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Jim Rutherford

Snapshots: Hunwick, Pitlick, Stars

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Matt Hunwick’s first season in Pittsburgh did not go according to plan. After signing a three-year, $6.75MM contract with the Penguins at the opening of free agency, the expectations were that Hunwick would be a capable everyday defenseman. Yet, by the trade deadline Hunwick had missed 18 games due to injury and a few more due to healthy scratches and had just five points on the year to show for the games he did play in. Less than a year in to a three-year pact, GM Jim Rutherford was searching for a way to move his contract. When he couldn’t, Hunwick ended up watching 26 of the Penguins final 29 regular season games and each game of the postseason from the press box. These disappointing results are not lost on Hunwick though; the veteran defenseman was honest in his self-criticism when speaking to the gathered media yesterday, reports The Athletic’s Seth Rorabaugh. Hunwick did attribute some of the blame for his poor play to injury and a Penguins system that was difficult to adjust to, but largely took responsibility for the campaign by admitting his lack of a mental edge. “I don’t think I played with enough confidence throughout the season…Maybe (confidence was) part of the reason (for struggling)”, Hunwick said, adding ““I’d hope to play a lot better (next season). I’d like to be more assertive and be more confident right out of the gate. Now knowing the system and the guys, I think that should happen.” Maybe that will happen for Hunwick, but that is assuming he remains in Pittsburgh to begin next season. Rutherford still faces the pressure of the salary cap crunch and an overpaid depth defenseman is an ideal target to move out, if possible. Hunwick has proven to be a capable player over his career and he very likely would improve in year two with the Penguins, but he may not be afforded the opportunity after a rough start this year.

  • On the other end of the spectrum is Dallas Stars forward Tyler Pitlick. In grading out the roster after a frustrating end to the season – a late-season collapse that cost the team a playoff spot – Sportsday’s Joshua Friemel calls Pitlick a highlight of an otherwise disappointing season. In fact, Friemel states that Pitlick may have even been a better off-season addition than big-name acquisitions Ben Bishop, Marc Methot, or Martin Hanzal. The Stars spent right up to the cap in 2017-18, but paid Pitlick only $1MM and got 80 games and 27 points back in return. Friemel points out that his 14 goals were good enough for sixth on the team and they were also more than Jason Spezza and Antoine Roussel combined, who together made $9.5MM. Pitlick also contributed on the penalty kill and was one of the Stars’ more physical and effective two-way players. Better yet, Pitlick still has two years remaining on his deal at that same bargain rate. The underutilized Edmonton Oilers prospect may have been little more than a waiver when he signed in Dallas and may have flown under the radar this season, but going forward his value will no longer go unnoticed.
  • Staying in Dallas, Stars owner Tom Gaglardi made the rare cross-organization reassignment today. The Kamloops Blazers, the WHL team that Gaglardi shares ownership in, today announced several front office changes, including the assignment of GM Stu MacGregor to the Stars organization, as Gaglardi also owns both Dallas and AHL Texas. The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro clarifies that MacGregor has been transferred to the Stars’ amateur scouting department, where his experience with junior hockey can be put toward a different purpose. With the Blazers finishing with the fifth-worst record in the league this season, changes were expected, but it’s a shrewd move by Gaglardi to replace his GM for one team without losing an asset by instead strengthening his other team.

Penguins GM Discusses Roster Changes, Sprong, Future

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After having won two straight Stanley Cups, the Penguins’ season ended in disappointing fashion on Monday night, as Pittsburgh fell to the Capitals in six games. Following the team’s annual “Getaway Day,” general manager Jim Rutherford took some time to talk with the media.

The 69-year-old, who has been in the role since 2014, touched on a number of subjects, including potential roster changes for next season. Thanks to Sam Kasan of NHL.com, we’ve collected some of the notable soundbites below:

On if the front office is eyeing any potential roster changes:

“It’s a little (too) early to tell. It’s obvious that I’m going to keep an open mind to making some changes. I will make some changes. I can’t give you a definite answer on who that’s going to be right now and exactly the positions.

“We’re a good team, and we will be a good team going forward. We’ll have a chance to win again. We have the nucleus to do that…We also have the pieces in place that are players that other teams are going to want that we’re going to be able to make those changes. Sometimes you don’t always have those players for cap reasons or for different reasons.

