Confirmed with Link: Penguins acquire Erik Karlsson for Granlund, 1st rounder in 2024, Rutta, Petry, DeSmith (more in first post)

[Turin]

Just saw on PHN that Rutta had core surgery after the season. Makes me easier with not having him, that's not an easy one to be 100% after.

Damn that one took both Sid and if I remember right Dumoulin a long time to get back to 100. In Dumos case his 100 rapidly declined anyway. Feels like there’s been a lot of that for the Pens in recent years compared to years past.

 

[Malkinstheman]

Just saw on PHN that Rutta had core surgery after the season. Makes me easier with not having him, that's not an easy one to be 100% after.

Feels like theres a decent chance Rutta could have turned out like Hunwick. Bottom pair guys like that dont really last deep into their 30s especially with all these injuries. Wouldnt be surprised if they had to pay to dump Rutta at the deadline or next summer.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I didn't dislike Rutta, tbf. I just don't really remember him doing a damn thing, good or bad, in pretty much any of the games he was healthy enough to play in. I guess he was more physical than like, Petts? But that's not hard to accomplish. He wasn't really bad at anything, but he definitely wasn't good at anything either. /shrug

I would love for this team to run a bottom pairing of POJ or Smith + a defensively sound guy who brings physicality, but good luck finding that guy.

 

[Empoleon8771]

A core muscle surgery for Rutta could be devistating because he's already not that good to begin with. The more I looked into his statistical performance last year, the more I feel like he's a nothing loss.

Also regarding getting more retention on Karlsson, I think that would have made the deal far riskier for the Penguins. They only had to pay a 1st for him because he was coming in at $10 million. If San Jose was going to retain more, the Penguins would have given up more future. I think they should be trying to hold onto as many picks as they can, so I'd rather fit Karlsson in at $10 million and only trade a 1st than fit him in at $9 million and trade more.

 

[Peat]

Sid struggled with core but Zucker didn't seem to much. Dumo was ankle iirc, and Hunwick concussions.

But yeah. Injuries can get you at any time, and dmen in their 30s invite it more than most. I don't think Rutta was particularly high risk - not like, er, Erik Karlsson - but it's a small bonus to reduce the risk there a tiny bit.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Cap is set to increase and the real years that matter are the next two, anyway. So I don't really get worrying about saving more on the EK contract especially if more assets that this team can't really afford were at stake.

Rutta is just fancy Ruh. And perhaps this way we can get a better look at some of the younger guys on the third pairing and they'll be a breath of fresh Air... Bud.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Cap is set to increase and the real years that matter are the next two.

So I don't really get worrying about saving more on the EK contract especially if more assets that this team can't really afford were at stake.

Rutta is just fancy Ruh. And perhaps this way we can get a better look at some of the younger guys on the third pairing and they'll be a breath of fresh Air... Bud.

I was going to say exactly this, Rutta is Ruhwedel with size.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

I didn't dislike Rutta, tbf. I just don't really remember him doing a damn thing, good or bad, in pretty much any of the games he was healthy enough to play in. I guess he was more physical than like, Petts? But that's not hard to accomplish. He wasn't really bad at anything, but he definitely wasn't good at anything either. /shrug

I would love for this team to run a bottom pairing of POJ or Smith + a defensively sound guy who brings physicality, but good luck finding that guy.

He's just a quality #5 D. Decent at PK decent at taking the minutes you give him and defers to the partner to handle puck duties.

Can't really complain about a vanilla defensemen. Better to have that then a Jack Johnson bleeding goals.

 

[Pens1566]

Smith was playing the right side with Dumo when he was up last year and he did it fairly well. He was RD for spells in junior and said he prefers it.

Honestly, I'd probably try some type of combination of POJ - Letang / EK65 and drop Graves down with Smith if I was building our roster.

Pettersson - EK65
POJ - Letang
Graves - Smith

Would be my build personally.

While I agree on the premise, it means Graves playing like 8-10 mins a night ...

