Hoping to reposition the Penguins for another run at the Cup in 2018-19, general manager Jim Rutherford instead had another in-and-out season at the helm.
Some of his moves were good. Some fair. Some…no bueno.
Unlike the previous offseason when he appeared to be in a lull, JR started aggressively and with a clear-cut plan. Eleven days after the Pens were eliminated by Washington, he signed promising Finnish defenseman Juuso Riikola, who blended good wheels with sand and a booming shot.
On June 27, he cleared $5.25 million in cap space…and shed a mistake in the process…by shuffling Matt Hunwick and Conor Sheary off to Buffalo and into the waiting arms of former assistant GM Jason Botterill for a conditional fourth-round pick.
Poised to make a splash on the free-agent market, JR raised eyebrows by signing former No. 3 overall pick and Sidney Crosby pal Jack Johnson to a five-year deal with an AAV of $3.25 million. Once a fairly accomplished offensive defenseman, that side of Johnson’s game had long since dried up. Worse, his terrible advanced stats made him a target of the media from the moment he signed.
Although not for a lack of effort on Johnson’s part…he would lead the team in hits and blocked shots…it was the start of a rocky two-season stay in the ‘Burgh.
JR also brought back venerable Matt Cullen for a second tour of duty. However, the 42-year-old was nearing the end of the line. Derek Grant, a 12-goal scorer for Anaheim the season before, signed on July 19. The big center never gained any traction and was traded back to the Ducks midseason.
With the black and gold floundering and in the midst of an ugly 1-6 slide, Rutherford tried to shake up the mix by dealing slumping Carl Hagelin to Los Angeles on November 14 for equally frosty Tanner Pearson. The ex-King had his moments, just not enough of them. He, too, was dealt before the season was out.
Indeed, Rutherford spent a good portion of the season making moves and then correcting them. He even tried…unsuccessfully…to reacquire Hagelin at the trade deadline.
Sort of a hockey version of the Texas Two-Step. Trade a Jamie Oleksiak. Acquire an Erik Gudbranson.
Still, Rutherford did have his moments. On December 3, he shipped talented but difficult winger Daniel Sprong to the Ducks for obscure Swedish defenseman Marcus Pettersson. The rangy rookie blossomed with the Pens, earning Calder Trophy votes.
On February 1, JR jettisoned a considerable chunk of dead wood in Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan, foisting them on Florida for centers Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann. The newcomers showed well, combining for 20 goals down the stretch while providing a badly needed shot of adrenaline.
Alas, even this trade…arguably Rutherford’s best…had a downside. He also parted with a second-round pick and two fourth-round picks to sweeten the pot, another instance when he overpaid to correct a mistake.
The Pens’ GM did finish the season on an upswing, acquiring Gudbranson from Vancouver for Pearson. For a 19-game stretch the heavyweight defenseman exceeded all expectations, (52 hits, plus-7, 54.7 Corsi).
However, when you add it all together…a mixed bag. I give JR a C+.
TRADES
| Date | Team | Acquired | Traded | Rating |
| Jun. 27, 2018 | Buffalo | 4th round (conditional) pick 2019 | Matt Hunwick (ld), Conor Sheary (rw) | A: Cleared a considerable chunk of cap space. |
| Nov. 14, 2018 | Los Angeles | Tanner Pearson (lw) | Carl Hagelin (lw) | C+: Pearson had his moments, just not enough. |
| Dec. 3, 2018 | Anaheim | Marcus Pettersson (ld) | Daniel Sprong (rw) | A: Sprong talented, but a steal for JR. |
| Jan. 27, 2019 | Anaheim | Joseph Blandisi (c) | Derek Grant (c) | C: Swap of fourth-liners. |
| Jan. 28, 2019 | Dallas | 4th round pick in 2019 | Jamie Oleksiak (ld) | D: Poor return for the “Big Rig,” who fell out of favor. |
| Feb. 1, 2019 | Florida | Nick Bjugstad (c), Jared McCann (c) | Derick Brassard (c), Riley Sheahan (c), 2nd round pick 2019, 4th round pick 2019 (PIT), 4th round pick 2019 (MIN) | B+: Bjugstad and McCann a huge upgrade, but losing picks mitigated deal to an extent. |
| Feb. 25, 2019 | Vancouver | Erik Gudbranson (rd) | Tanner Pearson (lw) | A: Gudbranson shone in brief stint with Pens. |
| Feb. 25, 2019 | Florida | Chris Wideman (rd) | Jean-Sebastien Dea (c) | C: Swap of spare parts. |
FREE AGENT/WAIVERS
| Date | Old Team | Free Agent | Contract | Rating |
| May 18, 2018 | KalPa Kuopio (SM-liiga) | Juuso Riikola (ld) | 1 year, $925 thousand | B-: Riikola showed promise, but didn’t earn Mike Sullivan’s trust. |
| Jun. 28, 2018 | Pittsburgh | Jean-Sebastien Dea (c) | 1 year, $650 thousand | C: Speedy depth forward. |
| Jul. 1, 2018 | Minnesota | Matt Cullen (c) | 1 year, $650 thousand | C+: “Team Dad” in the twilight. |
| Jul. 1, 2018 | Columbus | Jack Johnson (ld) | 5 years, $3.25 million (AAV) | D+: JJ gave his all, but fading skills and onerous contract a millstone. |
| Jul. 1, 2018 | Pittsburgh | Zach Trotman (rd) | 1 year, $650 thousand | B: Effectively filled in for Letang. |
| Jul. 19, 2018 | Anaheim | Derek Grant (c) | 1 year, $650 thousand | C+: Under-the-radar signing didn’t get much ice time. |
| Sep. 28, 2018 | Pittsburgh | Jean-Sebastien Dea (c) | Claimed on waivers by New Jersey | NA |
| Nov. 29, 2018 | New Jersey | Jean-Sebastien Dea (c) | Claimed on waivers | C: Reclaimed and soon traded. |
OVERALL GRADE: C+
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