The State of the Penguins Part 4: Right Handed Defense

Sorry, for the delay in this series but it was a long, long week.

Perhaps my expectations of Pittsburgh Penguins Defensemen have dropped significantly over the last several years, but I may not have been as disappointed as some in the play of this embattled corps. They are just who they are. Face it, this is not the same defense as the defense that won the Cup in 2015-2016. Gone are Ian Cole, Trevor Daley, Ben Lovejoy, and Olli Määttä and Kris Letang and Justin Schultz are not the same Letang and Schultz of yore.

So, let us talk about the state of the Penguins Defense. And while we do that, we will need to keep in mind the revelation that ownership has stated the team will only be permitted to spend in lower to mid-$70 million range, even though the Cap says $81 million

I was originally going to talk about all Penguins Defensemen but as I started to write I found that it may be too much for one article. So, let us confine ourselves to the Penguins Right Handed Defensemen (RHD)

Kris Letang

Kris Letang is a good place to start. Letang is a Jekyll/Hyde player. He is, perhaps, the grittiest of the Penguins Defensemen, standing up for teammates, and leading with his heart. Also, Letang can still be a significant offense force. Unfortunately, he can be a significant offensive force for both teams on the ice. He makes a whole lot of head scratching decisions in his own zone and has more than a tendency to make bad drop passes at the wrong time. He also will take more than a couple of bad Penalties (Does anybody remember the game Letang took a Misconduct Penalty that prevented him from participating in the Shootout?)

What I have found most interesting is an article by Jake Grill quoting Rob Rossi and Josh Yohe of the Athletic (I haven’t had time to read the original source), “Rossi and Yohe continued quoting a rival executive: ‘Letang’s market value is better, if you can believe it… He’s still a top defenseman and you’re going to keep him around if you get him, so [the Penguins] would get more for him, I’d think.”.

Since this is a quote of a quote, take it for what it is worth, but it does give hope to the “trade Letang” crowd. And with the knowledge that the team only allowed to spend about $70-75 million on payroll and Letang is $7.25 million, it does seem to make sense. Also, I have been wanting to trade him for a couple of years now when his trade value was even higher.

However, I hope GM Jim Rutherford does just trade him willy-nilly. The sobering fact is, with Schultz about to go Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA), if you trade Letang, all you may have remaining on the right side is John Marino coming off his rookie season.

Letang gets traded, but only after I make plans for life after Letang.

Justin Schultz

Justin Schultz has not been Justin Schultz for some time now. Several years back I thought Schultz was going to be the future on the Penguins right side of defense, but not anymore. He is not scoring in the Offensive Zone and since he never hit anyone and now isn’t really getting his stick on a whole lot of shots or taking the stick away from opponents around the net, he is definitely not worth the $5.5 million of his contract. I hope he is not asking for a raise.

If Schultz is willing to take a significant pay cut to prove himself again, and Letang does get traded, it may be worth re-signing him.

Schultz is a no, let him go.

John Marino

John Marino had a strong rookie campaign. He had 26 Points (Pnts) in 56 Games Played (GP). Coming from the shorter Collegian Leagues, everyone expected the kid to fade down the stretch run, but he did not. After watching Jared McCann have a great honeymoon first impression at the end of the 2018-2019 season but really drop of the face of the earth this season, although I am impressed by Marino, I will not hail him King. I will take a wait and see posture with a lot of hope.

Marino is a keeper.

Chad Ruhwedel

Chad Ruhwedel is signed through the 2020-2021 season, but he is signed for only $700,000, and that is about all he is worth. Ruhwedel is a spare part, a 4th or 5th RHD on the depth chart. The scary thing is if Letang is traded and Schultz goes UFA, then by default Ruhwedel climbs to 2.

Ruhwedel stays. I cannot see anyone asking for Ruhwedel in a trade and since he is only costing the team $700,000 unless he becomes part of a package deal.

