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Jim Rutherford Blasts Penguins' Poor Start, Threatens Changes

Phil

By Phil
in Hockey Around the Globe

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Phil BSBH Legend

Phil

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The Penguins general manager ? never known for holding back much in interviews ? blasted his team on his bi-weekly radio show Wednesday with Josh Getzoff of the Penguins Radio Network on 105.9 FM.

 

Rutherford also threatened changes if things didn?t improve.

 

?What I?m seeing I don?t like,? Rutherford said. ?Nobody likes it. We?re trying to figure out what?s gone wrong here.

 

?I?d like to say we have an answer for it. We don?t right now. We?re watching it really close.

 

?Certainly if this continues, in short order, we?re going to have to make some changes.?

 

?Actions are louder than words,? Rutherford said. ?This will be the first move of a few if we don?t get it going.?

 

One of the things that?s bothering Rutherford is the effort he feels his team is giving. Or, in this case, not giving.

 

?We?re not playing with any energy or determination,? Rutherford said. ?We?re just trying to get through the games. These other teams are coming and outworking us. They deserve to beat us. In some of these games, they probably deserve to beat us worse than the score indicates.

 

?It?s just getting back to basics and guys getting back to work ? come to the rink ready to work and determined to win. I haven?t seen it since we got back from Canada. It?s very concerning.?

 

?It?s almost like the guys come to the games and say, ?Let?s just let the top guys do it.? Let?s let Sid, Geno, Phil and Letang carry us,? Rutherford said. ?We?ll just get through the game and move on to the next game, forget about the work ethic it takes or forget about the role they play.

 

?But when those guys [meaning the Big Four] can?t get it done, whether they?re shut down or they?re not having a good game, that?s when we need those other guys to come in and contribute and help win games. We?re not getting it.?

 

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/penguins/2018/11/07/Penguins-Jim-Rutherford-critical-poor-start-trades-changes/stories/201811070174

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Long live the King BSBH Hall-of-Famer

Long live the King

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Vesey for Sprong. I suspect this is as high a value as Vesey will get here. He'd probably score 30 with Crosby.
Well he's on pace for 29 right now, is playing great under the new coach, and is showing good chemistry with Howden. So how about we keep him.

 

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

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Pete BSBH Legend

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Well he's on pace for 29 right now, is playing great under the new coach, and is showing good chemistry with Howden. So how about we keep him.

 

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

Nah. He's not part of the real future and is likely going to be an overpaid 3rd liner.

 

He's good, just not for us. Get value in assets.

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Giacomin BSBH Mite

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Well he's on pace for 29 right now, is playing great under the new coach, and is showing good chemistry with Howden. So how about we keep him.

Gotta side with king, no reason to move him. If he keeps this up he will have more value in a couple of months. If Sprong was a sure thing, yeah. But there are some questions. He's worth a risk, but this would be a tough call. The scouts would have to sell me with enthusiasm.

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Future BSBH Mite

Future

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I think someone would offer a shinier new toy than Vesey if Sprong was put on the market, but I could be wrong here.

What trade value do you actually think Sprong has? The guy has done absolutely nothing at the NHL level and can't earn ice time on a team that has like 4 legitimate top-9 wingers. His value is lower than what Domi's was when he got traded.

 

The only way Pitt gets a better return than a player like Vesey is a reclamation or another unproven player who might be a better fit (Werek for Lindberg).

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Dunny BSBH Hall-of-Famer

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Ethan Werek now tearing it up in Czech League.

 

I have a cousin played in his division in the 'O' I was all excited for a scouting report after we drafted him response I got was essentially "Look for him at a SPHL franchise near you"

 

lol.. Bang on.

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Gravesy BSBH Rising Star

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What trade value do you actually think Sprong has? The guy has done absolutely nothing at the NHL level and can't earn ice time on a team that has like 4 legitimate top-9 wingers. His value is lower than what Domi's was when he got traded.

 

The only way Pitt gets a better return than a player like Vesey is a reclamation or another unproven player who might be a better fit (Werek for Lindberg).

 

I honestly don't know but I'm pretty sure Vesey's trade value is very low. Domi returned Galchenyuk who is a vastly superior player to Vesey so I'm not sure that is a great example.

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Giacomin BSBH Mite

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I honestly don't know but I'm pretty sure Vesey's trade value is very low. Domi returned Galchenyuk who is a vastly superior player to Vesey so I'm not sure that is a great example.

 

Yeah, Domi had an excellent rookie year. That was a trade of two young troubled vets, though Domi's trouble was more on the ice.

 

Sprong has only impressed in the A, but hasn't done it here. Vesey has, he can be a regular 3rd liner. Pitt would jump at this deal..

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Gravesy BSBH Rising Star

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Sprong has only impressed in the A, but hasn't done it here. Vesey has, he can be a regular 3rd liner. Pitt would jump at this deal..

 

They would not imo.

Pronman's take from just before the season started:

 

HIGH-END NHL PROSPECT

 

1. Daniel Sprong, RW, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton-AHL

 

Sprong was one of the most dangerous offensive players in the AHL this season and looked good in a brief call-up for the Penguins. He has all the components you want in a top scorer. Sprong is a high-end skater and puck handler who can push the pace. He’s also an intelligent offensive player with the creativity, instincts and vision to make tough plays. There are times he tries to do too much, but the good significantly outweighs the bad. Sprong also has one of the best shots outside the NHL. His game off the puck has never been a selling point. He’s not very physical and frustrates coaches at times, but he also puts up numbers wherever he goes.

 

I'm going to lean on Pronman here. I don't see them trading a guy of this description for Vesey. And I don't think they'll need to, as somebody else will offer better.

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Future BSBH Mite

Future

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They would not imo.

Pronman's take from just before the season started:

 

I'm going to lean on Pronman here. I don't see them trading a guy of this description for Vesey. And I don't think they'll need to, as somebody else will offer better.

This stopped being relevant the second Sprong couldn't get 10:00 per game in the NHL. There are lots of guys who score in the AHL and can't produce in the NHL, and even though I like Sprong, he's trending towards that group.

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