Does Jim Rutherford have anything else up his sleeve before this month's trade deadline?
The Penguins' general manager discussed the subject of potential future moves and more on Monday while on his weekly hit with Mark Madden on our radio partner, 105.9 The X.
Rutherford said "it shouldn't be necessary" to add any more forwards, but "if you pointed out a winger and the deal was right, you don't walk away from it."
That doesn't mean Rutherford is taking it easy over these next few weeks. On Monday alone, he said he spoke to six teams, just to "stay in the loop." He'd like to see how the Penguins look with Zach Aston-Reese, Justin Schultz, and Evgeni Malkin in the lineup before he makes any further moves, though.
The Penguins currently hold five picks in the 2019 draft -- a first-rounder, a fourth-rounder (that would upgrade to a third-rounder if Conor Sheary scores 20 goals or 40 points or if Matt Hunwick is traded before 2019 draft), a fifth-rounder, and two seventh-rounders.
Since Rutherford took over in June 2014, the Penguins' have only used their first-round pick once, when they selected Kasperi Kapanen in 2014. Rutherford is looking to hold onto that first-round pick for the first time in years, due to the incoming deep draft class.
"I'm trying to stay away from moving our first-round pick," Rutherford said. "We moved our second and third, which I'm okay with. In the second round pick, it's in the Florida deal, we get a 22-year-old center (in Jared McCann) that should play here for a long time, plus a 26-year-old center in (Nick) Bjugstad. I moved the first pick almost since I've been here with the Penguins, and that's one area that I'm trying to stay away from this year because it's a very, very good draft."
• Rutherford also discussed in more detail how the trade that brought Bjugstad and McCann to Pittsburgh came about. Florida told Rutherford weeks ago that they were looking to move some players that had years left on their contracts in order to be more flexible in the offseason. Bjugstad and McCann were just what the Penguins were looking for.
"We were looking to change out our third-line center, so that's where that all started," said Rutherford. "The deals to this point this year I tried to make were to try to get younger players, and we've been able to do that. We end up getting two guys from Florida that can play as third-line centers. They're younger players, they still have an upside, they're two-positional players, so it worked out pretty good for us."
Rutherford pointed out that Bjugstad has also played well on the right wing on Florida's top line, alongside Aleksander Barkov. It's up to Mike Sullivan if Bjugstad stays at center, or if McCann plays third-line center and Bjugstad moves to wing. If Sullivan does move Bjugstad, Rutherford believes that McCann is capable of filling that role, and likes his skating, puck pressure, and ability to drive to the net. But through the first two games, Rutherford was impressed by Bjugstad's play at center.
Madden asked Rutherford what advantages Bjugstad has being 6-feet-6.
"Being a guy that's 5-6, I can tell you it's a lot of advantages in life," Rutherford chuckled.
On the ice though, Rutherford likes Bjugstad's reach that comes with his size. When he hits a player, his reach allows him to pick up the puck more easily. When he's the one carrying the puck, his size allows him to carry it more easily.
• Are the Penguins moving away from speed at all? Rutherford says no. Despite Bjugstad's size, he's a strong skater, he moves well. Rutherford acknowledged they lost speed by trading Carl Hagelin, but that "you have to have enough guys with speed in order to compete" in the league.
• Rutherford pointed to Derick Brassard not being a fit for a bottom-6 role as a reason why his time didn't work out in Pittsburgh, saying “(Brassard) just never adjusted to it here. That's just what happens sometimes."
Rutherford said Brassard would tell coaches he understood being behind Sidney Crosby and Malkin on the depth chart, "but at the same time, I don't think he could accept it."
• On Jack Johnson's start to the season, Rutherford said "you could see that he was feeling the pressure of coming in and playing for the Penguins."
Rutherford said Johnson and Marcus Pettersson have been a good pairing, and that "they've played really well together."
• What happens to Teddy Blueger once the Penguins' forwards are healthy?
"I'm really pleased with (Blueger)," said Rutherford. "I'm not surprised. He's like a bunch of other guys who have taken a little longer to develop. We left him in Wilkes-Barre maybe a little longer than he deserved. We knew he was ready to play here. I'm really happy for him, he's a great guy, he's been patient, he's worked hard at his game. He's certainly showed that he's capable of playing in the NHL."
Rutherford said that whether Blueger stays in Pittsburgh when the forwards are healthy, or if he's up-and-down between Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre, he could be in Pittsburgh at the start of next season.
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