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Pens Can’t Tap The Kegger |
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The Pittsburgh Penguins thought that Jay McClement would become their third line center. That’s why McClement was invited to Penguins camp on a personal tryout agreement. The McClement experiment ended late Saturday night when the veteran pivot was released from his Pens PTO.
Jim Rutherford has just 24 players remaining in his training camp, which includes 14 forwards. The Pens have four centers on paper. Sidney Crosby is one helluva center man. Geno Malkin is a world class center. Jake Guentzel is listed as a center, but over Crosby’s dead body will the Minnesota Golden Gophers alum be playing center. Guentzel is a Crosby winger now and it’s not negotiable. Youngsters Carter Rowney and Zach Aston-Reece are also listed as centers.
Which one will play third line center role is the great unknown.
It’s likely that Rutherford will go outside the Penguins family to fill his need for a third line center.
The two-time defending Stanley Cup victors have been scouting several teams in search of a veteran center to lead their third line trio. Among the teams the Penguins have scoured are the Buffalo Sabres, who have center depth. The Pens reportedly have been intrigued by Buffalo veteran centers Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson.
The Penguins player the Sabres twice during the preseason. Sabres GM Jason Botterill and Jim Rutherford know one another. Botterill, the former AGM of the Pens and GM of the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Pens, knows what talent Rutherford has inside his organization.
What will it cost Rutherford trade for a veteran third line center?
The Pens will likely have to deal one of their wing prospects in Daniel Sprong, Zach Aston-Reece or Thomas DiPauli.
With recent injuries to Sabres blueliners Zach Bogosian and Jake McCabe, Botterill would be wise to ask Rutherford for Pens defenseman Derrick Pouliot (8th overall 2012), a crafty and offensively skilled puck mover. Pouliot is 23 and is ready for prime time. Pouliot scores 7 goals and 16 assists in 46 games for the WSB Pens last season.
Last season, the Pens has the luxury of having 39 year old center Matt Cullen holding down the fort at the third line faceoff dot. In July, Cullen signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Wild. First ballot Hall of Famers like Cullen aren’t bought in Craigslist nor eBay.
Today, Rutherford has a journeyman as his third line center in Greg McKegg.
Last season, “Kegger” scored a career-high seven points in a career-high 46 games between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Look, McKegg is a nice player. He’s a role player. I don’t see him sticking and staying as a 17 minute a night man and 40+ point this season man in Pittsburgh.
Rutherford is desperate to identify and trade for a legit L3 center.
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