The Penguins should trade Matt Murray. I’ll wait a minute while you scream at me at the top your lungs. Done yet? No? Now? OK, hear me out. The Penguins have a problem at goaltender. There’s only one net and they have two quality players in Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury. That’s not an ideal situation for any team, but some have made it work. The Penguins even seem as if they would be willing to try make it work. “If it was in a perfect world and (head coach Mike Sullivan) and ... Read More
Penguins’ depth paying dividends on road to hoisting Stanley Cup
In any sport, it's convenient to have a couple of superstars. The Pittsburgh Penguins have that in the form of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The Penguins are now one game away from their fourth Stanley Cup, and while this superstar trio has been a big part of the success, others have stepped into the spotlight, as well. Over the past two months, offseason and midseason acquisitions by general manager Jim Rutherford and call ups from AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton have ... Read More
Penguins’ regular-season grades for 2015-16
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2015-16 NHL regular season was a tale of two different teams. The first: a team that struggled and couldn’t find the magic needed to be regarded as one of the league's best teams. The other: a formidable and dangerous team with an offense that had the spark and speed of a top-tier team, which was complemented by a fast-paced defense. Now, with the regular season over and done with, it’s time to assign the final grades of the season. Offense: A- Overall, this ... Read More
Pens forward Pascal Dupuis retires
Pittsburgh Penguins left-winger Pascal Dupuis has decided to retire, citing continued issues with the blood clots that prematurely ended his 2014-15 season. Dupuis, 36, has been with the Penguins since 2008 and won a Stanley Cup with the club in 2009. “It was very difficult for me to make this decision to have to step away from the game,” Dupuis said in a press release. “My wife and four children have always been my first priority, and playing with my condition has become a constant worry ... Read More
Dupuis taken to the hospital, will miss tonight’s game
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Pascal Dupuis is out of the lineup as he was taken to the hospital prior to tonight's game against the Edmonton Oilers. The team's press release stated that it was a precautionary measure as Dupuis was experiencing symptoms that could be linked to his previous blood clot issues. He suffered a blood clot almost a year ago and was sidelined from November 18 through the end of the season, missing 66 regular season games and the playoffs. If the symptoms are related ... Read More
Pens mailbag: Why Matt Cullen, is Franson a fit, and more
Why did the Pens sign 38-year old center Matt Cullen? Penguins GM Jim Rutherford gave lip service to Cullen being the type of player that he wants in his locker room after signing Cullen to a one-year deal last week. But as the Penguins witnessed last season with Craig Adams, all the intangibles in the world don’t add up to squat if the player can’t produce on the ice. Well, Cullen may be 38, but he’s far from unproductive. Over the last two seasons with Nashville, he averaged .122 goals ... Read More
Summer of Jim: Pens GM making all the right moves in 2015
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford faced a lot of criticism in his first year on the job. Many commenters (including this columnist) felt that Rutherford did not adequately manage his assets or the salary cap in order to put his team in the best possible position come playoff time. It was an easy criticism to make. The Penguins had so little salary cap space that they were forced to play with five defensemen for a long stretch at the end of the season, while minimal ... Read More
Penguins sign Matt Cullen
The Pittsburgh Penguins continued to build their depth in the bottom six on Thursday by signing free agent center Matt Cullen to a one-year contract worth $800,000. Cullen, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound native of Virginia, Minnesota, spent the last two seasons with the Nashville Predators. In 2013-14, he scored 10 goals and recorded 29 assists in. In 2014-15, a pair of injuries held him to just 62 games played, but he still was able to score 7 goals and tally 18 assists. Cullen can play center and ... Read More
COLUMN: Rutherford all-in on Kessel, was it the right move?
After years of searching for a goal scoring winger for Sidney Crosby, the Penguins may have found their man. The Pens sent Kaperi Kapanen, Scott Harrington, Nick Spaling, and the Penguins 2016 first and third-round picks to the Leafs for right-winger Phil Kessel, defensemen Tim Erixon, forward Tyler Biggs and the a 2016 second-round selection. Additionally, Toronto retained 15 percent of Kessel's remaining salary. In other words, the Penguins acquired one of the better goal scorers in the NHL ... Read More
Pens GM Rutherford gets his man
Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford finally got his man. After several weeks of handwringing over would he or wouldn’t he, Rutherford pulled the trigger on a six-player deal that brought in Toronto Maple Leafs star right-winger Phil Kessel on Wednesday. “We worked on this deal with Toronto for over a month,” Rutherford said in press conference Wednesday afternoon. “It got a little legs on draft day, but it really heated up last night and we were able to complete the deal today. With ... Read More