 

[Empoleon8771]

My guess for the ice time allocation for the defensemen this year will be something like:

Letang: 25 minutes
Karlsson: 25 minutes
Pettersson: 22 minutes
Graves: 22 minutes
POJ: 16 minutes
Ruhwedel: 10 minutes

POJ will get extra shifts with Letang or Karlsson during games to increase his ice time while Ruhwedel won't be playing a lot behind Letang and Karlsson.

 

[Pens1566]

My guess for the ice time allocation for the defensemen this year will be something like:

Letang: 25 minutes
Karlsson: 25 minutes
Pettersson: 22 minutes
Graves: 22 minutes
POJ: 16 minutes
Ruhwedel: 10 minutes

POJ will get extra shifts with Letang or Karlsson during games to increase his ice time while Ruhwedel won't be playing a lot behind Letang and Karlsson.

I'm honestly not convinced the 6th will be Ruh ... I think (hope) we'll see more of Friedman instead.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

He's just a quality #5 D. Decent at PK decent at taking the minutes you give him and defers to the partner to handle puck duties.

Can't really complain about a vanilla defensemen. Better to have that then a Jack Johnson bleeding goals.

I don't even know if he's anything more than generic bottom pairing fodder--call him a 5 or a 6.

Again, I didn't dislike him. I just don't know how or why anyone gives a shit about him, let alone considers his departure anything close to "losing Rutta's presence" or whatever. Like you said, wasn't a detriment, but extremely whelming in every facet of the game.

The mystique around PKers needs to die, imo. Anybody can PK if coached. Skill guys can PK and be utilized as a threat to go the other way, making PP players think twice about risking passes or shots that might see a SH chance the other way. Schlubs like JJ can PK because all they need to do is get their sticks/bodies in lanes. Cerebral players, regardless of frame or style, can PK because they can read plays and anticipate plays. Nobody should be signed, traded for, or retained because of their PK prowess. The coaching staff just needs to do their jobs better. /shrug

 

[JTG]

Smith was playing the right side with Dumo when he was up last year and he did it fairly well. He was RD for spells in junior and said he prefers it.

Honestly, I'd probably try some type of combination of POJ - Letang / EK65 and drop Graves down with Smith if I was building our roster.

Pettersson - EK65
POJ - Letang
Graves - Smith

Would be my build personally.

Yeah, I dig that.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'm honestly not convinced the 6th will be Ruh ... I think (hope) we'll see more of Friedman instead.

I don't think this will happen. Ruhwedel will probably be in because he's safe defensively and has had good PKing results in the past. Friedman doesn't fit either of those.

I hope they upgrade on Ruhwedel at some point next year but I think he's the most appropriate guy to play with POJ at this point.

 

[SEALBound]

Smith was playing the right side with Dumo when he was up last year and he did it fairly well. He was RD for spells in junior and said he prefers it.

Honestly, I'd probably try some type of combination of POJ - Letang / EK65 and drop Graves down with Smith if I was building our roster.

Pettersson - EK65
POJ - Letang
Graves - Smith

Would be my build personally.

You are downright kidding yourself if you think they signed Graves to put him on the third pair. That absolutely, 100% is not going to happen.

The question with Graves is Letang or Karlsson

 

[Andy99]

You are downright kidding yourself if you think they signed Graves to put him on the third pair. That absolutely, 100% is not going to happen.

The question with Graves is Letang or Karlsson

Graves will be with Letang…new guy won’t be paired w another new guy and also has been touted as the Dumo replacement…the two Swedes will pair together…

 

[SEALBound]

I don't think this will happen. Ruhwedel will probably be in because he's safe defensively and has had good PKing results in the past. Friedman doesn't fit either of those.

I hope they upgrade on Ruhwedel at some point next year but I think he's the most appropriate guy to play with POJ at this point.

I don't even know if Freidman is the defacto #8?

POJ-Rudwedel
Smith- ....

But then you have Butcher, Belliveau, Ouellet, Fedun...the only thing Freidman may have on those guys is his ability to play RD.

