Jim Rutherford Needs to Go

[Turin]

I ain’t looking through all this but I don’t think I embarrassed myself too badly. Nobody bump any Rust threads.

 

[Pens x]

I don't think the organization as a whole has enough trust in Kevin Stevens to do anything aside from scout.

...and this is coming from a guy who wears a Stevens jersey to every single Pens game.

The Penguins shouldn’t trust that dirt bag. He’s a scum bag that has been given too many chances. It’s time to grow up, Peter Pan.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Fire JR, Sully, entire coaching staff as well.

Maybe hire someone that can figure out this obviously mysterious culture issue that has plagued this team since 2006.

Problem is coaches play favourites, GM signs bad contracts and too many star players dictate what they want and what they should do.

Then it becomes a culture issue and people blame new players when it's not the new players that are the issue.

I remember someone saying the Pens have an in crowd that is not easy to crack.

It even comes down to how this team handles coaches that don't evolve their **** and are not held accountable to GMs that make far too many idiotic choices before they're on a hot seat. So yeah it goes to ownership and the only part of ownership that previously liked this country club **** is Mario.

Wow what a Wanker.

 

[Pens x]

I’m not ready to slob all over JR yet. I was definitely wrong about Sully, though. He’s done a fantastic job, but I’m a bit worried that he somehow is better with lesser talent much like Bylsma was. I hope we continue this success when the team is fully healthy, if that ever happens.

Jarry is the unsung hero this year, and he was already drafted before JR came here. You can’t give credit to JR for Jarry in any way. JR should be commended for acquiring Marino. I criticized the old senile chuckle for signing Tanev to a monster deal which has looked like a great signing.

I still hate the Kessel trade and acquiring Bjugstad, but hopefully JR is finding his skills from 2015 because the old man has sucked for 3 or 4 years after his amazing run.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

It's funny to see, the biggest contention people had with JR was the defense, the JJ term and Tanev term as his latest big splash.

But not so long after, Marino paid off hugely, Kahun started to show everyone how good he was, Gudbranson was dumped off quickly, and Tanev made a ton of f***ing people eat crow as well as JJ's turnaround into a half decent #6.

For me, my gripes were Sullivan and Co. They've done a fantastic job with the injuries, so I will eat crow for that.

 

[Will Hunting]

1 bad move (reaves)... I can let it slide.

2 bad moves (JJ)... I'm on to you, sir. This is becoming a trend.

3 ba dmoves (SIX YEARS).. GET THE **** OUT, JR. Seriously. Fire him.

Wow even ColePens ... And Empo being his almost only defender. As for me.. I was a bit hesitant. But I was certainly far from "fire JR" stuff. He made my wish of shipping out Phil count and Maatta deal was also my wish. I hated Maatta as well and the return he got shocked me. As for Tanev.. I liked the player but not the term. Now I almost wish that beaut to be here for next 20 years And thats not even mentioning Marino... JR should be the GM of the year solely for his last summer imo. And McCann squeeze was also nice. Excellent stuff.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Tbt to when people freaked out when JR said this. 6 months later, the Penguins have the best defense they've had in a long time that's right on par with the 2016 defense.

 

[DragRiver2]

I’m not ready to slob all over JR yet. I was definitely wrong about Sully, though. He’s done a fantastic job, but I’m a bit worried that he somehow is better with lesser talent much like Bylsma was. I hope we continue this success when the team is fully healthy, if that ever happens.

Jarry is the unsung hero this year, and he was already drafted before JR came here. You can’t give credit to JR for Jarry in any way. JR should be commended for acquiring Marino. I criticized the old senile chuckle for signing Tanev to a monster deal which has looked like a great signing.

I still hate the Kessel trade and acquiring Bjugstad, but hopefully JR is finding his skills from 2015 because the old man has sucked for 3 or 4 years after his amazing run.

I don't get how you can hate the Bjugstad acquisition. Without that we don't have McCann. He gave up 2 pending UFA's for 2 players who still crack this roster when healthy.

 

[Gurglesons]

I ain’t looking through all this but I don’t think I embarrassed myself too badly. Nobody bump any Rust threads.

Weirdly enough me either.

 

[K Fleur]

JR has made the team younger, but it’s not better.

 

[LOGiK]

My posts aged okay!

LOL!

Some topics I stay away from. This is one of them because I'm not big on following youth and drafting and contract stuffs.

I think this board has changed since 2007 - to the nicer. I used to great in huge arguments and was almost perma banned my first month here.

Of course the team was a steaming pile of shit back in 2007 so along with the success of the team, the board attracted a much wider fan base of posters too. Also became more tolerable of opinions (kinda)... imo.

 

[Pens x]

I don't get how you can hate the Bjugstad acquisition. Without that we don't have McCann. He gave up 2 pending UFA's for 2 players who still crack this roster when healthy.

Bjugstad is shit at $4.1 mill AAV. Those pending UFA’s are gone, cap space is very valuable. We will be still stuck with Bjugstad long after that trade.

 

[Gurglesons]

Bjugstad is **** at $4.1 mill AAV. Those pending UFA’s are gone, cap space is very valuable. We will be still stuck with Bjugstad long after that trade.

