Deadline is over and the Pittsburgh Penguins… have acquired another terrible defenseman! This is incredibly on brand for Jim Rutherford. He has no idea what to look for at this position. Moving Tanner Pearson would have been a positive if they got a low end draft pick to shed salary. Instead they have Erik Gudbranson for two more years at 4M AAV(!). Pathetic. The grit boner prevails.
The trade is one for one. No salary retained. https://t.co/fLWujgr2G8
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 25, 2019
The Penguins are going to be using $7.25 million of cap space on Jack Johnson and Erik Gudbransson for the next two seasons after this one.
— Corey Masisak (@cmasisak22) February 25, 2019
Here’s the snapshot on Erik Gudbranson
He’s just as bad if not worse than Jack Johnson.
There are like four main defensemen that hockey stats twitter has been dunking on for YEARS for being bad:
— fudge rodriguez (@vinnybatts) February 25, 2019
- Jack Johnson
- Erik Gudbranson
- Kris Russell
- Cody Ceci
Jim Rutherford has acquired two of them in the course of 8 months.
Send all your terrible No. 3 overall picks to the Penguins.
— James O'Brien 📎 (@cyclelikesedins) February 25, 2019
*Camera pans to Cam Barker*
It's been a tough two years for Jim Rutherford truthers who casually ignored the two decades of work on record before he came to Pittsburgh. Every trade or signing that Rutherford has made since Jason Botterill’s departure has had to be undone only to pick up another bad player that will eventually have to be moved. It’s just a circle of incompetence.
Recommend this deep dive on Rutherford's tenure in Carolina. This is the GM he's always been. https://t.co/7DTIJ5EEpl pic.twitter.com/Cs0DLjMGWZ
— Andy Smith (@thatandysmith) February 25, 2019
Since the start of last offseason the Penguins have acquired, and then traded/waived within a calendar year, the following:
— Adam Gretz (@AGretz) February 25, 2019
Antti Niemi
Ryan Reaves
Matt Hunwick
Jamie Oleksiak
Riley Sheahan
Derick Brassard
Tanner Pearson
...While also trading Carl Hagelin and Conor Sheary
This has become a train wreck. Somebody needs to take the keys away.
Thanks for reading!