rentals on the market and retain the maximum 50% of his salary in order to make the deal work under the cap. The likelihood of such a deal is low. Expect for them instead to dangle multiple mid-round picks and prospects like Jack Finley or Jack Thompson if they really want to make a splash.

Others to Watch For: F Taylor Raddysh ($833K, RFA), F Boris Katchouk ($833K, RFA), F Alex Barre-Boulet ($759K, RFA), F Sam Walker (Draft Rights), D Eamon Powell (Draft Rights)

Team Needs

1) Defense – If, and it’s a big if, the Lightning are able to find a way to clear enough cap space to add a player of note at the deadline, it has to be on the blue line. The forward corps is deep and talented and will only get better once the postseason arrives and Kucherov can return. The net is well-manned, with Andrei Vasilevskiy enjoying another Vezina-caliber season. Both of those units remain largely unchanged from last season’s title-winning lineup. However, the defense has taken a hit. The top four is still stout, but the bottom pair and depth options range from young and inexperienced to old and ineffective. Tampa could really use a stabilizing force on the back end, especially with Jan Rutta sidelined and Erik Cernak dealing with a nagging injury. Of course, cost will be a factor. Without making a trade to move out salary, the Bolts can only open up another $1.5MM max and still be able to ice a full lineup, demoting the likes of Luke Schenn and Ben Thomas. That leaves the Bolts with a maximum $1.9MM or so to acquire a defenseman, but adding that much salary is a risk should another injury occur. The need is there, but the means to address it are problematic. The team likely thinks small with a value addition.

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