![]() Christopher Tanev is set to turn 31 in December, but his age is not a concern for the team. Tanev is the elder brother of forward Brandon Tanev, the Penguins’ big free-agent signing last offseason. ![]() Adding a right-handed shot defenseman is a priority for the Penguins, and Rutherford is expected to try clearing enough cap space to pursue Christopher Tanev on the open market, multiple team and league sources said.This isn’t something that management attributes to anything specifically but many in the front office believe had the Penguins had a couple of weeks of actual games to play before the postseason began, things could have gone differently. These Penguins frequently start seasons slowly, notably doing so in the 2015-16, 2017-19 seasons. Management believes this particular group of Penguins was destined to fail because of the unprecedented nature of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. Specifically, ownership views defenseman John Marino and winger Jason Zucker as players who could extend the Penguins’ championship window beyond the next two seasons - if, for no other reasons, their respective presences could make it more feasible to pursue so-called hockey trades involving veteran holdovers from the ’16 and ’17 title teams. Ownership and management believe the Penguins are better positioned now than at a similar point last offseason, team sources said. Penguins brass are more optimistic about the franchise’s immediate future than in the weeks following a qualifying-round loss to Montreal in August.If the market for Rust is better than for other forwards Rutherford has deemed replaceable, trading the club’s top goal-scorer from last season for a haul should also serve to put any Penguin on high alert that they can’t grow too comfortable. He wasn’t talking about Rust this time but was last time. It’s at least worth noting that Rutherford has, for a second consecutive offseason, publicly questioned if players from the recent Cup clubs have enough hunger. Though Rust is coming off a career-best season, the Penguins should know better than any club if his 2019-20 production is repeatable or if selling high is the higher-percentage bet. So, the Penguins have options for figuring out the pieces around their two franchise centers if Rust indeed attracts an offer that would allow Rutherford to keep from overpaying in free agency on a role player, which has happened each of the past two offseasons. And recently re-signed Jared McCann has shown past success as a winger with Crosby. Also, alienating Malkin by trading another of his wingers (see: James Neal and Phil Kessel, previously) would be a curious decision.īut veteran Patric Hornqvist is available to move into a top-six role on the right side. The same qualities that have other GMs interested also benefit the Penguins, who remain in win-now mode based upon Rutherford’s words and actions. ![]() Trading Rust would not come without risks. However, as the hot stove continues to heat up in advance of the NHL Entry Draft and start of free agency, there is a growing sense Rust might draw an offer Rutherford deems too good to pass up, the league sources said. Rutherford and coach Mike Sullivan value Rust’s chemistry with Malkin, and also captain Sidney Crosby. In addition to being viewed as a bargain by GMs, Rust is held in high regard by coaches because he has excelled as a role player on the Penguins’ 2016 and ’17 title teams (13 goals combined as a bottom-six winger those postseasons) but also shown himself to be a fit with top centers (27 goals in 55 games mostly spent on Evgeni Malkin’s wing). Rust’s two years of remaining term at a $3.5 million annual cap hit is attractive to GMs looking to enhance their club’s championship credentials as well as those seeking to not lose ground among playoff contenders, the league sources said. Instead, they are seeking to acquire established players on short-term contracts via trade. Given the NHL’s current financial outlook because of lost ticket revenue from the COVID-19 pandemic, even big-revenue clubs are wary of playing the free-agent market. ![]()
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