On where the team could specifically look to improve:

“It’s fair to say that this will be a different looking team by the time we open next season. It doesn’t mean there will be drastic changes or a lot of changes, but there will be changes in the areas that will become necessary…If we can improve at defense or forward and the right deal comes along we’ll do it.”

On forward Daniel Sprong, who we learned will be a “regular” next season:

“We were very careful with him this year. We develop players in different ways. Certainly he had the ability to come in at certain times and play an offensive role on our team. But he needed to work on his all-around game. He did that.”

On Rutherford’s own future with organization:

“It’s the annual question…[t]he best answer is that I may be around longer than you guys (in the media).”

Daniel Sprong Will Be A “Regular” With Pittsburgh Penguins In 2018-19

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The Pittsburgh Penguins held their season-ending press conferences today, after being eliminated by the Washington Capitals in the second round. Among the usual injury news, general manager Jim Rutherford also noted that young forward Daniel Sprong “will be a regular” on the roster next season. Sprong got into just eight games this season despite dominating at the AHL level, and will now get a chance to really prove himself in 2018-19.

Sprong, 21, was selected 46th-overall by the Penguins in 2015 and forced his way onto the NHL roster with an incredible training camp. He played 18 games in 2015 before going back to junior in December, where he would spend all of the next season and a half. This year, in his first full-time taste of professional hockey, he recorded 65 points in 65 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and tied for the league lead in goals with 32.

Interestingly, because the Penguins burned the first year of his entry-level deal in 2015-16 by keeping him up past 10 games, Sprong is headed into this summer as a pending restricted free agent despite only having one real season of professional hockey. He’s not arbitration eligible, and can still be given a two-way qualifying offer, but the team could decide to sign him to a longer-term deal if they believe he can be a core piece going forward.

There is little chance of Sprong holding out or going overseas, and next year should be a huge opportunity for him. The Penguins have shown a willingness in the past to give young players a chance alongside Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, a dream scenario for a rookie trying to make an impact. Where Sprong fits into the lineup won’t be clear until training camp, but for now he can be secure in the idea that he he’s penciled in this summer.

Penguins Sign Anthony Angello To Entry-Level Deal

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It may have been a disappointing end to the season for Cornell, a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament upset in their first game, but for one player the year will end on a positive note. Anthony Angello, a junior forward for the Big Red, has signed an entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to a team release. The two-year deal will begin next season, but Angello will join the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on an amateur tryout to close out the season.

It’s hard to argue against the results that the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs have had with bringing in college talent in recent years. Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust, and Zach Aston-Reese have all been successful college free agents who signed in Pittsburgh, while Brian Dumoulin and Jake Guentzel, draft picks who chose the college route, have been even better. Angello, a 2014 fifth-round pick, will gladly take the career trajectory of any of those players as he transitions to the pro game.

A hulking 6’5″ center who anchored the Cornell squad, Angello was also among the team’s top scorers this season. Angello finished the year tied in points and goals with linemate Trevor Yates, a recent signing of the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, due in no small part to his ability in front of the net. Angello’s checking game and two-way intelligence also contributed to an impressive +16 rating. The Penguins don’t have a forward with Angello’s size and skill set anywhere in the pipeline and have to be excited to bring in the big 22-year-old. The Big Red scorer could be donning Pittsburgh black and yellow sooner rather than later.

Devils’ Fitzgerald, Penguins’ Guerin Also Out Of Carolina GM Search

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New Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon probably did not expect this process to be so hard. After Los Angles Kings Assistant GM Mike Futa joined Nashville Predators Assistant GM Paul Fenton in dropping out of the running to be the next Hurricanes GM early yesterday, two more names are off the list. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reached out to a potential candidate, New Jersey Devils Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald, and found that he too had pulled out of the search. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun hears Pittsburgh Penguins Assistant GM Bill Guerin also declined to get involved in the process.

