Penguins Update: Rutherford Regains His Touch

Through the years, the Penguins have made their share of memorable trades. On March 4, 1991, then-GM Craig Patrick engineered the granddaddy of them all, dealing John Cullen, Zarley Zalapski and Jeff Parker to Hartford for Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelsson and Grant Jennings.

The trade galvanized a talented but underachieving team and propelled the Pens to their first Stanley Cup.

The following spring Patrick struck gold again, acquiring rugged winger and former Pens assistant Rick Tocchet along with defensemen Kjell Samuelsson, Jeff Chychrun and goalie Ken Wregget in a three-way trade that led to a second-straight Cup.

More recently, Ray Shero added Bill Guerin, Chris Kunitz and Craig Adams to pave the way to a Cup in 2009. Current GM Jim Rutherford acquired Carl Hagelin in January of 2016, the final stroke of an ambitious rebuild that catapulted the Pens to the 2015 Cup.

Just my humble opinion. But I think Rutherford’s recent trades for forwards Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann and heavyweight defenseman Erik Gudbranson may equal the others in terms of magnitude, if not the end result.

Indeed, since JR imported Bjugstad and McCann from sunny south Florida for underachievers Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan, the team’s fortunes have taken a dramatic turn for the better. Beginning on February 11, the black and gold have reeled off an impressive 10-3-2 mark.

Since Gudbranson’s arrival at the trade deadline? They’ve been even better…a sterling 5-1-1. Like a bloodhound sniffing the scent of a fox comparatively late in the hunt, we’ve morphed from a tired, disinterested squad that looked like it might miss the playoffs into one that maybe…just maybe…will cause a stir once it gets there.

The newcomers deserve a ton of credit. My word, has McCann been a revelation! When announcing the trade, Rutherford likened him to Nick Bonino. Heck, the whole HBK Line is more like it. The kid skates like Hagelin, scores like Phil Kessel, and displays Bonino’s savvy and grit.

Shifted from his natural center slot to right wing on Sidney Crosby’s line, McCann’s been the perfect complement to No. 87 and sidekick Jake Guentzel. Since joining the locals, he’s piled up nine goals in 20 games…including six in his last eight contests. Better still, he was a scorer in junior hockey, which means we have every reason to believe that the heightened production isn’t a mirage.

Although he hasn’t had the same impact, Bjugstad’s hardly been a slouch. He’s tallied five goals in 20 games…roughly a 20-goal pace over a full season. He’s added some much-needed size to the forward mix (6’6” 215) and a surprising inclination to use it (51 hits). During Tuesday night’s scintillating 5-3 victory over Washington, the big guy delivered five hits and unleashed eight shots…three more than Capitals sniper Alex Ovechkin.

Last, and certainly not least…Gudbranson. I don’t know what went wrong in Vancouver to generate his dreadful advanced stats. Frankly, I don’t care. He’s been just what the doctor ordered…a strong, physical stay-at-home defenseman who makes a surprisingly crisp outlet pass.

His value to the team was never more evident than during the fierce Metro Division match-up with the Caps. Early in the contest he rammed DC bad boy and noted Pens mangler Tom Wilson into the boards with a stiff body check, sending a message that there’s a new sheriff in town.

When Wilson set out to do bodily harm to Guentzel during a third-period scrum as he is wont to do, Gudbranson was more than ready. Without batting an eye, he waded into the fray and tackled his adversary, effectively neutralizing his nefarious foe’s bullying tactics and making Erik an instant folk-hero in the ‘Burgh.

While I’m doling out credit, huge kudos to Rutherford for making these deals. His performance may have slipped a bit last season, culminating in the well-intentioned but wayward Brassard swap. But GMJR keeps his finger placed firmly on the team’s collective pulse. And he never shies away from a deal if he thinks it will help.

As for his recent trades? An enthusiastic two thumbs up!