One thing we have noticed about Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford during his short stint on the job is the fact that he is really high on first-round pick Kaspari Kapanen. Rutherford inked the 17-year old forward to a three-year entry-level contract on Friday. There has been some speculation that Kapanen could make the Penguins team out of camp as Rutherford is in love with the speed that he brings. Kapanen is the son for former NHL star Sami Kapanen, who Rutherford ... Read More
Face Off Friday: Crosby/Malkin or Toews/Kane
Jon Pennline — If we're comparing teams, I'll take the Chicago Blackhawks over the Pittsburgh Penguins in a seven-game series. But we're not. We're talking about comparing two dynamic duos and, in that sense, I'll take Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin every time and twice on Sunday. With Crosby and Malkin, you're getting two players that have won two Art Ross Trophies each; the award for highest scoring player in the league. While Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane haven't been too far behind ... Read More
Pittsburgh Penguins ink Megna, Samuelsson to one-year deals
With their shopping apparently done when it comes to unrestricted free agents, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford took care of a couple of the teams restricted free agents on Thursday, inking both forward Jayson Megna and defenseman Philip Samuelsson to one-year deals. Megna’s deal is a two-way contract and has an average annual value of $874,125 at the NHL level. The 24-year old saw action at the NHL level for the first time in 2013-14 where he scored five goals, had four ... Read More
Can Pittsburgh Penguins power play be better in 2015?
Now that the dust has settled and the Pittsburgh Penguins are pretty much done free agent shopping, it is a good time to look at the roles of some of the new additions, especially in terms of newly signed defenseman Christian Ehrhoff. More specifically I wonder if the Penguins’ power play will be even better with the addition of the 32-year old veteran. There’s a good chance that it will. Those are lofty expectations considering that the Pens led the NHL in power play percentage last ... Read More
Pittsburgh Penguins hire Gary Agnew as assistant coach
New Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Johnston has been looking to round out his coaching staff and it appears he finally has found his guy. The Penguins announced that they have agreed to terms with Gary Agnew to join the coaching staff as an assistant coach. Agnew joins former Penguins player Rick Tocchet as an assistant under Johnston, to go along with goaltender coach Mike Bales, who was kept from Dan Bylsma’s staff. The 54-year old Agnew was an assistant coach for the St. Louis ... Read More
Penguins sign Steve Downie to one-year deal
Day two of free agency hasn’t been nearly as busy for Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, but he has still been able to add to the current team. On Wednesday he was able to add another forward to the mix when he inked Steve Downie to a one-year, $1 million deal. Downie, who played parts of last season with both the Colorado Avalanche and Philadelphia Flyers, racked up 24 points (four goals) in 62 games played. The Pens will be the fifth franchise Downie has suited up for ... Read More
Jim Rutherford passes early test in free agency
Pittsburgh Penguins’ general manager Jim Rutherford made it clear that he planned on keeping busy on the first day of free agency. He certainly kept his word. The Penguins were among the most active of all teams yesterday, and after yesterday's signing bonanza, there is no doubt the team will have a much different look this upcoming season. With just under $15 million in cap space to utilize, Rutherford was given the daunting challenge of deciding how to spend limited resources in order ... Read More
Penguins hit hard during opening day of free agency
As expected, the first day of free agency has turned into “Black Tuesday,” for the Pittsburgh Penguins as they suffered a big hit. It was unlikely that the Penguins would be able to sign any of their unrestricted free agents coming into Tuesday as they saw five players change addresses, headlined by longtime Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik. Orpik signed a five-year, $27.5-million deal with the Washington Capitals after spending his entire professional career to date with the Pens. The ... Read More
Penguins sign Blake Comeau, Thomas Greiss
Shortly after Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford made his first free agent splash of the offseason by inking defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, Rutherford added a couple more pieces on the open market. The new Penguins GM was able to sign forward Blake Comeau to a one-year, $700,000 deal and goaltender Thomas Greiss to a one-year, $1 million deal. The 28-year old Comeau has spent the last season and a half in Columbus where he tallied 21 points (7G, 14A) in 70 regular-season ... Read More
Penguins Ink Christian Ehrhoff to one-year deal
It didn’t take long for new Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford to make his first free agent signing. But it wasn’t the forward that many expected it to be. Linked to several unrestricted free agent forwards on the market, the Penguins instead targeted another defenseman, inking veteran Christian Ehroff to a one-year deal that will pay the left-hand shooting blue liner $4 million next season. Ehrhoff, who is set to turn 32 on July 6, was set to enter the fourth season of ... Read More