There are really only two criticism-worthy moves since JR took over: Despres/Lovejoy and Winnik. Some have argue Hornqvist / Neal, but he Kessel trade should take care of that argument. They need both. Now they have both. You could also argue that he lost too maypny assets for nothing, but that's the norm in sports, it takes progressive GMs to capture value for assets you know you'll lose. Hopefully the Penguins find that in JR's successor.
That said, whatever ills JR had in Carolina, he's yet - again, aside from Despres/Lovejoy, and I do not think that was his call - he's yet to really show them here. He identified weaknesses, he fixed them. It's impossible to fix everything wrong with the team in the 12 months he's been here, but he fixed the most-glaring need, and I'd argue he's a move or two away from having one of the best top-9 cores in the league.
The rest of the team's issues will revolve around Maatta, Letang and Pouliot's progression and health. If they can reach their potential and stay Healthy, their top-4 will be good enough. If not, they'll struggle, like any team would.
This sort of shot is really unwarranted, unnecessary, and pointless. Rutherford has been the butt of jokes since he took this job. It's a shame.
