Give me a break!!!!
Today Jim Rutherford shipped out another resident of Mike Sullivan’s Dog House. Daniel Sprong was sent to Anaheim for left handed Defense prospect Marcus Petterson.
Marcus Petterson
Height: 6′-3″, Weight:177
| Season | GP | G | A | Pts | (+/-) | PIM |
| 2017-2018 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 2018-2019 | 27 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 17 |
Daniel Sprong
Height: 6′-0″, Weight: 180
| Season | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM |
| 2015-2016 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| 2017-2018 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018-2019 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 4 | -7 | 0 |
Am I upset about Sprong being traded? No, this is a business and Sprong was an asset that was being utilized. Furthermore, the team may have another player Sullivan can ruin in the minors to replace Sprong in Sullivan’s Dog House. I have been waiting for this shoe to drop for some time. And let’s face it, the kid hasn’t look anywhere near as good as he did last Spring when Sullivan banished the kid back to Wilkes Barre – Scranton despite Sprong leading the team in many categories at the time of his departure.
What I am upset about is multifaceted;
First Sprong is just one more in a growing laundry list of players that Sullivan failed. Yes! Sullivan failed! If we were just talking about Sprong, than it was Sprong. But we are now talking about a long list of players that most recently included Ian Cole and Ryan Reaves.
Second of all, Sullivan’s failure also weakened the team. By not putting Sprong in a position to succeed, he stripped any value from Sprong so Rutherford could bring very little in return.
Third, Rutherford traded for another left handed Defensemen. There are almost no right handed Defensemen in this organization and a plethora of port side Defensemen, yet Rutherford brought in another lefty.
Rutherford, you had better start looking at the Coach, hard and serious. As I have written before, Sullivan is no longer capable of getting this team to equal its record when Mike Johnston was fired. Sullivan has this team, a team with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, two of the best players in the league, teetering on a razor thin edge (2 points) above the bottom of the division.
Mario, please start looking at the GM. This trade means absolutely nothing to a team that is foundering. Nothing was lost nor was anything really gained. Sullivan wasn’t really ever going to give Sprong a chance and Petteron was hardly needed. A right handed Defenseman was needed.
I could handle the team dropping back a year to retool but the list of players Sullivan can’t get along with and the poor signings and trades are starting to wear very thin!
Forgive me Marcus Petterson, I mean no disrespect for you. First and foremost I bleed black-and-gold, so I always want what is best for the team, so I am rooting for you to come in and make the best of it. My tirade is frustration over a revolving door of players that the coach can’t seem to get along with!
Hey if anyone is watching the game tonight, watch the Avalanche defense. They interfere with the Penguins forwards non stop away from the puck. I probably saw 10 times last game it could have been called and that was on TV. I will probably see 20+ tonight.
Hey Phil,
I did see a lot of that behind the play crud. Hornqvist did too, in the first period. He almost got a break away goal because of it. He did have the last laugh though, 3 times. Too bad it wasn’t 4.
What jars my preserves is when player play the cheap stuff and then complain when they do get called.
Speaking of Just deserts, did you see the hit Reaves put on Wilson? That was pumpkin pie with a ton of whip on it.
I am not changing any of my opinions, but I love and enjoy it when the Pens put up 6 goals!
I watched all of the video of Reaves taking out Wilson about 50 times.
I’m not ashamed to say I loved it.
If you get to watch the video of Reaves knocking down Wilson twice in 8 seconds earlier in that game, Reaves knocks down Wilson and takes the puck, then Ovechkin takes a run at Reaves from all the way across the ice leaving his feet to hit Reaves. Then Wilson comes in on Reaves and Reaves knocks down Wilson again. Ovechkin puts his arms up looking for a penalty.
It was later in the game Reaves took out Wilson.
I think if the Pens had Reaves they would have won the Caps series last year.
I’ll have to look that up. Not only do I not like Wilson, but I am no Ovie fan either. He needs some suspension as well. It was Ovie that kicked Crosby’s feet out from under him as NIskanen came up for the hit that gave Crosby that concussion in that first Cup year.
I agree had Reaves still been in Pgh the Pens definitely win the Cap series.
I can’t believe Rutherford got more than a 3rd round draft pick for Sprong. I love this move. I like that Rutherford knew that he made a mistake signing Sprong to a one way contract and fixed it right away unlike other GM’s.
Petterson is waiver exempt, but I would like to see what he’s got, a plus 4 on a team were most of the regular defensemen are minuses plus he kills penalties. I could see the Pens trying to do away with Ruhwedel and even possibly Johnson now.