Fitzgerald, 49, had a long NHL career, lasting from 1988 to 2006, and then joined the Penguins front office in 2007. He has been the AGM of the Devils since 2015. The experienced hockey mind comes from a strong hockey bloodline and has two sons, Ryan and Casey, with NHL potential. There are many reasons why Fitzgerald would be a strong hire and he certainly seems to have a GM title in his future, but it won’t be with Carolina. Fitzgerald simply told Friedman “This is nothing against Tom Dundon. I am very happy in New Jersey and this is not the right time for me.” Guerin, 47, is in a similar boat. LeBrun states that he too felt the timing was wrong. Guerin himself was a successful NHLer for nearly 20 years and has been with the Penguins organization since 2009, having been promoted to AGM in 2014. Many see Guerin as the heir apparent to 69-year-old Pens GM Jim Rutherford.

These continued rejections have changed Dundon’s frame of mind for his hunt for Ron Francis’ replacement. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports this morning that the team is “shifting gears” and will wait until the off-season to continue their search. LeBrun speculated that this may change the “timing is wrong” feeling from some of these candidates. However, of the three remaining names on the short list reported by Friedman, only one – Buffalo’s Steve Greeley – is currently employed by an NHL team other than Carolina, while the other two candidates are ’Canes Assistant GM Mike Vellucci and former Canucks executive Laurence Gilman. More than anything, the pause could be Dundon re-thinking the whole situation. It certainly hasn’t been a smooth process so far for the NHL’s newest owner.

Injury Notes: Penguins, Blue Jackets, Bruins

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The Pittsburgh Penguins could be without rookie forward Zach Aston-Reese long-term. Actually, head coach Mike Sullivan described the injury as “longer-term”, though he refrained from putting any specific timeline on his return. He did say that Aston-Reese suffered an upper-body injury in practice, which is why he missed last night’s game, a 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils, and will presumably miss many more. While the Penguins made a splash with their acquisition of center Derick Brassard at the trade deadline, Aston-Reese has been a point-per-game player since being recalled to Pittsburgh, spending ample time beside Sidney Crosby. Fortunately for the two-time defending Cup champs, they are also deep at wing and should have no trouble making up for the loss of Aston-Reese in their top-nine.

  • While the Penguins lose a man to injury, the rival Blue Jackets add one. Columbus announced today that captain Nick Foligno has been activated from injured reserve. Foligno missed more than a week with a lower body injury suffered against the Penguins back on the 18th. However, he’s returning to the lineup sooner than expected. The Blue Jackets are thankful for Foligno’s quick bounce back; not only are they looking to solidify their playoff position, but they also lost forward Josh Anderson to long-term injury recently. Fortunately, Foligno’s return and the additions of Thomas Vanek and Mark Letestu at the trade deadline make for a timely situation to replace Anderson.
  • Speaking of trade deadline injury replacements, the Bruins could not be happier with how their additions played in the absence of Patrice Bergeron last night. When a player of Bergeron’s caliber goes down, the team always suffers. Bergeron will be out at least two weeks with a fractured foot and it showed right away last night on the defensive side of the match-up, as Boston surrendered three easy first period goals to the Carolina Hurricanes. However, it was Rick Nash and Tommy Wingels leading the charge to a comeback victory. The pair of new Bruins combined for two goals and an assist in 32 minutes of ice time as Boston won 4-3.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Patric Hornqvist To Five-Year Extension

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Tuesday: The deal is official, Hornqvist will be under contract through the 2022-23 season.

Monday: While meeting with media to discuss his team’s trade deadline, Pittsburgh Penguins’ GM Jim Rutherford revealed another detail that will make a lot of fans happy. The team is closing in on a contract extension with pending unrestricted free agent Patric Hornqvist. He believes the deal will be finalized tomorrow. According to several reports including Bob McKenzie of TSN, the deal is expected to be for five years, with an average annual value of $5.3MM.

Hornqvist has been a major contributor to the Penguins success over the last few years, since coming over from the Nashville Predators for James Neal back in 2014. Although he is 31, Hornqvist has cracked 50 points in three of his last four seasons and shows no signs of slowing down. A dominant net front presence who has shown great chemistry with Pittsburgh’s superstar forwards, Hornqvist’s extension may look excessive to some, but is a good fit for Pittsburgh for now.

Hornqvist in having a bit of a down season, but he has always shown up in a major way for the Penguins come postseason time. The security of a new deal may be exactly what Hornqvist’s needs to get back on track down the stretch and ready to help Pittsburgh battle for a third straight Stanley Cup title.