Zach Trotman

Zach Trotman, Trotman, is still signed through 2020-2021 for a mere $700,000, like Ruhwedel. Unlike Ruhwedel, Trotman has a 2-way contract. He only costs the team $400,000 in the minors while the team still must pay Ruhwedel the full $700,000. I can’t help but think Trotman is a little better than Ruhwedel but that isn’t saying much. I would no want to go into a season with either as a regular.

Trotman stays, by default.

How do I see the Penguins RHD next season?

1st Pairing TBD
2nd Pairing John Marino
3rd Pairing TBD

If Rutherford does not find a trading partner for Letang, then let us face it, Letang is on the 1st pairing. As good as Marino looked last season, it was only 1 season, he could get hit with the sophomore jinx like Marcus Pettersson suffered under this past season. Furthermore, Mike Sullivan has been playing it very conservative, he has been playing to not lose, so I cannot see him bumping Marino to the 1st pairing without being forced by injuries.

On the 3rd pairing I would rather they not play either Ruhwedel or Trotman but there really isn’t much else in the organization. Rutherford did sign a college kid Josh Maniscalco, looking to find lightning in a bottle for a 2nd year in a row (Marino last year). He is 21 years old, 6’-2”, 205lbs and had 11 Goals (G) and 21 Assists (A) in 36 Games Played (GP) at Arizona State University (my wife’s alma mater). The little I could find in the way of scouting reports on him say he is a puck moving RHD, but do not count on him being another Marino. He probably starts the season in Wilkes Barre – Scranton (WBS)

Our friend Rick B has on occasion mentioned Will Rielly, but he acknowledges that Reilly is still quite a ways away from the NHL. Reilly is 21 years old, and 6’-2”, 196lbs and had 8 G and 14 A, 27 Blocked Shots (Blk) and was +14 in 34 GP at RPI last season. Dobber Prospects write of him “A solid puck-moving offensive defenseman with good speed and a great shot. Potential depth defenseman.” But as Rick B said he needs time in WBS.

Last year, there were a lot of European Free Agents (FA) I wanted the Penguins to go after; Ilya Mikheyev, Jakob Lilja, and Joakim Nygård all had some success at the NHL level while Rutherford chose to sign Oula Palve. I quipped that Mikheyev would be like Artemi Panarin and Palve would be like Sergei Plotnikov, I was pretty close.

On the Defensive side, the RHD I wanted the Penguins to sign was Oliwer Kaski. He is a big kid (24 years old, 6’-3”, 187 lbs). He was coming off a 19 G 31 A in 59 GP season in Lilga. His scouting report said he skates well, moves the puck, and has a booming shot (something the Penguins lack).

The Detroit Red Wings signed him and buried him in their minors and in truth, Kaski started out the year roughly trying to adjust to North American Hockey only. He only had 2 G and 3 A and was a -8 in 19 GP for Detroit’s AHL club.

He got traded to the Carolina Hurricanes and finished the year with the ‘canes AHL team and turned it around with 11 G, 9 A and a +2 in 35 GP. I would be pushing for the Rutherford to wheel and deal here but Kaski jumped back to Europe, signing with Avangard Omsk of the KHL.

All does look a bit bleak here for the RHD. One possible escape could be the Buffalo Sabres. They are in a bind themselves. Sam Reinhart is a Restricted Free Agent (RFA) this year and will certainly be asking for a raise from his $3.65 million and then next season Rasmus Dahlin will be (RFA). I have seen articles saying Buffalo is going to have to choose between Reinhart or Dahlin. If Rutherford can clear Letang’s salary fast enough, how about this, trade for Rasmus Ristolainen?

I am not sure what it would take to pry Ristolainen off the Sabres hands but freeing up Cap space for them may make it palatable. I might try and get rid of Nick Bjugstad’s salary that way. Bjugstad goes UFA the following year, when Dahlin’s extension would kick in.

I certainly would not look at the free agent market. With the edict coming down from the owners to only spend in the low to mid $70 million range, the team will have to look in another direction to fill in the holes in the roster particularly if they trade Letang and lose Schultz’s to UFA.