Hey Phil,
If the Penguins do away with Ruhwedel now, they will not have a right handed Defenseman on the team until Schultz gets back.
And the only way they can get rid of Johnson is to waive him and try and send him to WBS until the off-season and then buy him out.
On the left side they already have Oleksiak, Dumoulin, Riikola, and Maatta, oh yes and Johnson. They don’t need Petterson, unless they are looking to trade 1 or more of the following; Oleksiak, Dumoulin, Riikola, or Maatta. I can’t picture anyone willing to take on Johnson.
This trade will do nothing for the team, a team that is inches away from oblivion.
Unless the team is really looking at trading Dumoulin and Maatta to free up ~$8 mil the trade makes no sense other than to remove another player Sullivan doesn’t like.
From what I understand Pettersson can play either side.
I feel like you are blaming how bad a player Sprong is at the NHL level on Sullivan. At some point you have to just admit that the guy played horrible, and didn’t deserve a spot on the Penguin’s roster. He wasn’t ruined by the Penguins system, Sprong did it 100% to himself by not showing up for work.
Ian Cole was another story. He just admitted in an interview when he came to town that he was benched & in the dog house for not following Sullivan’s team policy about not talking about certain stuff to the media. Apparently he did it on several occasions. Ian Cole was a great player, but the Coaches rules are the coaches rules.
I really don’t see 2 part time fourth liners and a defenseman as a laundry list of players that Sullivan wouldn’t play with.
I really think that if Rutherford could get not just more than a draft pick for Sprong, but a legitimate NHL defenseman who is only 22, he could probably swing something for Johnson.
You may be right Phil,
I may be the one with the problem. I may be unfairly blaming a coach with Crosby and Malkin on it that is 2 points from the bottom of the division, that kept giving ice time to a defensemen that was on the ice for 3 of the 4 game winning goals against in the Capital series and over half of the total goals against, a coach that took about 1/4 of the season to change up his breakouts.
Truthfully, with the way Bjorkqvist is playing and that Russian kid Podokolzn on the horizon, I have moved on from Sprong, and have no problem making roster room for next year. However, consider this, Sprong has played 16 of the 25 games this year. During those 16 games, the team is 6-5-5. Without him they are 4-5-0. In my mind, since the team record goes down without him, there are players still on this team more deserving of a ticket out of town.
Unfortunately, the team chose to trade away a player that was contributing to more wins when he was on the ice for another left handed defensemen.
As for Petterson being able to play right defense, Oleksiak and Johnson are said to be able to play RD as well but the team isn’t playing all that well with them over there. You may be able to get away with all lefties here and there, but long term you lose unless you are balanced.
If JRs end game is to trade away Maatta and/or Dumoulin to get a RD then I get it but otherwise no, the trade is a loser trade if the D doesn’t get balanced with right shots.
Penguins Cup two years ago only had 1 right handed guy on defense. Chicago Cup 2015 1 right handed guy. Washington Cup last year only two. We have Shultz & Letang right handed. I wouldn’t trade for a worse defenseman just because he is right handed.
I guess we will have to do that agree to disagree thing. I’m looking at it as an incredible move by Rutherford to get anything for Sprong.
It also has freed up a roster spot to bring up other guys to see if they can help.
If you look at it as an opportunity to try out Prow on D I could see that. Prow has never really impressed me in the few times I have seen him play but his numbers are pretty good right now in WBS and could deserve a look.
I don’t count Letang as a Defenseman. He is put on the roster as a Defenseman but he isn’t one. He would be an All World Rover if they still had that position in hockey, but he is a 30 something petulant little kid with offensive skills. He chirps too much at refs, makes bad decisions on when to pinch, where to pass, and who to cover.
He has had some really good games when Crosby or Malkin have pumped up his stats and then turned around and looked totally lost at other times on the ice.
So I only see the Penguins with 1 RD who is on the IR right now. Ruhwedel is a 7th.
So as you say, on this one we just disagree. We may both want Johnson on the Bench or in another uniform, and although you may be happy the Pens got anything other than a bag of pucks for Sprong, I will always believe that they could have gotten even a whole lot more had they had a different coach interacting with him.
On the bright side, we do agree that it is good that he is gone.
Prow looks very interesting. He has great numbers.
Funny you should mention that about Letang not being a defenseman, i believe Pettersson is a converted winger. They are looking for him to put on a few more pounds. I think the Pens had another converted winger to defense guy on the team in the 90’s … maybe it was Jiri Slegr, can’t remember. I may just have him on the mind because he was Swedish also.
