The Pittsburgh Penguins are a hurting offensive unit. In 41 games played, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs have a -13 goal-differential today. They have scored 116 goals while allowing 129 goals against. The Pens are near the bottom of the NHL rankings in even strength goals scored.
Mike Sullivan’s team is 4-6 and trending downward in its last ten games. The playoffs are slipping out of Sullivan’s grasp with each and every loss.
The tension and anxiety levels have risen exponentially in Pittsburgh. The Penguins are not a very good team right now. With 43 points, Sid and company are currently three points out of last place in the accordion-compacted Metropolitan Division. The last place Philadelphia Flyers have 40 points. The Carolina Hurricanes and NY Islanders have 44 points.
When the music stops in April four teams from the Metro will make the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Penguins roster as presently constituted will not be one of them.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a hurting offensive unit. In 41 games played, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs have a -13 goal-differential today. They have scored 116 goals while allowing 129 goals against.
Mike Sullivan’s team is 4-6 and trending downward in its last ten games. The playoffs are slipping out of Sullivan’s grasp with each and every loss.
The tension and anxiety levels have risen exponentially in Pittsburgh. The Penguins are not a very good team right now. With 43 points, Sid and company are currently three points out of last place in the accordion-compacted Metropolitan Division. The last place Philadelphia Flyers have 40 points. The Carolina Hurricanes and NY Islanders have 44 points.
When the music stops in April four teams from the Metro will make the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Penguins roster as presently constituted will not be one of them.
I told you three weeks ago that Penguins GM Jim Rutherford sounded the alarm and put his team on notice. Rutherford told media that if his team didn’t find the solution to their incessant offense and defensive shortcomings that there would be changes made to the roster. Rutherford followed through on his threats and made not one but two trades ahead of the December 19 NHL roster freeze.
Rutherford acquired 36 year old tendy Michael Leighton and a 2019 fourth-round draft pick in exchange for forward Josh Archibald, goalie Sean Maguire and a 2019 sixth-round pick to Arizona. Shortly after the Leighton “blockbuster… deal was completed, Rutherford traded a 2019 conditional fourth-round pick to Dallas in exchange for defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.
To say that the struggling Penguins players were saved by the bell is an understatement. The NHL roster freeze allowed players to go home and clear their heads of all the negativity associated with losing. Rutherford’s hope was that the holiday break would serve as a reset for his players. The injured players like Kris Letang, Patrik Hornqvist and Justin Schultz would be giving more time to rest and recover.
The Pens GM is committed to winning a third straight Stanley Cup championship. He and Mike Sullivan are not thrilled with their team's performances at the 90-day juncture of the 2017-18 season. Their play is sloppy, slow and lacking urgency. The veterans are trying to lead the kids but their examples aren't always correct. My sources tell me that Rutherford’s patience has reached its end. He isn’t going to keep waiting for Sullivan and the Pens to fix it. Rutherford gave them time to do that from October until the end of December. Now, it’s out of their hands.
Prior to the roster freeze, Rutherford has had his assistant general managers and scouts out and about in the East and West. The Pens have been following several teams on the road. They are watching lots games live. Rutherford’s front office mates have been spotted in Buffalo scouting the IIHF World Junior Championships. Rutherford is no doubt focused on his future, however, his most urgent and pressing matter is correcting the course of his present Penguins roster. He has assets in the form of prospects, premium draft choices and Stanley Cup-winning roster players with large contracts that need to be traded to create salary cap space. As of puck drop on NHL action on Wednesday night, the Pens have just $357,000 in available salary cap slush to work with.
I’ve been telling you for months that the Pens have been scouting the Buffalo Sabres. I can see Rutherford taking a legit shot at landing Evander Kane from the Sabres. Weeks ago, adding Kane seemed like a luxury item for Rutherford. Today, it’s a necessity. Rutherford better make a move on Kane before Jeff Gorton and the hated Rangers make a trade for Kane to replace his power left winger Chris Kreider, who has been diagnosed with a blood clot. Kreider will be out indefinitely.
