Penguins/NHL
Two Stanley Cups in his first four seasons on the job in Pittsburgh will have Jim Rutherford sticking around quite a while longer.
Rutherford today signed a three year extension that keeps him under contract with the club through 2021-2022 season.
As long as Rutherford wanted to keep going, this was always going to happen based on the two Stanley Cups and the close relationship he has with team President David Morehouse.
On basis, the Penguins had to make a commitment to Rutherford based on what he’s done so far.
However, it’s not out of character to question whether this is the right move to keep and extend the Penguins Cup window with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
As the Penguins are sputtering, Rutherford has put together back-to-back poor off-seasons and now enters his toughest task as General Manager in trying to not become what the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks have become this decade after winning multiple Cups with an expensive core in place.
The biggest news in moments won’t be Rutherford’s extension.
Interesting enough, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles have struck a deal in what will be a pure hockey trade, player for player, dollars in and dollars.
Pittsburgh will receive [hide] Tanner Pearson in a deal from Los Angeles as the main piece coming to Pittsburgh, a league source confirms. Pittsburgh will be sending a struggling player with a similar cap hit to LA.
Pearson, 26, carries a $3.75 million cap hit through 2020-2021 season and has 1 point in 17 games. He’s coming off back-to-back seasons with 40+ points, totaling 15 goals and 40 points last season, while setting a career high 24 goals with 44 points in 2016-2017.[/hide]
This has the potential for being a good trade considering both players are struggling and Hagelin is going to be a UFA. Compare the skill sets on Youtube with both player highlights. I’ll take Pearson. He looks like a player with a quick release and the knack for being available for a shot in the slot area. Doesn’t appear he is incredibly slow either. A Pearson, Kessel, Malkin line would be better.
I heard few teams are interested in nylander. Rags, canes, kings
Unless pens can package pearson,mattaa and sprong to the leafs for nylander
Oh and last I checked npl suckss so does the democRATS
Last I checked your guy wouldnt support and give thanks to troops because it was raining….
Hagelin was a playoff performer. With Pearson being Canadian, it concerns me that he wont be able to turn it up when the games really matter.
The way your Mathews and pacioretty disappears come playoffs
Canadian teams dont win in the playoffs so he has a lot more weight on his shoulders.
Not a fan of the extension.
Is there a way pens can trade desmith and Murray to vegas and get fleury back
Why… so we could get deep enough in the post season to watch the guy implode?
What a stupid move. Pens need goalie and D
Hags was doing a lot of good little things. Let’s see what struggling Pearson brings
I was on the fence, now I think its a great deal. Thanks for confirming.
Get lost fatso
Dont be mean because you suck
Agreed because last night they lost because the wingers were awesome while the goalie was not. The Pens D is hampered by a long injury to Schultz… They will probably try to make it through without that move as the have a decent 7-8 with Schultz. I would not be opposed to adding speed where Maatta is at this point and maybe shave some cap but I don’t think they would pull off a deal with Schultz eventually returning. Goaltending, ya its a question… DeSmith is playing great but can he sustain it? Don’t know. Will Murray continue to flounder?… Read more »
On a positive note Pearsons advanced metrics had been decent until this year… he isn’t a PK guy though so I am not sure what the team will do there. I know ZAR has done a good job on the PK but Hags was kind of the guy in that role doing the bulk of the work. So Pearson had better score… hopefully Cullen, Sheahan, Rust and ZAR can continue to put in good work on the strong PK
5th highest shorthanded TOI for kings over the past 2 years. – per jesse marshall
I couldnt find PK line data for him… well that’s a good thing then. Nice pull
Done, confirmed deal – Hags gone
Gives up a lot of speed and a primary guy on the forcheck for a guy we hope will find his touch in a Penguins jersey. Could be a great deal TBH but Pearson has been bad this year and doesnt have Hags overall game. End of the day Hags was a UFA who struggled to put the puck in an ocean… I would talk to him in the offseason and see if hed come back at 2 per tho 😉
Oh god… 250K retention
is malkin included in the deal to LA? god bless beerman