Brassard Trade Notes: Vegas, Reaves, Lindberg, Pouliot, Cole

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After a wild night in which the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, and Vegas Golden Knights put together one of more complex trades in recent memory (here’s a brief summary for those still confused), there are still some questions to be answered. Sportsnet’s John Shannon both asked and answered one of the most prevalent questions: why would the Knights get involved? Rather than simply trading cap space for some minor assets, GM George McPhee’s motivation was a little more devious. Shannon states that McPhee knew Brassard was headed out West, likely to the Winnipeg Jets, unless he could intervene and help him stay in the East. So, not only did Vegas get a player and pick, but they also weakened their playoff competition.

  • That player, Ryan Reaves, was likely no coincidence either. The 31-year-old enforcer has hardly inspired any team to pursue him with his production in 2017-18. However, as Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston points out, Reaves played his junior hockey with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings. His coach while he was there was none other than Kelly McCrimmon, the Assistant GM of the Golden Knights. Some have speculated that the Knights may try to flip Reaves, but given his connection to one of the men in charge, that may not happen.
  • The 2018 fourth-round pick bound for Vegas also has a bit more value than initially suspected. The Athletic’s Seth Rorabaugh clarifies that the pick sent by Pittsburgh was the one acquired from the Vancouver Canucks for Derrick Pouliot last summer. Thus, the Knights will be picking at the top of the fourth round rather than the bottom.
  • What about the prospect heading to Pittsburgh from Vegas? Tobias Lindberg is just 22 and has just six games on NHL experience, but is already used to being in the middle of major trades. Rorabaugh recalls that Lindberg, an Ottawa fourth-rounder in 2013, was shipped to Toronto in the massive Dion Phaneuf trade. He then ended up in Las Vegas when the Leafs acquired Calvin Pickard earlier this year for Lindberg and a sixth-round pick.
  • Finally, the Ottawa Senators are surely happy to have another first-round pick and one of the top goalie prospects in the world now in their grasp, but the stock-up of picks and prospects from this trade won’t end there. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Sens have been receiving calls all day about Ian Cole, the other piece added from Pittsburgh. Ottawa will surely flip the solid rearguard by Monday’s deadline.

Ottawa Senators Trade Derick Brassard To Pittsburgh Penguins

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8:35pm: The Pittsburgh Penguins’ release fills in the remaining blanks as to the Vegas Golden Knights’ role in the deal. The Pens confirmed that they acquired Brassard, Dunn, and Ottawa’s 2018 third-rounder, but have also added forward prospect Tobias Lindberg from the Golden Knights. In exchange, Vegas received Reaves and the Penguins’ 2018 fourth-round pick, as previously confirmed, and the Knights retained 40% of Brassard’s salary, or $2MM against the cap this season and next . So, in exchange for the added cap space this year and Lindberg, a 22-year-old winger being traded for the third time in his pro career, the Penguins gave Vegas an NHL-caliber checking forward and a draft pick. It is highly speculated that Ottawa, who retained no salary in the deal, will quickly flip Cole to a contender, while it remains possible that Vegas could flip Reaves. The Knights could also hold on to the veteran energy-liner with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and William Carrier currently sidelined .

8:20pm: The Ottawa Senators have now officially announced the trade, with even more twists. The Senators have indeed acquired Cole, Gustavsson, and the Penguins 2018 first-round pick in the trade. They will also receive a 2019 third-round pick from Pittsburgh. Additionally, Brassard is joined by young forward Vincent Dunn and a 2018 third-round pick on their way to the Penguins. Essentially, the teams added a swap of third-rounders into the mix, as well as Dunn, a 22-year-old ECHL veteran.

8:00pm: The trade has been re-worked and approved by the league, with some interesting twists. TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first to report that the deal had been completed, with Brassard headed to Pittsburgh. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman then added that Cole would still be going to Ottawa, rather than Vegas, as some had speculated. However, Vegas will be getting a return in the form of Penguins enforcer Ryan Reaves, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun announced. The Penguins acquired Reaves from the St. Louis Blues for a first-round pick and Oskar Sundqvist in last June’s draft, but have moved on from the energy line forward less than a year later. McKenzie adds that Pittsburgh also sent a fourth-round pick to the Golden Knights. More details about the three-team deal are still to come.

