There are no easy answers heading into the 2019-20 season. The Penguins have lost their way. Firing the coach can only do so much. Even if a new coach came in and optimized the lineup by logically placing players in their best spots to succeed the coach would only be as good as the players available.

Right now the mix of players just isn’t good enough. This roster was created with no vision, no plan, and no understanding of why they won in the first place. Gunslinger Jim is caught in a quagmire where he just keeps trading in circles hoping to get lucky. He’s lucky he was gifted the core of players he was when he took over otherwise he’d probably be looking for another job by now just like every other person who takes on a general manager role and spins the tires.

The problem with Rutherford’s trading strategy is that you run out of futures when you spin your wheels in the trading market over and over again. When you go all-in with no recourse for the future the future eventually shows up. Sure the trade with Florida upgraded the failed Brassard trade, but how many draft picks and prospects were spent on these depth players to make it happen? The answer is a first, second, third, and fourth round pick along with one of the few prospects who had value for the Penguins at the time (Gustavsson). Combine this with other wasteful trades like Ryan Reaves (Sundqvist 1.92 points/60 this year) and you are left with little flexibility. You don’t think Conor Sheary’s speed would have looked nice on one of the top three lines against the Islanders? Just because Erik Gudbranson wasn’t a complete tire fire doesn’t mean his skill set makes sense for this team. Paying a bottom pairing defenseman 4M per year who does not complement the forwards is short-sighted and does nothing to give the team flexibility moving forward. Trading is supposed to be a strength for Rutherford and it hasn’t been.

Speaking of trades, who do you trade? What is the realistic value you could get for some of these players? Getting rid of Jack Johnson and Erik Gudbranson should be the first two items on the list this summer, but to move those contracts you are either taking back terrible contracts or packaging them with some of the few futures you have left. You also need to be willing to move them and I’m not sure that is a given with Rutherford. You are looking at bottom pairing or worse defenders taking up 7.25M on a cap ceiling team. It’s incredibly wasteful and shows poor resource management skills

They’ve never had a plan for Olli Maatta after his rookie campaign when he played sheltered minutes with Matt Niskanen. He’s been toiling as a bottom pairing player or not a player at all for them the past couple of years. Maatta can be an OK placeholder if you understand he’s just going to blend in with his partner for good or bad. There was value to mine with Maatta. They sat on it.

Patric Hornqvist looked like an aging 31 year old player with a lot of physical miles on his body. Not really sure what kind of value you are going to get if you keep him or trade him. It’s almost like his decline was something that could have been predicted. He is Crosby and Malkin dependent and lost his spot. Now what?

Justin Schultz looked like a bottom pairing defender because of his deployment. Same thing happened to him in Edmonton. That is another sunk 5.5M if things don’t change.

When you add up the cost of those four players it is 18.05M. It’s a lot of money to spend on miscast parts. At least with Schultz there’s still a path back to being a player that can contribute and help generate offense.

The team could always trade Phil Kessel. When all else fails he makes for an easy scapegoat. Although, he is one of the only players with an offensive pulse on this team whose cap hit actually aligns with the value he brings. It’s a rule if you don’t win a Stanley Cup and Phil Kessel is on your roster that you have to create trade drama. It’s in his contract, look it up. I’m just curious what people think a win now team looking for a player like Phil Kessel is going to give the win now team trading him. Not win now parts. Oh, and there are only eight teams you can trade him to. This would definitely be a win for the Penguins. No doubt about it.

If you’re looking for the Penguins to UFA themselves out of this problem the track record the last few years does not look promising on that front. Almost every free agent signed has been recognized as a mistake and moved. The exception will of course be Jack Johnson because why not.

When we head into the summer remember the prudent path is to blame the team’s best players. It is definitely their fault. If there’s one sport where star players can lift a team and all its flaws it is definitely hockey and the NHL. We are going through the latter stages of Shero/Bylsma era again. Let’s not forget the lessons learned. Good players are good and bad players are replaceable. Only issue now is that the good players are slightly older and the if you screw up replacing the bad ones, or don't replace them at all, you are stuck.

Don’t worry, Jim Rutherford’s new extension doesn’t kick in until July 1st so he’s got plenty of time to tinker with the roster. He also knows he won’t be around to clean up the mess. Should be a fun summer.

Thanks for reading!

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