Penguins/NHL
Jack Johnson has supporters among the coaching staff
A report from The Athletic Pittsburgh over the weekend citing team and league sources that Jack Johnson was on the cusp of being traded and had even been informed a trade was coming within 48 hours has been shot down by Penguins GM Jim Rutherford.
“That was some pretty shabby journalism,” said on 937 The Fan of the report when appearing on the Cook and Joe show. “All these reporters have 24 hour access to me….you should probably go right to the person [Jim Rutherford]” Rutherford said.
Rutherford in the interview with Joe Starkey and Ron Cook was annoyed at the suggestion from the report that claimed he [Rutherford] informed Johnson a trade was likely before the season opener.
“They [PR staff] pointed it out to me and [the report] suggested I had talked to Jack Johnson and I didn’t [talk to Jack Johnson],” said Rutherford. “The story got legs for no reason. There was no truth to it.”
The Athletic’s Josh Yohe is a great guy, good reporter, so it was surprising that Rutherford went that far into debunking the report instead of just saying ‘no truth’ to it.
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MORE TAKEAWAYS FROM RUTHERFORD’S INTERVIEW
— Have the Penguins tried to trade Johnson at various times this summer? Absolutely they have, as reported here also, but talk around the league I gathered when the Athletic report surfaced over the weekend is Penguins’ management came to the realization in mid-August that a Jack Johnson trade wasn’t going to be feasible before the season and had stopped pursuing one weeks ago. While league sources contend Rutherford has greatly soured on Johnson in one year, talk inside the organization throughout camp is that the coaches have pushed to keep Johnson around since the trade of Olli Maatta. Rutherford in the interview with 937 The Fan hinted the coaches are still fond of Johnson.
“Fact of the matter coaches like Jack,” Rutherford said. “He’s of our best penalty killers. He’s a good player for us.”
— Bryan Rust will be out multiple weeks with a broken hand and is heading to long-term injured reserve as the Penguins will be cap complaint. Sidney Crosby is expected to be good to go for the opener.
— Rutherford on Dominik Kahun who started camp on the top line but failed to impress to stay on Sidney Crosby’s line: “I don’t think he had the best camp,” Rutherford said. [/hide]
