The Pittsburgh Penguins made a big splash on the first day of NHL free agency, landing star right-winger Phil Kessel in a six-player trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since then, the Penguins have been mostly quiet, singing Russian winger Sergei Plotnikov and a host of depth players that may or may not see time in Pittsburgh this season. One of the reasons that the Penguins have fallen silent is that their roster has largely filled: they have two goaltenders, eight defensemen and 10 ... 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
Who won Pens & Blue Jackets free-agent arms race?
The burgeoning rivalry between the Pittsburgh Penguins and their nearest opponent is heating up as they have been butting heads with the Columbus Blue Jackets over social media and have been vying for free agent supremacy. Whose summer signings look to make the biggest impact this year? Cornerstone Additions: Columbus made a splash when it was announced that they had acquired Brandon Saad from the Chicago Blackhawks, while the Penguins stole the show on the opening day of free agency with a ... Read More
Pens mailbag: Kessel, the cap, who is Kael Mouillierat and more
I heard that Kessel is a bit of a dressing room problem. While not technically a question, it is a concern, and a fairly serious one. Deserved or not, Phil Kessel’s reputation ranges from that of a guy that’s a bit out of shape and doesn’t always try his hardest to a full-blown locker room cancer. I’ve also heard others say that Kessel is a little bit misunderstood and that his social anxiety causes tension between him and the media. Here’s what Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford ... 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
Penguins add to depth on day one
While the biggest stories of Wednesday afternoon were the hotly anticipated acquisition of Phil Kessel and the exodus of the Penguins free agents, the Penguins quietly built up their depth on day one of free agency. Acquired in the Kessel trade, defenseman Tim Erixon should shore up the Penguins defense as a depth option. Erixon, 24, was the Calgary Flames first round pick in the 2009 NHL Draft. He’s bounced around the league since then, being traded several times, and was claimed on ... Read More
Penguins acquire RW Phil Kessel
The Pittsburgh Penguins finally made the big move that everyone has been waiting for his offseason, acquiring winger Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kessel, 27, is signed for seven more seasons at an average annual value of $8 million. The Madison, Wisconsin native scored 25 goals and tallied 26 assists last season with the Leafs. Over the last five seasons with Toronto, Kessel has played in every single game and scored at least 25 goals in every season except the lockout ... Read More