I never ever blame a coach for a player. If you are good you go out and prove it on your own. If you need a coach to do something to make you look good, chances are you won’t be a good playoff guy or team player anyway. I’ve known guys like that, the I was never given the chances the other guys were given guys.
When you look at how many no names have come up under Sullivan and have done well enough to sign good multi year contracts on other teams it makes it really hard for me to blame him for one guy that refused to try on a nightly basis.
Hello!
Phil..
I will agree to disagree with you. I’m with other Rick.
There’s deeper issues with Mike Sullivan. Point Blank Period.
Ego, Favoritism, Inconsistent, Contradiction In Interviews stubbornness, hard hardness and accountability. Etc..
All this and that about 4 liners and one great damn defenseman Ian Cole that left broutg different element to this team needs. They didn’t do nothing bs. They didn’t get a chance . Take Sprong out that conservation.
Sully did Reeves dirty. He didn’t utilize him. He overcompensating useless players..
Reeves came into his own with more ice time during the serious half of last season. Sometimes way be before that. He would have great shifts to give Penguins momentum and to play without be looking over there shoulders at times.
Ian Cole and Reaves are plus rating players this season. Help their team. Coaches using their strengths and weaknesses right and working with them to win games.
Mike Sullivan has had problems with many players. Players usage and ice time. Ways to use them to their strengths and give them consistency. ( its with the Sid&Geno)
Playing players with lthe my leashing that are not contributing nothing. (his guys) Sullivan throw stuff and constantly changes it without giving it time and great consistency. Players needs that.
Mike Sullivan has won b2b because players were hungry, resilient, play for one another,intense urgency, they were hot on fire, solid goaltending, Sid&Geno hard leadership/ unbelievable elite next level hockey, Rick Tocchet, next man up and everyone fighting for something bigger with next man mentality to get a cup. Mike Sullivan deserves 10-15 % credit.
Mike Sullivan has have problems with..
Bonino
Kessel
Cole
Reaves
List go on and on
So what? Cole didn’t eff his wife nor steal money from him. Although he was on his last side of his contract. Ian Cole would have absolutely take less and be way better than Jack Johnson.
He was very nice to give best writers a interview for this team. To free Sid&Geno . He never gave them nothing or say nothing to hurt this team. Ian Cole was scapegoated to play Hunwick over him. That never fit. He play Ian Cole constantly on his offside to accommodate Hunwick to much. Cole falter there and was having a hard time.
Mike Sullivan has a history of playing players out there comfort zone and throw anything out to work. Changes pairing to much. Bad long leash to the wrong players who continue to show nothing to help this teams. It doesn’t works. Players get hung out to dray for it . He chose a new player over a good game dame defenseman that was playing good before he got his teeth knocked out in a good game. He got cocky and it backfired.
Mike Sullivan had deeper issues with Ian Cole that will never come out. People will never know. Jack Johnson is very talkative with beat writers and has way to many interviews. I guess. He will break the rules too.
Mike Sullivan did it again this season. With Määttä. He’s overcompensating and use Johnson to much. Johnson contributions nothing. Määttä confidence and all – round game drop this season. Määttä never practice with Johnson so why do that pairing. Määttä is used more in defensively zone with Johnson is seeing more time offensively. Etc..
Johnson needs to be bench bench!! He brings Down Oleksiak like Rudwedel, Määttä, Shultz, Dumoulin.
If Mike Sullivan has problem with Jack Johnson play/ contract. He won’t be overcompensating and simple accommodating him to hurt his other defenseman.
He has not stop it and strayed away to stop playing him I’ve 18 minutes. He’s playing top pairing , powerplay mins and the offensive zone to much. Etc.. He put Määttä in a bad spot.
MIKE SULLIVAN IS A HUGE PROBLEM!!! RIDING COCKTAILS/ Sid&Geno/ He has failed for two seasons. Good 2016-2017/ Very Good 2015-16 Nothing else.
Players that Sullivan brought up were nothing more than 3/4 liners that brought really nothing more sustainable. Except for Jake Guentzel. He’s unbelievable and damn right good.
Mike Sullivan seem to have a Problem with him too. Constantly shuffling him and give his guys top line minutes where they don’t belong.
Short success/Long leash got them farther and small success with Sid&Geno to get unfair costly new deal.