If we are down to Freidman, not sure it's going to matter a whole lot to be quite honest.

 

[WickedWrister]

 

[Darren McCord]

My guess for the ice time allocation for the defensemen this year will be something like:

Letang: 25 minutes
Karlsson: 25 minutes
Pettersson: 22 minutes
Graves: 22 minutes
POJ: 16 minutes
Ruhwedel: 10 minutes

POJ will get extra shifts with Letang or Karlsson during games to increase his ice time while Ruhwedel won't be playing a lot behind Letang and Karlsson.

If Ruh is getting 10min than that should be Smith not Ruh.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'm guessing what happened is that Karlsson was supposed to go straight from the airport to Cranberry for his intro press conference, but his flight was delayed and he wasn't able to make it for the 11:15 AM conference.

If Ruh is getting 10min than that should be Smith not Ruh.

No, Ruhwedel is needed for his PKing. Smith should absolutely not be playing with POJ.

Smith's role is a top-4 RD replacement for Letang and Karlsson and a 3rd pair LD replacement for POJ.

 

[Darren McCord]

I don't even know if Freidman is the defacto #8?

POJ-Rudwedel
Smith- ....

But then you have Butcher, Belliveau, Ouellet, Fedun...the only thing Freidman may have on those guys is his ability to play RD.

If we are down to Freidman, not sure it's going to matter a whole lot to be quite honest.

I am excited to see how Belliveau does this year. Could be a really solid bottom 4 guy if he can make the jump.

I'm guessing what happened is that Karlsson was supposed to go straight from the airport to Cranberry for his intro press conference, but his flight was delayed and he wasn't able to make it for the 11:15 AM conference.



No, Ruhwedel is needed for his PKing. Smith should absolutely not be playing with POJ.

Smith's role is a top-4 RD replacement for Letang and Karlsson and a 3rd pair LD replacement for POJ.

Hard pass. You need to see what you have in Smith. You don't jump from bench to top 4. You put your top 6 best in. POJ should be getting reps on the PK anyways.

Letang, Petts, POJ and Graves should be the PKers

Ruh needs fired into the sun.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Hard pass. You need to see what you have in Smith. You don't jump from bench to top 4. You put your top 6 best in. POJ should be getting reps on the PK anyways.

Letang, Petts, POJ and Graves should be the PKers

Ruh needs fired into the sun.

There is no reason you can't use Smith in that kind of way, it's exactly how they used him last year with Dumoulin as his partner.

Smith and POJ do not complement each other at all, both have problems defensively and both mostly bring puck moving/skating (more POJ) and offense (more Smith) as their main benefits. For what the Penguins need out of that 3rd pair role, Ruhwedel fits substantially better than Smith.

 

[Lara Emily]

frank Seravalli said this morning that the Sharks were willing to go to 20% retained. I would of given another 1st for that or a prospect. Would of given the Pens another million in flexibility. Not thrilled that Karlsson is at 10mil and we retained on Petry.

You would have given a 2nd first for an extra like 7?!

 

[Gurglesons]

You are downright kidding yourself if you think they signed Graves to put him on the third pair. That absolutely, 100% is not going to happen.

The question with Graves is Letang or Karlsson

While I agree on the premise, it means Graves playing like 8-10 mins a night ...

I would use Graves Smith around 18-19 minutes a night. Graves is going to be eating a ton of PK time.

 

[Darren McCord]

There is no reason you can't use Smith in that kind of way, it's exactly how they used him last year with Dumoulin as his partner.

Smith and POJ do not complement each other at all, both have problems defensively and both mostly bring puck moving/skating (more POJ) and offense (more Smith) as their main benefits. For what the Penguins need out of that 3rd pair role, Ruhwedel fits substantially better than Smith.

Disagree but whatever. Wouldn't suprise me if the top 4 also was the PK pairings.
Karlsson has played a ton short handed in his career as well with better numbers than Chad.

At the end of the day play the best 6 and that isnt ruh