Penguins/NHL
— Penguins GM Jim Rutherford appeared on the Cook & Joe show (937 The Fan) this morning and here are some key takeaways from the interview on whether the Penguins are still Stanley Cup contenders, Mike Sullivan being the coach in Pittsburgh for a very long time, a faster team, why a decision on Patric Hornqvist was the same as Phil Kessel & more Buzz —
— Few see the Penguins among the top Stanley Cup contenders. “I think it’s hard to pick a team in the East,” Rutherford said when asked who he see’s as the favorites. “We’re used to it. Our opponents have changed a little bit, but all strong teams, I quite frankly don’t know what to expect.”
— The Penguins tell everyone who listens this is going to be a faster, more mobile team this year. “We’re faster, defense has more mobility,” said Rutherford. “There’s been a few changes, we’re looking for bounce back seasons from few of the guys [we acquired].”
— Kasperi Kapanen is said to have dragged his feet in getting to Pittsburgh [hide] that will see him unavailable for the start of the season. Rutherford is excited to see how Kapanen meshes with Sidney Crosby as he believes there’s more to give for Kapanen as a top-6 level player. “He’s going to help. He’s a good player,” said Rutherford. “Certainly a priority in the off-season. I think there’s more there than what we’ve seen.
— Rutherford on Tristan Jarry: “Fundamentally he’s a very good goalie. Tristan has earned the opportunity to become a number one goalie. Test for him is playing more games.”
— Rutherford in the interview cited the same reason for trading Phil Kessel as to why they decided to trade Patric Hornqvist in that they don’t believe he could still be the player he used to be, especially with three years left on his contract. “Hornqvist was the first trade I made. One that turned out really good for us,” said Rutherford. “At some point in time, you don’t know exactly when it’s going to change, when a person gets to certain point in his career, can he offer as much as he offered in the past. That’s decision we made with Phil Kessel, decision we made with Patric Hornqvist. Three years left on his contract and we had a chance to get a young defenseman we liked.”
— Mike Sullivan is going to be a big talking point again if the Penguins get off to a slow strart. “I don’t think there’s a question [he’s one of the NHL’s best coaches],” said Rutherford. “He has this team prepared better than any coach I’ve seen. Easiest thing to do [fire the coach] is the coach and it’s not necessarily the coach. Mike Sullivan has done a terrific job here, one of the best coaches in the game. I think he’ll be a coach here for a long time.”
— On changes in style of play. “We have a lot more speed throughout our lineup,” said Rutherford. “Believe our defense is more mobile, quicker. Team with a lot of puck pressure on our opponents.”
— Just GM talk? Rutherford said in an ideal world he hopes to see Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang finish their careers in Pittsburgh. “In ideal world, we don’t always live in, these are guys that are very special players and athletes in Pittsburgh.” Both players have two years left on their contractd [/hide]
