Happy Thanksgiving to all of our PenguinPoop readers and commenters and welcome to the second installment of Rating Rutherford’s Moves. This one covers the 2015-16 season.
To say the Penguins finished the 2014-15 season and playoffs in disarray would be a vast understatement. Although injuries contributed a great deal to the team’s poor showing, general manager Jim Rutherford drew his share of heat from the local media.
“Rutherford has botched an attempted retooling job of the Penguins,” wrote Tribune Review columnist Rob Rossi in a particularly scathing critique.
Under intense scrutiny, GMJR promptly pulled the trigger on the blockbuster deal of the summer, acquiring five-time 30-goal man Phil Kessel from Toronto. The price was steep…a first-round pick, a third-round pick, former first-round pick Kaperi Kapanen along with spare parts Nick Spaling and Scott Harrington. But Rutherford secured one of the league’s most dynamic skaters and scorers with one bold stroke.
The trade underscored his approach for the coming season. JR intended to add speed, skill and leadership while following Chicago’s model of rolling four productive lines.
Several of his moves were a study in understated brilliance. On July 28, he acquired gritty Nick Bonino from Vancouver for Brandon Sutter, one of the team’s best players down the previous season’s stretch run. Following a slow start, Bonino would establish himself as a vital cog while anchoring the third line.
A week later Rutherford inked 39-year-old Matt Cullen, a linchpin on his ’06 Cup winner in Carolina. Cullen filled an elder statesman role similar to Bryan Trottier’s on the Pens’ first Cup teams. He also notched 16 goals and won 55.7 percent of his faceoffs.
JR really found his stride on December 14, plucking Trevor Daley from the Blackhawks in exchange for shopworn Rob Scuderi. A perfect fit for new coach Mike Sullivan’s attacking style, the quicksilver defenseman helped jump start the stalled transition game.
The hits kept comin’. In yet another signature swap, Rutherford peddled snake bitten David Perron to Anaheim for puck hound extraordinaire Carl Hagelin. The supersonic Swede joined forces with Bonino and Kessel to form the deadly “HBK Line.” The trio would lead all lines in postseason scoring.
At the trade deadline, JR culled talented right-shot defenseman Justin Schultz from Edmonton for a third-round pick. Once so highly regarded the Oilers sent Hall of Famer Paul Coffey to recruit him, Schultz’s game had fallen apart. Staked to sheltered minutes on the third pairing, the former Wisconsin star regained his confidence and proved to be a steal.
Not every move JR made was gold. He signed KHL power forward Sergei Plotnikov for $3.775 million (including signing bonus). With two assists in 32 games, the husky Russian never found his footing. Likewise, hulking Eric Fehr…a Penguin-killer with Washington…failed to mesh with the team’s up-tempo style.
Yet for the most part Rutherford displayed a Midas touch. Indeed, with the possible exceptions of Jack Button in the mid-‘70s and Craig Patrick in the early ‘90s, it’s doubtful a Pens GM ever did better work.
A perfect team-building storm. One that propelled the black and gold to a Stanley Cup and earned JR General Manager of the Year honors. Richly deserved.
TRADES
| Date | Team | Acquired | Traded | Rating |
| Jul. 1, 2015 | Toronto | Phil Kessel (rw), Tyler Biggs (rw), Tim Erixon (ld), 2nd round pick 2016 (PIT) | Kasperi Kapanen (rw), Scott Harrington (ld), Nick Spaling (c), 1st round pick 2016, 3rd round pick 2016 (NJ) | A+: Kessel magic on the power play, the Pens wouldn’t have won two Cups without him. |
| Jul. 28, 2015 | Vancouver | Nick Bonino (c), Adam Clendening (rd), 2nd round pick 2016 (ANA) | Brandon Sutter (c), 3rd round pick in 2016 (VAN) | A: “Bones” the definition of a third-line center. |
| Dec. 14, 2015 | Chicago | Trevor Daley (ld) | Rob Scuderi (ld) | A+: JR moved the immovable object for a quality player to boot. |
| Jan. 16, 2016 | Anaheim | Carl Hagelin (lw) | David Perron (lw), Adam Clendening (rd) | A: Warp drive speed; meshed beautifully with Bonino and Kessel. |
| Feb. 27, 2016 | Edmonton | Justin Schultz (rd) | 3rd round pick 2016 | A: Grand larceny. |
| Feb. 29, 2016 | Arizona | Matthias Plachta (lw) | Sergei Plotnikov (lw) | C: Swap of disappointing Euros. |
FREE AGENT/WAIVERS
| Date | Old Team | Free Agent | Contract | Rating |
| Jul. 1, 2015 | Yaroslavl (KHL) | Sergei Plotnikov (lw) | 1 year, $3.775 million | F: A flop. |
| Jul. 1, 2015 | Washington | Steve Oleksy (rd) | 1 year, $575 thousand | C+: Depth d-man noted for toughness and leadership. |
| Jul. 1, 2015 | NY Islanders | Kael Mouillierat (c) | 1 year, $575 thousand | C: Depth forward. |
| Jul. 1, 2015 | Detroit | Kevin Porter (c) | 1 year, $575 thousand | C: Depth forward. |
| Jul. 1, 2015 | Boston | David Warsofsky (ld) | 1 year, $600 thousand | C+: Valued for leadership. |
| Jul. 1, 2015 | Baby Pens (AHL) | Conor Sheary (rw) | 2 years, $925 thousand (AAV) | B+: Forty-one goals over a two-season span. |
| Jul. 13, 2015 | Pittsburgh | Bobby Farnham (rw) | 1 year, $575 thousand | C: Feisty role player. |
| Jul. 28, 2015 | Washington | Eric Fehr (c) | 3 years, $2 million (AAV) | C: Poor fit but scored key goals in playoffs. |
| Aug. 6, 2015 | Nashville | Matt Cullen (c) | 1 year, $800 thousand | A: “Team Dad” leadership personified. |
| Oct. 26, 2015 | Pittsburgh | Bobby Farnham (rw) | Claimed on waivers by New Jersey | NA |
| Feb. 1, 2016 | Baby Pens (AHL) | Tom Sestito (lw) | 1 year, $575 thousand | C+: Tough guy protected the kids on the farm. |
| Feb. 29, 2016 | New Jersey | David Warsofsky (ld) | Claimed on waivers | NA |
| Mar. 9, 2016 | Baby Pens (AHL) | Carter Rowney (rw) | 2 years, $612.5 thousand (AAV) | B: Solid late-blooming depth forward. |
OVERALL GRADE: A
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