Sheary got a deal due to Sidney Crosby’s greatness , long tiring long leash and make him Nothing bottom 6 player into top 6 player on his line. Rutherford had a chance to let him walk or trade to get 3C instead of running Sid&Geno more than they need to and Sully constantly keeping Sheary with Crosby. It drag him down. Sheary was constantly bad and one good season with Crosby do going bananas doing hard dirty work. Sheary is where he’s belong and play where he belong on his line. He won’t be talk about in next years to come. Nothing special
Wilson, Kuc, and , Rowney didn’t last at all. Long stupid leash.
Rust go pay on short old success with Sid&Geno , Small sample size point wise, Sully Guy and versatility to go up and down the line up. He’s overpaid bottom 6 that will never give you more than 20-30 points. He won’t. He isn’t a finisher. Rutherford try to trade him and didn’t go through for Max Domi. Rust should be been walked or let go for better upgrade to strengthen this team.
He getting undeserving top minutes and overpaid to be playing fourth line minutes. Sully ‘s Guy.
Sprong trade won’t change anything. It is what it’s. Sprong get a fresh start to do something better with Anaheim.
Pens need a two RIght handed defenseman to be a better team to play hard against on defense.
Letang needs to go.
This trade might help long term future. I guess. It doesn’t give Penguins nothing to be better today and play hard against on the right side with opponents.
B2b stanley cup are dust and defenseman needs to player on their natural side. Often times when players don’t play good on their natural side he dicks them and put them in the doghouse…
Please stop living in the past with B2B cups overcloud your fair assessment and criticism. Mike Sullivan has been very brutal for two seasons . It easy to blame players. Players are more important than him. Nhl Coaches are recyclable and nothing special . Hockey players are rare talents and one in a lifetime to come.
Same issues has been going on with Sullivan since 2017-2018 season.
Rutherford has been having his hand tied with Sullivan. They are not on the same page after moves.. Granted Rutherford has mad some questionable moves , but Mike Sullivan is the biggest culprit of this team hard adversity with players struggling.
Go to games / re watch game more analyze them on coaching. Interviews/ lines/ combos, game plans and players usage.. etc Mike Sullivan is getting out coached and severely making stars dreadful on the ice. They can’t sustain no consistency or chemistry with constantly line shuffling..
Mike Sullivan is hanging on a little thread. On Sidney Crosby’s carrying this team thread.. Mike Sullivan is on thin ice.
I hope they win today. If not. I would fired Mike Sullivan and do more in house firing with Reechi
Hey Dee,
Reading between the lines (lol) it sounds like saying that Mike Sullivan is a bad coach.
Sullivan has won 2 Stanley Cups and lost in the playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup winner in his less than 3 seasons with the team. The B2B past you speak of is less than a year and a half ago.
I’m pretty sure the guy is not even close to hanging on a thread.
Is Rutherford’s hands tied by Sullivan or are Sullivan’s hands tied by Rutherford. I have always said that the Coach/GM dynamic in hockey is a stupid one.
If Sullivan benches Johnson for even one game it makes Rutherford look really bad for signing him for so many years. One roster spot was used up for how many games because Rutherford signed Sprong to a one way contract.
Rutherford traded Reaves. He was being used by Sullivan and was just starting to click with the team when he was traded.
I don’t have a problem with Rutherford or Sullivan but talk to me again if they ever miss the playoffs or lose to a crappy team first round*.
*if the Pens have a healthy team.
Ian Cole, a favorite of mine, gave out players injuries to reporters that allowed other teams to target them. With that knowledge other teams slash a bad wrist of Malkin’s or bump Murray in the head because he just had a concussion. He was asked to stop and was benched for a game each time after he gave out info.
Once again, Sullivan did not trade Ian Cole. Rutherford knew that the Penguins needed a third line center and Cole was the trade piece get it. The NHL thought the trade was so lopsided in the Pens favor the Pens had to add Reaves.
It is not looking like such a good trade right now.
I have heard that Sullivan has not made changes fast enough and I have heard that he has not given things enough time to gel over and over. Sometimes i’ve seen people and journalists using both arguments in an article or comment.
Here are the real three big problems.
Number one. The Penguins have been without their best defenseman since four games in.
Number two. Because the team won two cups, every GM out has been trying to get any pieces the can. As a GM you don’t just get Connor Sheary, you get TWO TIME STANLEY CUP WINNING CONNOR SHEARY. The GM’s way over pay. The Penguins have lost great role players for two seasons in a row and the minor league is decimated.
Number three. Murray has been given the hard games for the first time in his career. The games that a normal starting goaltender gets. He has failed miserably.
Because of this, backup Desmith has been thrown into the fire playing the hard games without getting the grace period Murray was given to adjust to the speed of the NHL.
