Jim Rutherford Needs to Go

[froods]

And enough with the “he fixes his mistakes” argument. Maybe stop making so many mistakes?

He gambles. That’s what he does. When you gamble you will hit and make mistakes. If you don’t like an aggressive GM, that is fair, but my guess is you would crucify him for waiting things out. Nobody has a crystal ball.

 

[JRS91]

And who corrected that horrible move? Oh wait, that was the horrible horrible GMJR!

I mean, that's great but how does that justify the contract he gave Johnson?

 

[edog37]

We kept Bylsma around because he won a cup and the whole “but but who else would you hire” mindset. Sullivan was a nobody, so hire a players’ coach to get the team united again. Get rid of the tyrant that keeps forcing players out of Pittsburgh.

Sullivan will be an assistant coach in 3 years, if that.

You clearly don’t know the history of this franchise. The last thing this team needs is a “players coach”.

 

[edog37]

What locker room distraction? You mean Phil Kessel, the player the entire locker room loved but Mike Sullivan hated because he has independent thought? That’s a coaching problem, not a player problem. And Rutherford made the team worse by bringing in a known locker room issue who is defensively worse and scores less.

I’ve seen enough of Tanev to know he’s a fine enough player but not worth six years, $3.5 million and a limited no trade clause. Especially at the likely expense of a better player who will have to be moved to make room for him. Especially when they already have Johnson, Gudbranson and potentially Hornqvist on cap crippling contracts.

Rutherford has a seven month stretch where every move was perfect. He’s been nothing short of a failure (outside of the second Brassard trade) since then.

Sully’s job isn’t to appease players, it’s to get the players to compete. Kessel has has issues with coaches his entire career. That’s a distraction. It’s not AB-level by any stretch but it’s an unnecessary distraction.

Again banners don’t lie...

 

[Turin]

You clearly don’t know the history of this franchise. The last thing this team needs is a “players coach”.

I don’t think Sullivan is an asshole to his players like Therrien or even Babcock or Torts.

 

[Zero Pucks]

And enough with the “he fixes his mistakes” argument. Maybe stop making so many mistakes?

Exactly. All Rutherford had to do was unload JJ's horrible contract somehow and this would have been a rather good offseason despite moving Kessel. Instead he just shot himself in the foot again and we're much much deeper in shit that could have been easily avoided.

 

[Zero Pucks]

He gambles. That’s what he does. When you gamble you will hit and make mistakes. If you don’t like an aggressive GM, that is fair, but my guess is you would crucify him for waiting things out. Nobody has a crystal ball.

If you're gonna gamble don't do it on run of the mill fourth liners. How hard is that?

 

[Pens x]

I don’t think Sullivan is an ******* to his players like Therrien or even Babcock or Torts.

Have those coaches forced their teams to trade an all star player for peanuts just to get him off the team?

 

[Turin]

Exactly. All Rutherford had to do was unload JJ's horrible contract somehow and this would have been a rather good offseason despite moving Kessel. Instead he just shot himself in the foot again and we're much much deeper in **** that could have been easily avoided.

What? What has happened that makes you think he’s not still trying to move JJ?

 

[mpp9]

I'll take it as a win that JR is trying to move him. Could be a lot worse if management was still under the delusion that he's a contributing player.

 

[Zero Pucks]

What? What has happened that makes you think he’s not still trying to move JJ?

If Rutherford does move him somehow, we're still stuck with multiple horridly bad contracts and could likely come at the expense of a good roster player. Now thanks to the Tanev signing. Trading JJ and being stuck with Hornqvist and Gudbranson as the worst contracts on this team for the next couple of seasons, I could deal with. It's not great but this team could manage it. Adding Tanev puts it way over the top, at least for my liking.

 

[edog37]

I don’t think Sullivan is an ******* to his players like Therrien or even Babcock or Torts.

I don’t care if he is. His job is to get results. It was said about Scotty Bowman that for 364 days you hated him, on the 365th day you picked up your Stanley Cup ring...

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

What? What has happened that makes you think he’s not still trying to move JJ?

Why do you bother trying to talk sense into these sky is falling doomsday fans? I gave them my piece and am done with them. I suggest you do the same.

As pointed out with their past suggestions we would have no Cups. Whether it was tank for picks during some of those Cup years or trade MAF in that last Cup year their ideas would have 0 Cups. Luckily for us they don’t control the team and that is why we have 3 Cups under the Crosby era. Talking them off the ledge is pointless. Some people are just born to complain and be miserable. They are not worth your time, trust me.