Kane will continue to be the number one trade target in the NHL. His trade value seemingly increases with each and every point he scores, each and every injury that cripples a playoff contending team in both conferences. St. Louis has been playing so-so hockey while Jaden Schwartz has been out with a long-term injury. Doug Armstrong is quietly working on a trade(s) to bolster his roster before the February 26 trade deadline. The Vancouver Canucks are 2-9-1 while playing without injured top line forwards Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi. How long will Jim Benning continue to tread water? Doug Wilson’s San Jose Sharks have been struggling to win games due to the recent concussion suffered by leading scorer Logan Couture. Another factor driving Evander Kane’s trade value is NHL GMs who were counting on Vegas Golden Knights GM George McPhee dumping his UFAs before the trade deadline are sadly mistaken. McPhee is not going to be holding a fire sale. Hell no! James Neal, Alex Marchessault, Cody Eakin, David Perron are all staying put in Vegas. McPhee is in buying mode. The Golden Knights are the number one team in the NHL today. Gerard Gallant’s Knights are currently 27-9-2 with 56 points. McPhee and Knights ownership are already budgeting for home playoff games later this spring. The Knights are 17-2 on home ice and are owners of the NHL’s #1 home ice advantage.
It’s not imminent that Botterill will be trading Kane, 26, who is a pending UFA. Kane has a $6 million salary ($5.25M AAV) this season. Since December 3, 2016, Evander Kane has scored 43 goals and 34 assists in his last 109 games played. Of his 43 goals scored, 35 have come at even-strength. In 39 games this season, Kane has scored 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points while averaging 19:51 TOI. Kane plays 5v5, PK, and PP. He blocks shots, hits, finishes checks, snipes, dangles and plays the fast, north style that is en vogue in the NHL today. The Penguins have scouted Kane and the Sabres this season. Their assistant general manager has made personal trips to watch the Sabres play live in person. Rutherford has an appetite for the Pens add a top six scoring forward. Rutherford has access to cut the proverbial line of suitors who wish to trade Kane , to get to Sabres GM Jason Botterill. Rutherford is Botterill’s old boss. They twice celebrated Stanley Cup victories together. Botterill is willing to do Rutherford and other teams a solid by absorbing up to 50% of the remaining dollars owed to Kane. Today, Rutherford cannot afford Kane. Rutherford will have to shed a sizable contract or two to create the slush needed to pay Kane. It will cost the Penguins a scoring forward like Conor Sheary and his $3M AAV. Rutherford will also have to trade prospect forward Daniel Sprong, who has 18 goals and 10 assists in 29 games this season. Botterill needs to add more goal scoring to his roster. It makes sense to trade a goal scorer like Kane and ask for a plug-and-play goal scorer or two in return. Botterill drafted and developed Sheary and Sprong when he was the GM of the WSB penguins and the AGM of the Penguins. Rutherford may stipulate that Botterill also take on defenseman Ian Cole and his $2.1 AAV. Cole will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
I told you three weeks ago that Penguins GM Jim Rutherford sounded the alarm and put his team on notice. Rutherford told media that if his team didn’t find the solution to their incessant offense and defensive shortcomings that there would be changes made to the roster. Rutherford followed through on his threats and made not one but two trades ahead of the December 19 NHL roster freeze.
Rutherford acquired 36 year old tendy Michael Leighton and a 2019 fourth-round draft pick in exchange for forward Josh Archibald, goalie Sean Maguire and a 2019 sixth-round pick to Arizona.
Shortly after the Leighton “blockbuster… deal was completed, Rutherford traded a 2019 conditional fourth-round pick to Dallas in exchange for defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.
To say that the struggling Penguins players were saved by the bell is an understatement. The NHL roster freeze allowed players to go home and clear their heads of all the negativity associated with losing. Rutherford’s hope was that the holiday break would serve as a reset for his players. The injured players like Kris Letang, Patrik Hornqvist and Justin Schultz would be giving more time to rest and recover.
The Pens GM is committed to winning a third straight Stanley Cup championship. He and Mike Sullivan are not thrilled with their team's performances at the 90-day juncture of the 2017-18 season. Their play is sloppy, slow and lacking urgency. The veterans are trying to lead the kids but their examples aren't always correct.
My sources tell me that Rutherford’s patience has reached its end. He isn’t going to keep waiting for Sullivan and the Pens to fix it. Rutherford gave them time to do that from October until the end of December. Now, it’s out of their hands.