Also, about eight games ago Malkin injured something, you can always tell he is playing injured when he starts taking penalty after penalty.
Those are the real team problems, not Sullivan. Sullivan tries to make the pieces work with what he is given and sometimes he has to fit square pegs into round holes.
Rutherford can only try to get the best pieces he can. He couldn’t keep the Bonino’s, Sheary’s and the rest at the prices the other teams where offering. So he is getting the best that he can for what salary cap he has.
Yes, it is harder with out the quality low priced players coming out of the minors that you can just plug into the lineup, but that is what you deal with after you win two cups the way the Penguins did.
Hey Phil,
Reading Bombulie from the Trib 6/28/2018 it sounded more like the league thought the deal was too lopsided against the Penguins and the league forced VGK to throw Lindberg into that deal to try and even it up, not the other way around. Although I would rather put this argument to bed for the time being and move on to see what tomorrow is bringing, I am sort of dropping my 2 cents in here.
Also, I can’t find anywhere on the internet where Ian Cole gave out any player injury info, can you point me to a site?
Hey tOR,
It was in an interview he did before the Avalanche game the other day. I doubt any Pittsburgh media will talk about it because they loved Cole because he told them this stuff. It did not involve him saying exactly “I gave out Injury information”, but the way he phrased it you knew exactly what he was talking about. Cole actually apologized for doing it and said everything that happened was his fault. Actually called Sully a great coach.
I really thought it would be picked up and written about, but I guess the journalists don’t want to write that they got Cole benched or traded by pushing the questions. Especially after they all wrote that it was because Sullivan didn’t like him.
Unless someone posts it, then it’s is lost out there with the interview Sprong did with Potash in January when he rolled his eyes and said he just goes out there and does whatever Crosby tells him to do which just so happens to be the day before he was benched then sent back down. I’ve been searching for that forever.
Maybe Cole will talk more about it tonight.
The Other Rick
I don’t disagree with you on Sullivan – he has way to many
personality clashes for my liking. I blame him for Cole’s
departure – I think JR was a fault with Reaves – I do believe
he relented to a fan base that wanted Reaves gone. I’m
guessing there feeling pretty stupid today. Reaves has 6 goals
and 6 or 7 assist and last night gave Wilson a taste of his own
medicine. I dont think our 4th line has 13pts if you combine
our forwards.
JR is afraid to pull the trigger on a major move – simple solution to his problem – trade Letang – Pick up a legit up and coming young Defenseman and a physical 4th line player. Lets be serious he’s nothing special on the power play – he has zero for a Hockey IQ and the speed game has caught up to him.
The Other Rick – as for Sprong – I hope things work out for him. He needs to play along side of a Center that can create offensive
opportunities for his wingers. As for Petterson I’m sure he’ll do an adequate job but 177lbs “WT?” – Pens need a guy that will move people away from the crease – I have to listen to Phil Bourque every game cry when theirs a scramble for the puck around the goal not one opposing player gets knocked on his wallet.
Final thoughts – to me this is where JR is failing – You need speed, skill & toughness – our overall team speed is suspect and we have very little in the way of toughness.
I apologize if I was all over the place – “Extremely frustrated”
I hear you Mike,
I am overjoyed that the Pens won and scored 6 goals last night, however, I don’t want to read too much into that win. Colorado won in almost every aspect of the game except in goals. This game was stolen by DeSmith and Hornqvist. Take away a couple of the 42 Saves DeSmith made and Hornqvist’s 4 points and the Penguins lose miserably.
I really didn’t have time today to write anything, especially since, like you I was beyond frustrated. I am not sure I would have written anything because I am tired of complaining about the same thing over and over again.
Did you see the AHL swap JR made today? More much ado about nothing. Stefan Elliot and Tobias Lindberg for Macoy Erkamps and Ben Sexton.
The Pens really didn’t give up much. I was hoping Lindberg would compete for an NHL position but he couldn’t even hold a solid AHL position. Elliot didn’t impress me much either, so nothing lost.
Sexton is a 27 year old 5’11 year old. His best AHL season was 19 goals and 31 points in 54 games. Erkamps is a 23 yr old, 6’0 tall, 196lb RD. He had 71 points in 72 games and was a +47 in his last WHL season but was only playing in the ECHL this season. He wasn’t even in the AHL. So nothing gained either.
The Other Rick
Everyone needs to take a deep breath – I still think it would be in the best interest of the team going forward to make a major trade.
I agree Mike.
With all do respect to the Letang fan club, I doubt it will be him, but I am hoping it is.