It is pretty easy for most of us to see that Rutherford again has quickly made this team younger and faster in less than 6 months. We have only 1 forward surrounding our franchise Centers that is older than 27. If Rutherford does get rid of JJ which I know will happen in some form then the defense will be all in their 20’s surrounding our core defenseman Letang. Rutherford has made this team younger faster and more skilled in a very short time. This group will be a fun group to watch so just enjoy the season and let haters hate.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

Vikki asks[/a]: “What the hell is going on with the Pens? Is there any logic to Jim Rutherford’s moves?”
Seems to me it’s a case looking at a so-so roster with some clear stars and identifying the problem as one of “identity” and “being hard to play against.” The Penguins won two straight Cups with a mostly anonymous defense and Crosby and Malkin doing what they always do to power the offense, and Phil Kessel added the pop they always lacked.
But when Kessel refused to accept a third-line role — largely, one imagines, because it wasn’t working even though he was producing — they didn’t have much choice. What that ignores, from Rutherford’s perspective, is that he consistently made the roster worse and also Matt Murray stopped delivering world-class goaltending and, for the bulk of the season, was merely above-average. Now it seems Rutherford is simply hoping that by adding “glue guys” he can get the Penguins back to being competitive while Crosby, Malkin, and Kris Letang still have something left in the tank. It’s not going well.
I think a few months ago, I got a question that was like, “Which GM do you think will overreact the most to a playoff loss,” and we have our answer.

 

[Burn]

We kept Bylsma around because he won a cup and the whole “but but who else would you hire” mindset. Sullivan was a nobody, so hire a players’ coach to get the team united again. Get rid of the tyrant that keeps forcing players out of Pittsburgh.

Sullivan will be an assistant coach in 3 years, if that.

Yeah but Sullivan won two cups and I think hes we'll respected around the league. He fits into plans somewhere just not a high level offensive team. We'll see how the Pens do this year. They're more retooled for Sullivan hockey so its put up or shut up for him now.

I actually like his plan of attack. I just don't see the Pens having 10 ways to kill you like when Tocchet was around. Maybe that's more on Rex though.

 

[BigEezyE22]

He gambles. That’s what he does. When you gamble you will hit and make mistakes. If you don’t like an aggressive GM, that is fair, but my guess is you would crucify him for waiting things out. Nobody has a crystal ball.

Waiting out was what triggered the Sheehan situation.

 

[BigEezyE22]

I don’t care if he is. His job is to get results. It was said about Scotty Bowman that for 364 days you hated him, on the 365th day you picked up your Stanley Cup ring...

I remember that ring from '93...

 

[The Old Master]

Yeah but Sullivan won two cups and I think hes we'll respected around the league. He fits into plans somewhere just not a high level offensive team. We'll see how the Pens do this year. They're more retooled for Sullivan hockey so its put up or shut up for him now.

they have sully's replacement in wbs getting to know the kids just like sully did before he was the coach. the heat is on.

 

[Burn]

they have sully's replacement in wbs getting to know the kids just like sully did before he was the coach. the heat is on.

Seems like more of the same to me.

 

[The Old Master]

Seems like more of the same to me.

true, but what made sully was the way he brought in the kids he had coached.
(and he doesn't seem to want to give them a chance now)

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

Good to see Rutherford give his inevitable scapegoat a nice golden parachute.

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

Yeah but Sullivan won two cups and I think hes we'll respected around the league. He fits into plans somewhere just not a high level offensive team. We'll see how the Pens do this year. They're more retooled for Sullivan hockey so its put up or shut up for him now.

I actually like his plan of attack. I just don't see the Pens having 10 ways to kill you like when Tocchet was around. Maybe that's more on Rex though.

I agree with you that this team was made for Sullivan’s system. Obviously Sullivan rather of got Zucker but I still think we have enough fast forwards that can get in on the forecheck and force defenseman to make mistakes. That first forward in will also open up space for his linemates. That is why someone like Tanev could work with Malkin and Galchenyuk. I rather it be Rust on that line but honestly as long as that line has a fast forechecking defensive conscience forward with them that line will work. The speed of our lines really excites me. I remember how we just overwhelmed teams with that style and I think Sullivan has the guns to implement that style again.

This might be our fastest top two lines we have had or comparable to the fastest depending on what wingers are used on those lines. Guentzel-Crosby-Kahun/Rust/McCann and Tanev/Kahun/Rust/McCann-Malkin-Galchenyuk. Plenty of speed left over for the bottom lines also with whoever doesn’t win those jobs as the fast forechecking forward for those lines.

I think this is put up or shut up time for Sullivan like you pointed out and this new contract means nothing if he doesn’t produce.

 

[Turin]

The forwards are made for Sullivan’s system, the defense is still lagging about 20 years behind.

 

[Burn]

The forwards are made for Sullivan’s system, the defense is still lagging about 20 behind.

I can't wait to see POJ playing for Sullivan I think he'll fit well.

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

true, but what made sully was the way he brought in the kids he had coached.
(and he doesn't seem to want to give them a chance now)

What kid did Sullivan not give a chance? If you play the way he wants you will get your chance. Sprong didn’t play that way so he was not going to keep playing. Same thing happened to Sprong with the Ducks as a healthy scratch after a short while their. The Ducks had much less talent up front and Sprong still went through a period of being scratched and put on the 4th line. He did get to with top line and score some goals but his underlying numbers stunk and he still only was on mid 30’s point pace which doesn’t cut it for a one dimensional winger. You can make that work when you put up Kessel production but not Rust production.

Pettersson a 22 year old rookie got more and more playing time under Sullivan. You play right you play under Sullivan if not you don’t. Tons of young players got a chance under Sullivan such as Guentzel, Rust, Blueger, Sheary, and others. I just think this is a flawed narrative.