Sometimes the best moves are the ones you don’t make. A concept Penguins GM Jim Rutherford fully grasped during the 2016-17 campaign.
In stark contrast to his first two seasons at the helm, when he orchestrated a massive overhaul of the black-and-gold roster, Rutherford executed a rather dramatic turnabout in philosophy following the Cup triumph in 2016. Belying his reputation as a wheeler-dealer, he embraced a patient, if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it approach, to the greatest effect possible.
In an understated way, he was even more masterful. With the exception of departing free agents Beau Bennett, Ben Lovejoy and Jeff Zatkoff the defending Cup champs remained virtually intact.
JR did his darndest to keep them that way. In terms of importing players, he focused on adding depth defenders such as Cameron Gaunce, feisty Steve Oleksky and Chad Ruhwedel, who proved to be a savvy signing. Brought back for an encore, Matt Cullen once again proved to be a vital cog.
Not listed in my table (for simplicity’s sake I’m only showing UFA signings and new additions from outside the organization) was RFA defenseman Justin Schultz, who JR signed for one year at a very favorable $1.4 million.
Schultz blossomed, notching career highs in goals (12), assists (39) and points (51) to go with a sparkling plus-27. All the while averaging a hefty 20:27 of ice time.
His rapid development took on added significance in February when bulwark Kris Letang suffered a herniated disc in his neck…hockey’s worst-kept secret.
Pressure mounted for JR to add a defenseman with high-end offensive skill before the trade deadline. One just happened to be available. St. Louis was dangling power-play wiz Kevin Shattenkirk, prized at the time. His cap hit was fairly steep…$4.25 million.
The only way the Pens could afford him was to move goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Said to be disenchanted with his 1A role behind Matt Murray, “Flower” quietly waived his no-trade, no-movement clause prior to the deadline.
However, JR maintained all along that he liked having two quality goalies. Eschewing a sexier deal, he instead acquired veteran defenseman Ron Hainsey from Carolina for a second-round pick and a minor-league forward.
A sturdy 6’3” 205-pounder who could play either side with equal ability, the 35-year-old Connecticut native proved to be the perfect under-the-radar addition. Having never skated for a playoff team during his 14-year NHL career, he was plenty motivated.
The rest, as they say, is history. Murray suffered a hamstring injury prior to the Pens’ first playoff game. Thrust into the spotlight, Fleury was brilliant, back-stopping the Pens past Columbus and a talented, ultra-determined Washington squad. One featuring none other than Shattenkirk.
Hainsey was huge, too. Sans Letang, the Pens were forced to stand and defend for long stretches against a blistering Capitals attack. The character defender helped weather the storm.
Having survived a scare, the Pens became the first team to capture back-to-back Cups in 20 years.
A consummate job by Rutherford. Individual transactions aside, another A in my book.
TRADES
| Date | Team | Acquired | Traded | Rating |
| Nov. 2, 2016 | Ottawa | 5th round pick in 2017 | Mike Condon (g) | B-: Condon sparkled, albeit for Ottawa. |
| Feb. 23, 2017 | Carolina | Ron Hainsey (ld) | Danny Kristo (rw), 2nd round pick 2017 | A: Terrific acquisition, Pens wouldn’t have won Cup without him. |
| Mar. 1, 2017 | Tampa Bay | Mark Streit (ld) | 4th round pick in 2018 | B-: Didn’t play as big a role as Hainsey, but solid down the stretch. |
| Mar. 1, 2017 | Toronto | Frank Corrado (rd) | Eric Fehr (c), Steve Oleksy (rd), 4th round pick in 2017 | D+: Steep price for mobile, right-hand shot who didn’t pan out. |
FREE AGENT/WAIVERS
| Date | Old Team | Free Agent | Contract | Rating |
| Jul. 1, 2016 | Florida | Cameron Gaunce (ld) | 1 year, $575 thousand | B: Played well in a dozen games. |
| Jul. 1, 2016 | Baby Pens (AHL) | Steve Oleksy (rd) | 1 year, $575 thousand | B: Oleksy provided bite prior to trade. |
| Jul. 1, 2016 | Buffalo | Chad Ruhwedel (rd) | 1 year, $575 thousand | B+: Quintessential No. 7 d-man. |
| Jul. 1, 2016 | Pittsburgh | Tom Sestito (lw) | 1 year, $575 thousand | C+: Heavyweight served as part-time enforcer. |
| Jul. 1, 2016 | Pittsburgh | David Warsofsky (ld) | 1 year, $575 thousand | C-: Undersized defender minus-3 in 7 games. |
| Jul. 7, 2016 | Florida | Garrett Wilson (lw) | 1 year, $575 thousand | C+: Provided leadership and grit for Baby Pens. |
| Aug. 17, 2016 | Pittsburgh | Matt Cullen (c) | 1 year, $1 million | A-: Back for an encore, “Team Dad” shone once again. |
| Aug. 19, 2016 | Notre Dame (H-East) | Thomas Di Pauli (c) | 2 years, $742.5 thousand (AAV) | D: Didn’t come close to living up to hype. |
| Oct. 11, 2016 | Montreal | Mike Condon (g) | Claimed on waivers | B-: 1.000 save percentage on 7 shots. |
| Mar. 14, 2017 | Northeastern (H-East) | Zach Aston-Reese (lw) | 2 years, $925 thousand (AAV) | C+: Hobey Baker finalist became solid defensive forward. |
OVERALL GRADE: A
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