4:58pm: Hold everything, as Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet is now reporting that the deal has been rejected by the NHL unless it is restructured. The league would not allow Brassard to pass through Vegas simply for the purpose of retaining salary. This decision is understandable, as it would set a dangerous precedent for further cap space exploitation if allowed. Dreger and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet both report that the three teams are working to come up with something that will be approved.

4:05pm: Derick Brassard appears to be on his way to Pittsburgh, as Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that the Ottawa Senators are closing in on a deal that would send the veteran center to the Penguins. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Senators will receive a 2018 first-round pick, goaltender Filip Gustavsson, and defenseman Ian Cole. There also is expected to be some level of salary retention of Brassard’s contract, and could be another part of the move still to come. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that the deal is very complicated, and likely includes the Vegas Golden Knights.

Brassard was arguably the top center option available on the trade market this weekend, and had as many as seven teams interested in acquiring his services. Pittsburgh finally won the bidding, and will part with a solid package of assets.

<a rel=The Senators were insisting on a first-round pick in any Brassard deal, but they’ll get one that falls near the end of the round. The Penguins are pushing the Washington Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division, and are doing everything in their power to try and three-peat as Stanley Cup Champions.

Gustavsson may be the jewel of the package, as he has shown really high-end potential since being selected 55th-overall in 2016. Playing in the SHL, the 19-year old goaltender has a .917 save percentage and excelled at the World Juniors winning a silver medal and being named the tournament’s best goaltender. Still, Gustavsson is very young and could still be years away from making a real impact at the NHL level.

Cole will likely be flipped in the next few days, as he’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. The 28-year old defenseman was included to even out salaries, but probably won’t have a very long Senators career unless the team approaches him with an extension offer. Cole was rumored to be on the block for almost the entire season, and could net the Senators another draft pick or prospect for their rebuild.

In adding Brassard, the Penguins once again become a favorite in the Eastern Conference. Though he isn’t expected to carry the load offensively, he now gives them their familiar three-line attack with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel all able to drive a group. Almost no one in the NHL can match that kind of depth down the middle, especially if Brassard can find another gear playing against weaker competition. Already with 18 goals and 38 points through 58 games, he’ll give them another option on the powerplay as well.

Brassard actually has 78 games of playoff experience, mostly going back to his days with the New York Rangers. In those appearances he’s recorded 22 goals and 55 points, an impressive total that Penguins GM Jim Rutherford no doubt took into account. He’s also been extremely durable the last few seasons, playing in at least 80 games for four straight years coming into 2017-18.

In all, the trade seems like a good fit for both clubs, even if it is a bit surprising. Ottawa was playing Pittsburgh in the seventh game of the Conference Finals less than a year ago, and is now selling off assets in order to reload on talent. This could be just the first of several moves this weekend.

– Zach Leach contributed to this post.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Penguins Put Matt Hunwick On The Trade Block

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At one point in time, it seemed like Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ian Cole was as good as gone. The two-time Stanley Cup champ had been losing ice time and was even a frequent healthy scratch. However, Cole has seen his role return in recent weeks as he continues to be one the most defensively sound players on the team. The impending free agent now seems safe through this season, but the Penguins are still looking to move a defenseman to open up cap space for their ongoing pursuit of forward depth.

The new name on the chopping block is Matt Hunwick. TSN’s Darren Dreger stated earlier that it was “looking like” Hunwick would be the blue liner shipped out of town. That is, if anyone is willing to take him. In only his first season in Pittsburgh after signing a three-year deal this summer, Hunwick is an unexpected addition to the market. Signed for two more years at a $2.25MM cap hit, any team interested in Hunwick would be looking less for a rental and more for a long-term investment. An underwhelming presence in Pittsburgh this year, Hunwick has missed significant time due to a concussion, has just five points in 33 games, and has the worst Corsi among Penguin defensemen.

With that said, Hunwick has shown 20+ point upside and the ability to play 20:00+ minutes per night in past seasons. His three-year, $7.75MM contract doesn’t look great right now, but if acquired at a bargain rate as a Penguins cap dump – perhaps with some salary retained even – Hunwick could prove to be a valuable depth resource for any number of teams. If GM Jim Rutherford is intent on moving out Hunwick, he’ll find a way to do it.

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