Long after? Like for a year longer if that? We likely could move him right now for a nothing return.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Tbt to when people freaked out when JR said this. 6 months later, the Penguins have the best defense they've had in a long time that's right on par with the 2016 defense.

If Marino hadn't had his meteoric rise I think the criticism would have held up.

But he did, so...yay!

 

[Will Hunting]

Tbt to when people freaked out when JR said this. 6 months later, the Penguins have the best defense they've had in a long time that's right on par with the 2016 defense.

Tbh JJs revival was a bit unexpected. JR was a bit lucky there because the contract that he gave him was very risky. But he was also a bit unlucky with Kessel this summer. He was doing all he could and almost pulled out Zucker. The Kessel deal is good anyway because he got rid of his lazy ass and changed the culture with it but Galchesuck is terrible. He had no choice and did fine there but he almost had Zucker which would have been something else..

 

[LOGiK]

Bjugstad is **** at $4.1 mill AAV. Those pending UFA’s are gone, cap space is very valuable. We will be still stuck with Bjugstad long after that trade.

Bjugstad had major potential, but he just doesn't play a game where he takes advantage of his size.

"Selected 19th overall in 2010, Bjugstad has been something of a disappointment so far in his NHL career, dealing with injuries almost every season and not finding much consistency when he was on the ice. His absence will be missed however, given the other health concerns the team has at forward."

 

[Gurglesons]

I think a lot of the criticism in here is extremely valid.

JR lucked out on early season injuries and Gudbranson being moved. Otherwise we could have potentially ran into a situation where we lost a trade.

On top of that Bleuger, Marino and Jarry’s emergence has significantly changed this team’s trajectory. Considering Jarry was on the block for a calendar year I can’t say that was him. I buy that they liked Marino, but no way in hell they thought he’d be nearly usurping Letang and Teddy was a healthy scratch in the playoffs last season so I don’t buy that they planned on him being that type of piece this year.

Rutherford has made smart trades. His UFA and RFA contracts are questionable and much like in the summer he has some tough decisions to make this team a contender for the next three years. People butcher him for Brassard, but that was good value for the contract. Reaves and Despres are the only ones I’ll really get down on him for. As well as Pearson for Gudbranson, but that seemed to be one of the few actual Sullivan influenced ones..

One thing we can all agree on. He keeps it fun from a fan perspective.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Tbt to when people freaked out when JR said this. 6 months later, the Penguins have the best defense they've had in a long time that's right on par with the 2016 defense.

Yeah a lot of that really had to do with Jack Johnson rebounding to be a serviceable defenseman, the continuous growth of Pettersson and Riikola as well as the emergence of Marino.

Then a depth guy like Ruhwedel bouncing back as well from the meh year he had last year. JR had trust in that group, we didn't, he even cut bait with Guds.

 

[K Fleur]

I’ll always like that JR realized Guds sucks and got him the f*** out of here

Despite his simply magical 20 game sample size last season

 

[Ugene Magic]

All I wanted was to be included (wanted a job) and I'm easily public relations (glorified fan rally producer) who doesn't really get too involved with everyday running of the team. Though, I make my voice heard when I walk the halls past everyone's office talking to myself out loud.

 

[ColePens]

Wow even ColePens ... And Empo being his almost only defender. As for me.. I was a bit hesitant. But I was certainly far from "fire JR" stuff. He made my wish of shipping out Phil count and Maatta deal was also my wish. I hated Maatta as well and the return he got shocked me. As for Tanev.. I liked the player but not the term. Now I almost wish that beaut to be here for next 20 years And thats not even mentioning Marino... JR should be the GM of the year solely for his last summer imo. And McCann squeeze was also nice. Excellent stuff.

To be 10000 percent fair, i only wanted Tanev in UFA. And the threads leading up i kept saying that.

But JR really lost my trust after that reaves and jj push back nonsense. That was legit a waste of 2 years.

But what i LOOOOOOOOOOVE about JR?? He doesn't f*** around. He saw his mistake and acted fast. And boy he hit a homerun.

If u asked me that summer tanev for 6 years or pass, i would have said "ahhh too long. Love the player but we have homegrowns to pay. Ill pass." And i would have been DEAD WRONG.

 

[Andy99]

Tbh, his FA signings have been a mixed bag and he overpays players, but man is the guy lucky...I think all GMs are pretty much the same and they all make both good and boneheaded moves...I give him credit, as Cole says, for owning and changing his mistakes regarding team identity and for listening to the people around him...Marino was all due to scouting, same with Kahun and moves he doesn’t make, like not trading Jarry, are just blind luck...moves or failures to move have worked out for him so far and hopefully that continues (knock on wood) with a top 6 forward trade and the horseshoe stays up his *** this entire year...because you just know we’ll be overpaying lots of people this summer and everyone will be b***hing about him again come June...and this thread will be bumped...

 

[tom_servo]

Just like I said way early in the thread, the moves could be good, or they could be bad. Hedging between two positions has paid off for me once again.

 

[Shrimper]

My posts aged okay!

Same

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

JR's best move was trading for Kessel, then trading Kessel. Everything else is another cog in his great machine

Both trades changed this team very much