Prior to the roster freeze, Rutherford has had his assistant general managers and scouts out and about in the East and West. The Pens have been following several teams on the road. They are watching lots games live. Rutherford’s front office mates have been spotted in Buffalo scouting the IIHF World Junior Championships. Rutherford is no doubt focused on his future, however, his most urgent and pressing matter is correcting the course of his present Penguins roster. He has assets in the form of prospects, premium draft choices and Stanley Cup-winning roster players with large contracts that need to be traded to create salary cap space. As of puck drop on NHL action on Wednesday night, the Pens have just $357,000 in available salary cap slush to work with.
I’ve been telling you for months that the Pens have been scouting the Buffalo Sabres. I can see Rutherford taking a legit shot at landing Evander Kane from the Sabres. Weeks ago, adding Kane seemed like a luxury item for Rutherford. Today, it’s a necessity. Rutherford better make a move on Kane before Jeff Gorton and the hated Rangers make a trade for Kane to replace his power left winger Chris Kreider, who has been diagnosed with a blood clot. Kreider will be out indefinitely.
Kane will continue to be the number one trade target in the NHL. His trade value seemingly increases with each and every point he scores, each and every injury that cripples a playoff contending team in both conferences. St. Louis has been playing so-so hockey while Jaden Schwartz has been out with a long-term injury. Doug Armstrong is quietly working on a trade(s) to bolster his roster before the February 26 trade deadline. The Vancouver Canucks are 2-9-1 while playing without injured top line forwards Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi. How long will Jim Benning continue to tread water? Doug Wilson’s San Jose Sharks have been struggling to win games due to the recent concussion suffered by leading scorer Logan Couture.
Another factor driving Evander Kane’s trade value is NHL GMs who were counting on Vegas Golden Knights GM George McPhee dumping his UFAs before the trade deadline are sadly mistaken. McPhee is not going to be holding a fire sale. Hell no! James Neal, Alex Marchessault, Cody Eakin, David Perron are all staying put in Vegas. McPhee is in buying mode. The Golden Knights are the number one team in the NHL today. Gerard Gallant’s Knights are currently 27-9-2 with 56 points. McPhee and Knights ownership are already budgeting for home playoff games later this spring. The Knights are 17-2 on home ice and are owners of the NHL’s #1 home ice advantage.
It’s not imminent that Botterill will be trading Kane, 26, who is a pending UFA. Kane has a $6 million salary ($5.25M AAV) this season.
Since December 3, 2016, Evander Kane has scored 43 goals and 34 assists in his last 109 games played. Of his 43 goals scored, 35 have come at even-strength. In 39 games this season, Kane has scored 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points while averaging 19:51 TOI. Kane plays 5v5, PK, and PP. He blocks shots, hits, finishes checks, snipes, dangles and plays the fast, north style that is en vogue in the NHL today.
The Penguins have scouted Kane and the Sabres this season. Their assistant general manager has made personal trips to watch the Sabres play live in person. Rutherford has an appetite for the Pens add a top six scoring forward. Rutherford has access to cut the proverbial line of suitors who wish to trade Kane , to get to Sabres GM Jason Botterill. Rutherford is Botterill’s old boss. They twice celebrated Stanley Cup victories together. Botterill is willing to do Rutherford and other teams a solid by absorbing up to 50% of the remaining dollars owed to Kane. Today, Rutherford cannot afford Kane.
Rutherford will have to shed a sizable contract or two to create the slush needed to pay Kane. It will cost the Penguins a scoring forward like Conor Sheary and his $3M AAV. Rutherford will also have to trade prospect forward Daniel Sprong, who has 18 goals and 10 assists in 29 games this season.
Botterill needs to add more goal scoring to his roster. It makes sense to trade a goal scorer like Kane and ask for a plug-and-play goal scorer or two in return. Botterill drafted and developed Sheary and Sprong when he was the GM of the WSB penguins and the AGM of the Penguins. Rutherford may stipulate that Botterill also take on defenseman Ian Cole and his $2.1 AAV. Cole will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Kane will become UFA on July. The Pens would want to get a long term contract extension in place before he gets to free agency. Not a hard sell to play beside Sidney Crosby and Geno Malkin while in the prime years of their careers.
Do I see a possibility of the Pens trading for Max Pacioretty from the Montreal Canadiens? Anything is possible, however, I don't see it happening.