The Pittsburgh Penguins had a busy offseason and made significant changes, they needed too. The Penguins are coming off two horrible postseasons. Two years ago, the Penguins were swept by New York Islanders in the first round of the playoffs. This year the Penguins lost to Montreal Canadiens in the play in round.
Penguins GM Jim Rutherford is always active, and this offseason was no different. The Penguins didn’t trade their 3-time Stanley Cup Champion Hall of Fame centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin or Kris Letang who also has three rings. The Penguins did trade two players who were vital to winning two Stanley Cups goaltender Matt Murray forward Patric Hornqvist. Hornqvist was a well-liked, heart and soul of the team and rarely if ever to a shift off. The Penguins also let go of all of their assistant coaches.
The Penguins were just one of many teams, especially recent Stanley Cup winners who did not live up to expectations in the bubble. The Penguins did finish last season with the seventh best record in the league despite several major injuries. They were an awful last two weeks away from getting a bye in the play in round. The fact is though they were not good after the All-Star break. Changes were needed and made.
The Penguins weaknesses on paper were their bottom six forwards, bottom two defensemen and on the powerplay. On the ice the Penguins also lacked competitive fire after the break.
Pittsburgh Penguins Goalie Tristan Jarry #35, Joel Farabee #49 of the Philadelphia Flyers, and Chad Ruhwedel #2 of the Pittsburgh Penguins
GM Jim Rutherford fixed the bottom pair defensemen by acquiring Mike Matheson from the Florida Panthers in the Patric Hornqvist trade and signing free agent Cody Ceci. Matheson has a huge long-term contract but Ceci came cheap and for just one year. Matheson is an upgrade oner Jack Johnson who was bought out. Ceci replaces Justin Schultz who was allowed to walk away in free agency because he has not been the same defenseman since being injured two seasons ago. Johnson buyout along with the Penguins retaining some of Nick Bjugstad’s salary after a trade to Minnesota puts 3.2 million dollars of dead weight on the Penguins salary cap. Johnson and Bjugstad were when dead weight when they were on the ice. Johnson was never as bad as most people claimed but he was never good. Bjugstad’s only Penguin highlight was flying in owner Ron Burkle’s plane when he was traded for. Matheson needed out of Florida and has some pedigree. The disappointing part of acquiring Matheson (along with Colton Sceviour) is the thought that if you traded Patric Hornqvist you would get some cap relief and not give yourself less room.
The Penguins resigned depth blueliner Chad Ruhwedel who is a good seventh defenseman. They also resigned Jusso Riikola who always resides in the doghouse or press box but never in the lineup. All the blueline maneuvers seem to highly regarded prospect Pierre-Olivier Joseph further form the lineup. Matheson contract will be debated ad nauseum in Pittsburgh. He will be scapegoated but the Penguins were not overly pleased with Marcus Pettersson who may become trade bait. Matheson would then be rookie sensation John Marino’s partner. Number one defensive pair Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin is set in stone.
Colton Sceviour along with Mark Jankowski and Freddie Gauthier who signed as a free agents give the Penguins NHL veterans with size and a little snarl. It gives the team flexibility to mix and match the bottom six forwards. The team desperately needed internal competition last year. A few guys who never won anything played like it was their birthright to get a sweater every night. Last year’s rookies Sam Lafferty and Anthony Angello were also resigned, and both look to be in the mix, especially Lafferty.
Rutherford couldn’t let a number one pick sit in his pocket for long, so he traded it to Toronto for Kasperi Kapanen. Kapanen will replace Connor Sheary, who couldn’t replace Dominik Kahun in the top six. Evan Rodrigues was signed back as a free agent. Rodrigues has many skills we are told, being a piece on winning team doesn’t look like one of them. Holdover Jared McCann is in that boat as well. McCann show flashes but has no position and could and probably should have been traded. Prospects Sam Poulan and Nathan Legare were not traded and have a shot at making the bottom six because they don’t have a shot at making the top six. Hopefully the new blood will infuse life into the bottom six. Brandon Tanev and Teddy Blueger are solid third liners. Zach Aston-Reese is too fragile to be a solid on any line.
Tyler Pitlick #18 of the Philadelphia Flyers is surrounded by Pittsburgh Penguins players
Few teams have a better top six than the Penguins because besides Crosby and Malkin they have Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust and Jason Zucker. How can the Penguins powerplay be mediocre with all that talent? Great question and one that cost assistant coach Mark Recchi his job. Assistant coach Jacques Martin was also relieved of his duties. Surprisingly Sergei Gonchar will not be back either. Gonchar did not want to move full time to Pittsburgh. They’re replaced on Head Coach Mike Sullivan’s staff by Todd Reirden and Mike Vellucci.
At this point my grade for the Penguins and Jim Rutherford would be a positive one. I do think it was time for Hornqvist to go, and I love him. There will not be a dry eye in the PPG Arena while his tribute video is played. Could they have done better than Matheson / Scevoir in the trade maybe but two NHLers is OK. Kasperi Kapanen is a first-round pick so that’s a push. I would have like to see the Penguins get Kyle Clifford who signed with the Blues for cheap or Matt Martin who still remains unsigned but who says Sullivan would play them. They’re not fast and Sullivan refused to play Ryan Reaves. I like Cody Ceci. He was a more than adequate defenseman in Ottawa and not the first backender to not work out in Toronto. Right here the grade is a B- or C+
But wait what about goaltending?
The Penguins resigned All Star Tristen Jarry to a fair deal. Rutherford actually got something in return in the Matt Murray trade, when it looked like he would have to sweeten a deal just to get his salary off the books. The biggest mistake Rutherford made this summer was not acquiring an adequate backup goalie. The league is trending to more of a two-goalie system, especially in this upcoming condensed season. The Penguins are relying on Casey DeSmith. DeSmith is not a number two goaltender. He is small. Pucks routinely go over his shoulders. It’s not 2015, the Penguins are not automatically in the playoffs. Every point matters and the division realignments are not making it any easier. Jarry is an All-Star but he has never carried an NHL team before. The Penguins desperately needed a true veteran backup and failed to get one. It was when its’ all said in done the only true glaring need the Penguins had this off season.
Final Grade C-
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